With cold months coming, automobiles often suffer, the most common situation is to have difficulties starting your Chevrolet Malibu in the morning with very low temperatures. In general this is associated with problems recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Malibu . There are some reasons that can describe why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and today we will try to help you to solve this problem that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To get this done, first we will describe how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Chevrolet Malibu, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Chevrolet Malibu work?

Before we describe the different problems of recharging the battery on a Chevrolet Malibu , we will describe to you how its recharging system functions so that you can figure out the problems you are facing. A motor vehicle battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Chevrolet Malibu , turn on your headlights, play music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it may possibly deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To handle this problem, the engineers have designed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy produced by the engine of your Chevrolet Malibu to produce energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, take into account that this process can just work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical components of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your motor vehicle. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.

Problems recharging a Chevrolet Malibu’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Chevrolet Malibu you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a problem in your electrical set up, we will now see the different cases.

Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Malibu: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger

In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in truth, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Chevrolet Malibu to start, the problem certainly originates from your alternator which should not be able to produce any more current.

Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Malibu: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start regardless if I have charged the battery

If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your Chevrolet Malibu but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the problem with recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Malibu is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Malibu: My battery is discharged although it is new

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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges while you’re driving, the problem most probably originates from your alternator. It cannot come from your battery, which is new and therefore holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.

How to solve the problem of battery charging on Chevrolet Malibu?

We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are facing. Here are the different problems and their solutions:

  • Faulty alternator: You can try with simple mechanics to check it with a pressure gauge to discover if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, replacing it is the best solution, depending on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This repair is feasible in the event that your alternator is accessible.
  • Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the just realistic solution. In truth, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be changed, count between 60 and 100 euros depending on your engine.
  • Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Chevrolet Malibu but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a check by a motor vehicle electrician is in such a case necessary.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Chevrolet Malibu

Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a Chevrolet Malibu there are just few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can find some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will just provide the energy needed to begin.

To get more tips on the Chevrolet Malibu, take a look at the Chevrolet Malibu category.