With cold weather coming, automobiles often suffer, the most common situation is to have troubles starting your Chevrolet Volt early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is associated with problems recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Volt . There are some causes that can explain why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and today we will try to help you to resolve this issue that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To get this done, first we will explain how recharging your car battery functions, then the different problems of recharging a Chevrolet Volt, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Chevrolet Volt function?
Before we detail the different complications of recharging the battery on a Chevrolet Volt , we will explain to you how its recharging system works so that you can understand the complications you are facing. A motor vehicle battery functions like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Chevrolet Volt , turn on your headlights, enjoy 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 overcome this issue, the engineers have developed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy created by the engine of your Chevrolet Volt to produce energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, consider that this process can just work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical components of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will drain 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 Volt’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging complications on a Chevrolet Volt you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is necessarily a issue in your electrical set up, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Volt: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a particular charger
In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , obviously, if you manage to recharge your battery with a charger and your Chevrolet Volt to start, the problem most certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to produce any more current.
Battery charging issue on Chevrolet Volt: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have managed to start your Chevrolet Volt but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the trouble with recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Volt is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging issue on Chevrolet Volt: My battery is discharged nevertheless it is new
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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the issue most probably comes from your alternator. It cannot come from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second possibility is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to resolve the issue of battery charging on Chevrolet Volt?
We will now give you the solutions according to the issue you are facing. Here are the different complications and their solutions:
- Defective alternator: You can try with simple mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to discover if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, replacing it is the best remedy, depending on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In this case, the purchase of a new battery is the just realistic remedy. 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 Volt 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 verify by a motor vehicle electrician is in this case required.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Chevrolet Volt
At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Chevrolet Volt there are just few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will just provide the energy needed to start.
If you want more tutorials on the Chevrolet Volt, go to our Chevrolet Volt category.
