With winter weather coming, cars often suffer, the most basic scenario is to have difficulties starting your Citroen C3 Picasso early in the day with very low temperatures. In general this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Citroen C3 Picasso . There are several causes that can explain why your battery does not recharge properly anymore, and in this article 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 works, then the different problems of recharging a Citroen C3 Picasso, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Citroen C3 Picasso function?

Before we describe the different complications of recharging the battery on a Citroen C3 Picasso , we will explain to you how its recharging system operates so that you can figure out the complications you are facing. A motor vehicle battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Citroen C3 Picasso , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… Nevertheless all these actions will consume energy and it may possibly deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To handle this issue, the engineers have produced a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy produced by the engine unit of your Citroen C3 Picasso to create energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . Nevertheless, bear in mind that this process can only work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical elements 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 Citroen C3 Picasso’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging complications on a Citroen C3 Picasso you might 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 Citroen C3 Picasso: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a specific charger

In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in truth, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Citroen C3 Picasso to start, the problem most certainly originates from your alternator which should not be able to create any more current.

Battery charging issue on Citroen C3 Picasso: 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 been able to start your Citroen C3 Picasso but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the issue with recharging the battery of your Citroen C3 Picasso is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging issue on Citroen C3 Picasso: My battery is discharged nevertheless it is new

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

How to resolve the issue of battery charging on Citroen C3 Picasso?

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 basic 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 fix is feasible in the event your alternator is accessible.
  • Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic solution. In fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be replaced, count between 60 and 100 euros depending on your engine.
  • Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Citroen C3 Picasso 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 required.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Citroen C3 Picasso

At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Citroen C3 Picasso there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to begin.

If you need more tutorials on the Citroen C3 Picasso, go to our Citroen C3 Picasso category.