With cold months coming, vehicles tend to suffer, the most basic scenario is to have troubles starting your Citroen C8 early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Citroen C8 . There are several reasons that can explain why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to solve this problem that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To accomplish this, first we will explain how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Citroen C8, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Citroen C8 function?

Before we describe the different problems of recharging the battery on a Citroen C8 , we will explain to you how its recharging system works so that you can discover the problems you are struggling with. A motor vehicle battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Citroen C8 , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it might deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To handle this problem, the engineers have developed a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy developed by the engine of your Citroen C8 to create energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, keep in mind that this process can only work when your car 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 Citroen C8’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Citroen C8 you might 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 situations.

Battery charging problem on Citroen C8: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a specific charger

In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in truth, if you manage to recharge your battery with a charger and your Citroen C8 to start, the problem obviously originates from your alternator which should not be able to create any more current.

Battery charging problem on Citroen C8: 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 Citroen C8 but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the trouble with recharging the battery of your Citroen C8 is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging problem on Citroen C8: 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 originate 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 solve the problem of battery charging on Citroen C8?

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

  • Defective alternator: You can try with simple mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to see if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing 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 only realistic solution. Obviously, 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 C8 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 such a case necessary.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Citroen C8

Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a Citroen C8 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. Otherwise you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to begin.

If you want more tutorials on the Citroen C8, go to our Citroen C8 category.