With winter season coming, vehicles often suffer, the most basic situation is to have difficulties starting your Kia Rio early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Kia Rio . There are several causes that can explain why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to fix this problem that can prevent you from using your car. To achieve this, first we will explain how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Kia Rio, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Kia Rio work?

Before we describe the different complications of recharging the battery on a Kia Rio , we will explain to you how its recharging system functions so that you can discover the complications you are struggling with. A car battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Kia Rio , 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 overcome this problem, the engineers have developed a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy developed by the engine unit of your Kia Rio to produce energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . However, take into account that this process can only work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical elements of your car when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your car. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.

Problems recharging a Kia Rio’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging complications on a Kia Rio 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 Kia Rio: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger

In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in fact, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Kia Rio to start, the problem certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to produce any more current.

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

Battery charging problem on Kia Rio: 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 likely comes from your alternator. It cannot originate from your battery, which is new and therefore holds the charge. The second possibility is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.

How to fix the problem of battery charging on Kia Rio?

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

  • Defective alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to verify 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 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. Indeed, 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 Kia Rio 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 car electrician is in this case necessary.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Kia Rio

At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Kia Rio there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can find 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 wish more tutorials on the Kia Rio, go to our Kia Rio category.