The charging system warning light should show for a few seconds when you start the car but if the battery light shows while you re driving the vehicle that light signals a problem.
Red battery light car.
Your car s battery light is an indicator of when your car s charging system is malfunctioning.
As mentioned the most common causes for the warning light are worn belts or cables as well as a battery with a dead cell.
This can be a result of a malfunctioning alternator a battery going bad or a number of other things.
The car s battery light coming on generally means that there is something preventing your car s electric system from charging off the battery.
Basically if you see the battery light going on in your car you shouldn t expect to be able to drive it for very long.
Every time the vehicle starts up the battery warning light should briefly turn on then back off after a few seconds.
This is a system test that indicates the battery light on the dash along with any monitored components of the charging system are working as expected.
It s important to know how to respond when your car s battery light goes on.