GA Car Repairs & Recovery logoGA Car Repairs & Recovery — Car Repairs • Diagnostics • Recovery

Warning lights

Battery warning light on while driving

The red battery symbol is a charging-system warning. The engine is normally running on stored battery power only, which is limited.

Call 07440 140340Send an enquiry

Symptoms drivers describe

  • Red battery symbol lit while the engine runs
  • Dimming headlights or a flickering dashboard
  • Power steering or other systems becoming heavy or erratic
  • A squealing belt noise in some cases

Possible causes

  • A failing alternator or worn brushes
  • A slipping, glazed or snapped auxiliary belt
  • A faulty voltage regulator
  • Corroded charging cables or a poor earth
  • A battery at the end of its life dragging the system down

What you can do

  • Switch off non-essential electrics to save what charge is left
  • Head somewhere safe rather than continuing a long journey
  • Do not assume a new battery will cure it — the charging side is the usual cause

How we check it in the workshop

We measure charging voltage and ripple at the alternator, inspect the belt and tensioner, load-test the battery and check the cabling.

Is it safe to keep driving?

Treat it as urgent. Once the battery is exhausted the engine can stop, which may also mean losing power steering.

← Back to the fault library

Related repairs

How we can help

Alternator ReplacementThe alternator keeps the battery charged and the electronics fed. When it fades, the car will usually run until the battery runs out — and then stop.Read more Car Battery ReplacementModern batteries are not just a box of power. On many vehicles a new battery has to be the right type and registered to the car.Read more Engine DiagnosticsEngine faults are usually a chain of events rather than a single broken part. We test fuelling, ignition, air, compression and control signals to find where the chain breaks.Read more

Warning lights

Other symptoms in this group

Engine management light flashingA steady amber light and a flashing one are very different. Flashing normally indicates a misfire severe enough to risk expensive damage.Read more DPF warning light onThe DPF light means soot has built up beyond the level the system is happy with. Whether a drive will clear it depends on why it built up.Read more Glow plug (coil) light flashing on a dieselOn many diesels the coil symbol doubles as an engine fault warning. A flashing light usually means a stored fault, not necessarily a glow plug.Read more ABS warning light onWith the ABS light on, the anti-lock function has typically disabled itself. The brakes usually still work, but without anti-lock support in an emergency stop.Read more Brake warning light onThe brake warning light covers several different systems, so the first job is establishing which one has triggered it.Read more Airbag warning light onThe airbag light means the restraint system has logged a fault and may not deploy correctly, so it is worth reading properly rather than clearing.Read more

Want this looked at properly?

Send us your registration and describe the symptoms — we will tell you what the next step is.

Call 07440 140340WhatsApp us