This is what you need to know about a car’s battery
The battery of your car is usually a large black, box-like object found near the front of a vehicle that supplies the initial power to the alternator. It is connected to your car with positive and negative terminals.
How to know your battery needs replacement: If your car isn’t turning over and your electronically powered parts in your car aren’t turning on, two possible culprits are the battery and the *alternator. You can test your alternator and your battery with a multimeter to see if either are dead. If one of them isn’t measuring enough power with the multimeter, you will need to replace it. If you have trouble locating your battery or alternator, your car’s manual will include a chart with their location. If you left lights on overnight, your battery might just need a jump start, so make sure you always have jumper cables, or know someone that has. If your battery or alternator have failed, a jump start will often work to at least get you home.
Keep your battery in good shape: It’s good to keep your battery clean to increase the battery life and cleaning isn’t hard to do. You can clean your battery with baking soda, water, and little elbow grease to ensure the connection between the car and the battery is strong. It’s not a bad idea to mix in cleaning your battery terminals to your yearly maintenance.
*The alternator is the device that works with your battery to generate power for the electrical parts of your vehicle. An alternator is almost always found near the front of the engine, with a belt connected to the front.