Does cruise control actually save fuel?
Cruise control can save 7–14% fuel on a flat highway. On a hilly road, it can cost you more. Here's when to use it and when to turn it off.
How do you know if your car battery is about to die?
Most car batteries give plenty of warning before they fail. The problem is most drivers don't know the signs your car battery is dying until they're already stuck in a car park with nothing happening when they turn the key.
The good news: if you know what to look for, you can usually catch it in time.
The clearest sign: a slow, laboured crank on startup
When you turn the key (or push the button) and the engine sounds sluggish, like it's turning over more slowly than usual, that's a battery on its way out. A healthy battery delivers a sharp, confident crank. A struggling battery sounds like the car doesn't quite want to wake up.
This is the most reliable of all the car battery warning signs. If you notice it once on a cold morning, don't dismiss it. If it keeps happening, get the battery tested.
Other warning signs worth knowing
Not every battery problem announces itself with a struggling crank. Some signs are subtler.
Dim headlights: If your headlights look noticeably less bright than usual, especially at idle, the battery may not be holding charge properly. This is often more obvious at night.
Electrical gremlins:
- Power windows moving slower than they used to.
- The clock on your dash resetting to 12.
- Central locking taking an extra beat to respond.
These aren't random quirks, they're the electrical system struggling to draw enough power. A clock that keeps resetting is a particularly telling sign, because the clock draws a tiny, constant current, and if the battery can't sustain even that, it's in rough shape.
