Every motor vehicle comes with a 12V or 24V battery, depending on the type of vehicle. Most ICE passenger cars come with a 12 volts (12V) battery.
The battery powers all electrical appliances installed in your car, ranging from the radio/infotainment system to the camshaft, pistons, AC, USB ports, and many other accessories or appliances.
If you see the Batter Saver Active warning message appear on the dashboard, it signifies that your car’s battery is currently running on low charge, and you should recharge it as soon as possible.
If you allow the battery to die completely, you won’t be able to start the car – you’d need to jumpstart the engine or put in a new battery.
What Does Battery Saver Active Mean?
Well, it means what it reads. Yes, the battery saver mode is a new technology built into most vehicle models made by General Motors brands, which includes GMC, Chevy, and Buick, to mention but a few.
This technology is handy because it notifies you when your battery is low, so you can recharge it to avoid facing a dead battery.
Car batteries are designed to charge while you’re driving; if you notice the Battery Saver Active notification while driving, it means that your car’s battery isn’t charging as supposed or implies that there are lots of accessories putting a parasitic drain on the battery, making it to drain faster than it charges.
The battery-saver technology is really handy and can help point out a dying battery quickly. When you get the notification on your Chevy dashboard, one of the first things to do is to disconnect any external electrical appliance you had connected to the vehicle through USB, cigarette lighter, or any other terminal.
GM’s battery-saver technology works with a suite of sensors and the ECU; it receives information using the sensors and sends it to the ECU or PCM. This article explains what causes the battery-saver mode to activate and how you can fix the situation.
Battery Saver Active Warning Message – Meaning, Causes, and Solutions
There are quite many reasons why the “Battery Saver Active” notification appears on your car’s dashboard; however, the ones explained below are the commonest.
1. Faulty Battery Sensor
There’s an electronic sensor installed around the battery to monitor the current and charge levels. This sensor is configured to monitor and track quite different information and send the signals to the ECU/PCM.
So, if this sensor is bad, apparently, it will send wrong signals to the ECM, which may cause the Battery Saver active mode to appear.
2. Dying Battery
Car batteries have specific lifespans; the lifespan differs based on the type and model you bought. A battery that has already elapsed its lifespan would no longer hold charges for long, and may not charge properly while you’re driving, too.
If you notice that the Battery Saver notice appears all the time – even when the battery is fully charged and hasn’t been run for long – chances are that the battery is weak and needs replacement.
3. Bad Alternator or Battery Terminals
The alternator charges the battery when you’re driving; if the alternator is bad, the battery won’t charge when you drive, which means the battery will run with its reserved current.
If the reserved current drops down – meaning that the battery is running on low power – the Battery Saver Active notification will appear on the dashboard.
On the other hand, the alternator may be good and functioning fine, but the battery terminals – the points where the alternator connects with the battery posts – may be corroded, causing the battery not to get charged even though the alternator is supplying sufficient current from the running engine.
How Do You Clear the Battery Saver Active Warning Message?
The fixes are, to an extent, easy – you can do them without visiting a mechanic workshop.
1. Change the Battery
If the battery is already weak, the best solution is to get a new 12V battery that meets your car’s specs and is suitable for the weather conditions you drive in. There are many car battery brands that manufacturers solid and reliable batteries for different car models.
2. Fix the Batter Terminals/Alternator
The terminals may be corroded, which is why the battery isn’t charging; in this case, you should use a corrosion removal compound to clean the surface of each terminal and let it dry very well before reconnecting to the battery. But, if the alternator is the culprit, you’d need to change it completely.
3. Replace the Battery Sensor
Replacing the battery sensor is a cheap fix, and it can be completed in a couple of minutes. If your check shows that the battery sensor is the one causing the problem, you should get a new one and replace the faulty one. Car battery sensors cost around $40 in online stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens When the Battery Saver Active Warning Message Appears?
When the battery switches to “Battery Saver” mode, it triggers the ECU to automatically turn off certain electrical components of the car so the remaining battery charge can continue to power the car for a seemingly long time.
Can I Drive With Battery Saver Active Notification?
Advisably, when your car throws a notification on the Driver Information Center (DIC) or an icon illuminates on the dashboard; it is better to find a safe place to park the car and check what could have possibly triggered the notification.
But then, your car would continue to run fine – at least for a while – even with multiple icons showing on the dashboard – it’s just not advisable to drive with them.
How Do I Turn Off Battery Saver Active Warning Message?
The simple and easiest way to clear off the notification is to look out and fix the component that triggered the notification to appear. You can do this using an OBDII scanner or any auto-scan tool you have; scan the vehicle to detect what exactly caused the warning message to appear, then fix it.
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