While gasoline is like the food that fuels your car, the battery is the spark of life that gets it started in the first place. Without that initial jolt, your car might as well be a multi-ton paperweight. There are specific exceptions where it is possible to start a car without a battery, and some small engines don’t use a battery at all, but the fact is that if your car battery is dead, you’re not going anywhere fast.

There are several levels of dead that a car battery can exhibit, so the exact symptoms are not the same in every situation. If your car exhibits any of the following telltale signs, you may be dealing with a dead battery.

Before you ever try to start your car, there are a few clues you can pick up on that could indicate a dead battery. For example, if you have your dome light set to come on when you open your door, and it doesn’t, that’s a warning sign.

If you are used to a chime when you put your keys in the lock while the door is still open, and you don't hear the sound one day, this could indicate a dead battery.