Confirm the warning before spending a kit
The driving HUD was updated to tell you whether ignition is blocked by the engine, battery or fuel. Read that message first. A dead-battery branch is useful when the message identifies the battery; it does not solve every no-start problem.[1]
A part labelled “Battery” with a condition percentage is not enough evidence to interpret that number as remaining electrical charge. We do not have a verified conversion between condition and charge. Avoid spending supplies purely because a screenshot on another guide shows a particular percentage.
Choose the item you actually have
| Available item | Action | Success check |
|---|---|---|
| Battery charger | Hold the charger and target the installed battery, then use the battery-specific action shown by the game. | Inspect the battery again and retry ignition. |
| Working spare battery | Remove the failed battery and fit the spare into its battery slot. | Confirm the replacement is installed, then retry ignition. |
| Neither | Search nearby buildings for a charger or spare; read item labels. | No specific building is a guaranteed spawn. |
An October 29 Early Access repair account reports both charger use and replacing a failed Battery II with a working Battery I. July Demo players also describe kits and spares.[3][2] These sources support the two options; they do not establish one keyboard binding for every build. If aiming at the battery shows only a carry or removal action, do not assume that pressing it will charge anything.
Battery checklist
A player in the same discussion attributes drain to interior lights and headlights being left on. Switching unnecessary lights off is a reasonable preventive check, but we do not claim those are the only possible causes of drain.[2] The developer also rebalanced drain in June, so fixed-duration claims from another build need fresh testing.[1]
If it still will not start
- The engine starts: stop replacing battery parts. If the vehicle cannot move, check the handbrake and road recovery.
- The warning now names fuel or the engine: the next task is a different fault. Return to the symptom checks.
- The same battery warning remains: recheck the item label, target and whether the spare is seated. Keep the exact warning and build number for a bug report instead of consuming more supplies without a changed result.