My Tucson battery light came on while driving, should I stop right away?
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Something scary happened on my way home yesterday and I am still thinking about it. I was on the highway near Abu Dhabi, around eight in the evening, when a red battery sign showed up on the dashboard of my 2016 Tucson. A few seconds later the radio went quiet for a moment and the headlights looked a little weaker. I did not know if I should pull over or keep going, so I kept driving slowly in the right lane with my hands tight on the wheel, praying the car would not die in the middle of the road. It made it home, but I turned the engine off and was too nervous to start it again. My brother says the light means the battery is finished and I just need a new one. My neighbour says it usually means the alternator is not charging, and a new battery will not fix that. I do not know who is right, so I read online for a while, and one page about reliable help with Amaron battery selection in Abu Dhabi talked about sizes and models, but it did not really explain what that red light means. So I am asking here. Is the battery light always the same problem, or can it be a loose belt or a bad cable? How far can a car drive with that light on before it stops? I heard the car runs only on the battery when the alternator fails, and then it dies slowly, but I am not sure how long that takes. If it comes on again, what is the safest thing to do, stop at once or reach a shop first? Also, can I check anything myself in the parking, like the belt or the terminals, without making things worse? I do not want to buy a new battery and then find the real problem is something else. If you had this light before, what was the cause, and how much did it cost to fix? Thanks for reading, I will check the replies tonight.