When Should You Change Your Car Battery

How to Tell When Information technology Is Time to Replace Your Car Battery

July 16th, 2020 by

man replacing car battery

Most drivers know that they need to modify their oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Merely for some reason, many people don't know when it's time to replace their auto battery, even though it's the lifeblood of their motorcar.

Your car battery stays charged past reusing energy obtained from driving. That is why, if your vehicle sits in the garage for long periods of time, your bombardment could die.

The truth is, many drivers tend not to think about their machine battery until information technology stops working. Out of sight, out of listen, correct?

But that mindset can exist risky. No one wants to be stranded in the eye of nowhere considering they failed to replace their battery.

How to know if car battery is bad

And then, how do y'all know when information technology'due south time to brand a change?

How to know if motorcar battery is bad is part art and part science. But you don't take to exist Sherlock Holmes to come across the warning signs that your bombardment's life is coming to an end.

Hither are six indicators that your battery may exist dying:

1. Problem starting

As your battery wears out, it takes longer for the car to start and for the engine to turn over. A slow commencement usually indicates that your bombardment is on its last legs.

2. Lights and radio

If your battery is virtually the terminate of its life, you volition notice issues with your radio and your interior and exterior lights. That'due south because your car bombardment is what gives them power.

3. Check engine light is on

The problem with the "check engine light" is that information technology tin mean unlike things. It could point that your bombardment is running out of juice, or it could signal a problem with your alternator, or suggest that it's time to take your car in for a tune upwardly.

Consult your owner's manual for more than info and if you're nevertheless not sure, take your car to the nearest auto mechanic shop and let highly trained technicians test your battery for you lot.

4. A bad odor

If you discover an odor, like a burning smell, it could hateful that your bombardment has a leak or is damaged. In that case, you should take your automobile in immediately to take your battery inspected.

5. Corrosion

Open up your hood and accept a look at your battery final. If you lot meet a white substance accumulating around the bombardment terminal, it probably means you have a corrosion trouble. This requires immediate attention since corroded terminals tin reduce voltage and make it difficult to start your machine.

6. Erstwhile historic period

If your battery is three to five years onetime, that means it has entered old age and may need to be replaced. If you live in a cold climate, your battery is going to take a shorter lifespan.

How to check if car battery is good

Do you lot know how to check if machine battery is skillful? Here are some things to consider:

Pay attention to how your car responds when you start the ignition. If it starts without difficulty, that's a proficient sign.
If the dashboard lights are dim, information technology could mean that your battery is not good. Check to make certain your lights, radio, and automatic windows are turned off; then outset the car over again.
Jumpstart your car. If it works, but then yous are unable to start your engine once more after driving for a while, and then you probably take a dead battery and should supplant it immediately.
Highly-trained mechanics know how to check if automobile bombardment is good. Take your motorcar to the nearest auto repair store and permit them perform a battery performance exam for you.

How often should you supervene upon car battery?

If you're mostly driving in ideal conditions with moderate temperatures and niggling humidity, your bombardment might last for up to five or half-dozen years.

At the three twelvemonth mark, you should be looking for signs of one-time age. Yous want to catch the problem early earlier information technology has a hazard to harm your engine.

So, how frequently should you supercede car battery? Later three to v years – that's a reasonable gauge. But the better answer is, once yous begin seeing evidence that the bombardment charge is weakening.

Remember, it's not a thing of if but when. Your automobile battery will need to be replaced eventually. If you live in a warmer climate and treat your car well, your bombardment might concluding for iii years or even five.

But these are just estimates. Later your battery's third birthday, the all-time approach is to be on the outlook for any of the indicators that we listed above.

This blog post was contributed by Fix Machine El Mirage, a leading manufacture expert and collision repair store servicing all customers in El Mirage, Arizona and Maricopa County neighborhood.