How Often Should You Change A Car Battery

When does a automobile bombardment demand to be replaced?

Updated: March xiv, 2020

The chief function of a automobile battery is to commencement your car. Today, most cars have a single maintenance-free 12-volt acid battery (in the photograph). The auto battery is rechargeable. It uses its charge to power the vehicle systems while it'southward parked and to turn over the engine when you want to commencement it.

Car Battery Auto battery.

In one case you lot start the car, the alternator generates boosted electrical power to recharge the battery. Read more about recharging below.

Over time, the bombardment loses its capacity or ability to hold charge. One twenty-four hour period, a weak battery volition not be able to start your auto. Often, this happens when the weather gets cold. When the battery is as well weak to turn over the engine, the car volition need to exist additional to start, read more than below. To avoid this situation, the bombardment should be replaced before its capacity drops to a disquisitional level.

On boilerplate, a auto battery lasts from 5 to 7 years. The bombardment lasts longer if the vehicle is driven daily and the battery is kept fully charged. When the vehicle is parked for extended periods of time, the bombardment deteriorates sooner. We take seen batteries last upward to 10 years. Several car owners commented on our FB page that their battery lasted for over 11 years. The size of the battery matters too: larger batteries unremarkably concluding longer.

How can yous tell that the battery capacity is getting low? Are there any signs that a car battery is failing? Yeah. When the battery is weak, y'all might find that the engine turns over slower than usual and the nuance lights flicker or dim when you are starting your automobile. This happens even if the battery is fully charged after driving.

Car Battery Tester Testing the battery capacity with a battery tester.

Some other sign is when y'all operate your power windows after the engine is turned off, the windows movement much slower than when the engine is running. Sometimes you lot too may notice that the lights dim when the engine is idling, just become brighter once again when the engine is revved. The excessive corrosion at the battery terminals and cables (encounter the photo) also suggests that the battery is getting weaker.

Can the battery capacity exist tested? Yep, the bombardment chapters is often measured in CCA or Common cold Cranking Amps. Many automotive repair shops tin test your battery with a special tester (in the photo). The battery tester can mensurate the actual CCA and compare it to the new battery CCA rating. A battery tester can also test the alternator and the charging arrangement. Read more: When does the alternator need to be replaced? The bombardment and charging system test, known every bit the AVR test,

Testing a car battery with Battery Tester Battery and charging system test printout

costs from $20 to $50. Some auto parts stores such as Autozone or O'Reilly Auto Parts offer a bombardment test at no accuse. Many car dealers and repair shops often offer a free battery exam as a part of a seasonal promotion. After the test, you might become a printout showing the bombardment CCA rating and the measured CCA. The printout will indicate if the battery should be replaced or merely need to be recharged. Come across the sample printout in the photo.

Can you test a battery with a voltmeter? The bombardment voltage is a good indicator of the state of charge of the battery. A fully charged bombardment should read 12.6 volts or more with the engine off. Testing the capacity of the battery with a voltmeter is more hard. I fashion is to test the voltage of the battery under load, for example, with the headlights on.

Battery voltage test Testing the battery land of charge with a voltmeter.

If the battery voltage with the engine off and headlights on drops from 12.6 volts to less than eleven volts in a couple of minutes, the battery is weak.

Can a problem with bombardment terminals cause the vehicle non to start? Yes. If one of the battery terminals is loose or corroded, it may cause many problems including a no-start, check engine light, stalling, likewise equally lack of the electric power steering assistance. Many dealers and reputable repair shops visually audit the battery terminals during regular oil changes. Your mechanic may recommend servicing battery terminals if they are corroded as in the photo. The battery last service costs from $25 to $50.

Corroded vs Serviced Battery Terminal Corroded vs. serviced battery terminal.

It includes cleaning the bombardment posts and terminals and applying a protective spray or grease.

How much does the bombardment replacement cost? A new car battery costs from $60 to $180 and your dealer may charge another $xxx-$50 to have information technology replaced. Replacing a motorcar battery equally a do-it-yourself project is non very difficult, merely the battery is heavy (30-45 lb). Lifting it out of the auto can be hard on your back. An old battery is often covered in electrolyte, which is very acidic and can burn your clothes or peel. Here is a DIY battery replacement guide from Pep Boys. Our recommendation is to exit it to the pros.

Some modern cars are equipped with a battery management system that is designed to improve the fuel economy and bombardment life. Information technology works by monitoring the battery current, country of charge and state of health. When a battery is replaced, in some cars, the battery management system needs to exist reset, then it knows that the bombardment is new.

Battery current sensor.

If the battery direction system is not reset, it might think that the bombardment is old and weak and some of the electric features will not work correctly. In vehicles with this organization, it's important to use only the recommended battery type. Ofttimes vehicles with the Stop-Start feature have a special battery (e.g. AGM bombardment). In some cars, you can tell that the vehicle is equipped with a battery management system if information technology has a battery current sensor on 1 of the terminals, like the one in the photo. To make sure, check the vehicle owner'due south transmission or consult with your local dealer.

Where to recycle an onetime automobile battery? Some automotive repair shops and machine dealers will accept your old battery for recycling. For instance, you tin find the nearest place to recycle your onetime bombardment at the Interstate Batteries website.

How long is the battery warranty? In nigh cars, the battery is covered under the basic bumper-to-bumper warranty. In some cars, the battery coverage is pro-rated. This means, for example, the labor might be fully covered, while

Owner's manual Find instructions on how to jump-starting time your machine in the owner'south manual.

the part might be covered 100 percent within the first year, l percentage within the 2nd year and so on. You tin can observe the warranty coverage details in your Warranty Guide brochure, or on the manufacturer's website.

How to boost a car when the battery is low on charge? To boost a automobile, you will need a portable booster or jumper cables to heave from some other car. Your owner's transmission has the proper instructions. Be careful, if the booster cables are continued to wrong terminals, it may cause a big spark and some fuses and other electrical components could be fried.

How long does it take to recharge a good battery that is low on charge? If the battery is still good, 20-twoscore minutes of running the engine or driving is commonly enough to recharge it.

Yet, exist enlightened that in some cars with electrical power steering, the steering assist might not work properly until the battery is sufficiently charged. That can make driving with a low bombardment dangerous.
If a good bombardment has not been used for an extended menses of time and is completely tuckered, it might need longer time to recharge.

In some high-mileage cars, the engine may run rough at idle or fifty-fifty stall after replacing the battery. This happens because when the battery is disconnected, all learned settings in the engine computer, including the idle speed, are reset. For this reason, some older cars may require the idle speed re-larn after the battery is replaced. The procedure varies for different cars, just it won't take you long to google it. To avert this problem, many repair shops apply a unproblematic memory saving device that keeps the engine estimator powered during battery replacement. In modern cars, the idle speed is re-learned as you bulldoze.