Can a human body live without blood? Unfortunately, in this 21st century, no alternative is found of human blood even after medical advancement is much advanced. Similarly, the car battery is considered the car’s lifeblood, and no effective alternative has been invented so far. A car battery is assisting your car engine in starting and providing power to all other electrical components of your car. So, proper maintenance is mandatory for your car battery. For this, you have to know how often should you replace your car battery.
This write-up shares the facts about car batteries and lets you determine the car battery replacement time.
Let’s read intently.
How Long Do Car Batteries Last?
After replacing your car battery, the lifespan of it depends on 2 questions. How long can it hold its charge, and how much time it requires to get recharged?
If the battery can’t be recharged, be sure it is dead.
However, you will get a minimum of 6 years of service from your new car battery if you drive your car in an ideal conditions like no harsh temperature or severe humidity.
How to Know if Car Batteries Need to be Replaced?
When a car battery starts dying, it will show a few warning signs. Pay attention to the reaction of your vehicle when it starts. This way, you can keep yourself hassle-free in the middle of the road with an inactive car.
Find the below 7 signs which will let you know that your car battery needs replacement.
- Old Battery
- Blotted or Misshaped Battery Case
- Illuminated Check Engine Light
- Slow Engine Crank
- Common Electrical Problems
- Corroded Battery Terminals
- Severe Weather
No.1
Old Battery
As stated earlier, depending on the driving condition and weather, a new car battery’s lifespan is 3 – 5 years. However, this statement is invalid for electric vehicle batteries.
Do you remember when you last replaced your car battery? Check the manufacturing date available in the case of your car battery. Inspect the battery if it passes 4 years from its manufacturing date.
No.2
Blotted or Misshaped Battery Case
The lifespan of a battery extremely gets affected by the wild climate. Your car battery will take an unfamiliar shape due to extreme weather.
Swell and crack may happen when your car battery gets exposed to excessive cold or heat too frequently. The acid may come out if leaking happens, and it is a dangerous thing. It would be best if you discarded your battery that is not rectangular.
No.3
Illuminated Check Engine Light
From your car check engine light, you can know if your vehicle engine is dying. When you see illuminated check engine light, don’t make it late. Firstly, read your vehicle manufacturer manual, and then call a mechanic to inspect if the engine works at its full capacity.
If they find that the battery is showing inefficient performance, replace it without hesitation.
No.4
Slow Engine Crank
The internal components of a car battery get inefficient and wear out over time. Generally, a vehicle engine should be running promptly. When it doesn’t happen, and you have to wait for a few more seconds for the engine to start, be sure something is wrong with your car battery. A slow start is usually the last breath of a battery before it kicks.
No.5
Common Electrical Problems
The car battery controls the functionality of different electrical components such as radios, lights of the dashboard, power windows, and wipers in the windshield. Failure in these electrical components’ functionality tells that the battery of your car is on its last breath.
Unfortunately, these electrical problems can become worse compared to an inactive battery. If you face a severe electrical problem, buying or leasing a new car will be mandatory without repairing the problem.
Remember, the more components such as a smartphone charger if you plug into your vehicle, the battery will die faster.
No.6
Corroded Battery Terminals
If you ask a car owner what the reason for replacing your car battery is? Most of them will answer due to corrosion. When the battery acid leaks out at the connectors, it gets hardened. As a result, connecting points and terminal contact gets hampered. Simultaneously, recharge of the battery using an alternator can’t happen.
You can conveniently locate corrosion in the battery. If you find hardened blue-green powder in the terminal, be sure it happens due to corrosion.
In a few cases, cleaning this powder will increase the lifespan of your battery. Now one question might have popped up in your mind. What to use to clean the corrosion? Use a dry, soft cloth and a toothbrush for corrosion cleaning.
However, buying the best car battery is the best solution at this point.
No.7
Severe Weather
Car batteries are prone to premature failure when exposed to severe weather.
You will get 35% weaker performance from your car battery at 32° F. But the battery will act like it is performing at 100% efficiency. This way, the battery will become weaker and continuously fail to work at its best. Finally, it flops totally.
When the battery gets frozen completely, “electrical death” happens to your car battery. The truth is, this problem is unrepairable. At this point, you have no other choice except to buy a new battery for your vehicle.
Battery Selection Tips
- Battery Size
- Manufacturing Date
- How Much is The New Car Battery?
- Battery Ampere and Volt
- Brand
The main responsibility of a car battery is to supply power to the car components. So, while selecting the battery for your car, looking at the below key factors is necessary.
Battery Size
You will find a wide range of vehicle batteries in the market in terms of height, width, and length. You can’t pick any car battery for your car. Considering the battery size is the priority when selecting a vehicle battery.
All batteries will not fit in your vehicle’s battery tray. In order to determine the battery size of your vehicle, read the manufacturer’s manual or get the old battery number.
Manufacturing Date
You will find a date code on every battery provided by the manufacturer. Some manufacturers use date/month format while others use letter codes for the month.
It is significantly essential to understand the code. You must select the freshest battery always without fail. Avoid buying a vehicle battery that has already passed more than 6 months on the store’s shelf.
How Much is The New Car Battery?
Depending on your vehicle’s manufacturing year, model, and battery manufacturer, a car battery’s price varies.
$80 – $150 is the range of cost of an average battery for a newer car model. Luxury vehicles require premium batteries, and they will cost you a minimum of $200. One notable thing is; installation cost is excluded in this case. A popular mechanic shop will cost you $70 for installation.
You may love: What causes a car battery to die quickly?
Sum Up
An old car battery requires regular charging using the best battery charger to get optimum performance. Hopefully, from the above discussion, you got the answer to how often should you replace your car battery.
Remember, regular checking and maintenance will boost up the lifespan of your vehicle battery. In some cases, you may need to take assistance from an expert. If so, don’t hesitate to call a vehicle doctor.