fbpx

How Often Should You Replace Your Car Battery

Imagine you are finally on the road trip you have been planning for ages, only to find your car battery is dead. Frustrating right?

We are quite frequently paying attention to our fuel refills, engine health, oil changes, brakes and brake fluid, air filters, and daily car cleaning — amidst all that, we often forget to pay attention to our car’s battery. From jump-starting your car to running your car stereo and air conditioners, your car battery is an undeniably important and powerful part of operations and safety.

And with power comes a responsibility for us to keep our car battery in good shape. But how do you know that it’s time to replace your battery, and how often should you replace your car battery?

In this detailed guide, we will tell you all one needs to understand regarding battery health and when it’s time to get a replacement. 

How Often Should You Replace Your Car Battery

What Causes Battery Deterioration

The frequency of your car battery replacement can be impacted by battery degeneration. A car battery’s lifespan may be shortened by many causes — ask yourself how often you encounter these obstacles below and this will help you figure out how frequently you need to change your battery. 

Temperature

Heat causes the liquids inside a car battery to evaporate, and cars in warmer climates may see a reduction in battery life. A low-power battery can lose its remaining charge due to the cold. You can take precautions like parking your car in a garage or under roof-covered spaces to avoid exposure to extreme temperatures. 

Vibrations

Driving on bumpy roads or having loose hold-down clamps on the battery can result in vibrations that often cause the internal battery parts to wear out more quickly.

Leaving Lights/Battery Functions on Overnight

Your battery life will decrease overall if your car needs a jump start because you kept the lights on all night. Sometimes it might not even start. At such times you can always reach out to your nearest Auto Repair Center to troubleshoot your battery. 

Natural Deterioration

In due course of time, battery health is anticipated to fall. The automobile battery has a limited number of charge cycles, but with the right maintenance, it can last as long as possible.

Note that a suggested battery replacement or maintenance plan may be found in the owner’s manual, or you can always reach out to your trusted auto repair center or look for one on Google if you are facing a sudden problem or wish to get regular battery check-ups.

How Often Should You Replace Your Car Battery

How Often Does A Car Need Battery Replacement

The majority of automotive batteries lose their efficiency after three years of regular use under typical settings, even though batteries can last up to five years or longer with proper care.

The battery in your car steadily deteriorates with each charge, much like the battery in your computer or smartphone does. After three years, it’s usually time to replace it.

After four or five years, the majority of automotive batteries become virtually completely unstable. Older automobile batteries might result in a variety of dependability and safety issues. Fortunately, it’s easy to determine whether a car battery is nearing the end of its usable life by visiting your local auto center and running standard maintenance tests.

Tips To Maintain Your Battery Lifespan

Driving carelessly will shorten the lifespan of your battery, just as driving aggressively will damage your car’s brakes and tires.

You can extend the life of your battery significantly if you take proper care of it. Make the most of your car battery and prolong its useful life over the typical three-year mark by using the following advice:

  • Maintain your vehicle regularly to avoid the battery being stressed by an inefficient engine and other parts.
  • When your car is off, never keep the lights or air conditioning on since this may drain the battery.
  • Drive your vehicle frequently (at least once each week) to avoid over-draining the battery.
  • After driving off-road or on a bumpy route, check your battery because the impacts may have loosened its connections.
  • Ensure that the terminals and casings of your automobile batteries are kept clean and clear of debris.
How Often Should You Replace Your Car Battery

How to Test your Car Battery Manually

You can remain on top of your car maintenance by learning how to test a car battery at home. You can test a car battery at home using these straightforward techniques, even though many stores and service centers provide free battery tests:

Headlight Examination:

  1. Put the car in park, turn on the headlights, and start the engine.

  2. Check to see whether the headlights become brighter as you rev the engine.

  3. When the headlights become brighter while the automobile is idle, the current is insufficient to keep the headlights’ usual brightness.

Digital Multimeter Use: 

  1. Set a voltmeter to 20 DC volts before checking a car battery.

  2. Lift the hood and touch the negative meter probe’s (black) tip to the battery’s (also black) negative terminal.

  3. Connect the red positive meter probe to the red positive terminal.

  4. While you check the voltmeter reading, have a friend turn on the headlights.

  5. The battery is fully charged when the voltage readout is 12.5 volts or above. When the battery is 12.3 volts or above, it is approximately 75% charged, and when it is 11.8 volts or lower, it is 25% or less charged.

Need a Battery Replacement – Reach out to the nearest Vehicle Electrical Repair Center

Even with gas in the tank, if your battery shuts off, your car won’t start, and you won’t be able to move. Battery Shutdowns are a mood killer.

But now, with auto repair centers and vehicle electrical repair services found near every gas station or within walking distance, you can always reach out to the nearest service station – make an appointment for battery replacement, and a service agent will contact you reach to you very soon. Even petrol or diesel vehicle service centers also have battery replacement services available at their repair shops now.