How Often to Replace a Car Battery

Maintaining a motor vehicle in the Franklin area requires more than just fuel ups and car washes. Even with the best care and maintenace, your car battery will need to be replaced from time to time. If you’re not sure how often to replace your car battery, a good rule of thumb is to buy a replacement every four or five years. However, this can vary depending on your driving habits. Find out the red flags of a failing battery, and find out how to test a car battery at Allen Samuels Chevrolet.

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

While the typical driver around Bryan or College Station changes their battery every four years or so, sometimes batteries fail prematurely. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye out for the red flags of a failing battery, including:

• Dimming headlights
• More frequent need for engine revving or jump starts
• Takes longer to start the engine when you turn the key/push the button
• Unusual power fluctuations

What Causes Car Battery Deterioration?

No matter what battery you buy, all need to be replaced eventually. That’s because there are many factors that cause battery deterioration:

• Heat: When the weather ishot, liquids inside a car battery evaporate. The hotter your climate, the faster you’ll likely need a replacement.
• Vibrations: Your battery is held in place with hold-down clamps. If these clamps break, the vibrations will wear down your battery quickly.
• Needing a Jump: Jump starts can help you out in a pinch in Franklin, but they are rough on your car components. If you find yourself in need of frequent jumps, be sure to schedule a service.
• Time: No matter your climate and car care, your battery can only go through so many charge cycles before it’s done for good. However, proper maintenance will give you the longest battery lifespan possible.

How to Test a Car Battery

If you have concerns about your car battery, you can have it tested during an inspection at Allen Samuels Chevrolet. But if you want to investigate at home, here are a few DIY methods of how to test a car battery:

The Headlight Test

1. Keep your car in park while turning on the engine. Make sure your headlights are on.
2. Rev the engine and watch the headlights. Do you notice any changes in the brightness level?
3. If the headlights get brighter, the current is not strong enough to keep the lights at normal brightness while the car is idling. 
4. Visit a service center for further assessment.

Using a Digital Multimeter

1. Set the voltmeter to 20 DC volts.
2. Pop the hood, and touch the black negative terminal to the black negative meter probe.
3. Touch the red positive terminal with the red positive meter probe.
4. Ask a helper to turn on the headlights and check the voltmeter reading.
5. At 80℉, 12.5 volts or higher means your battery is fully charged. 12.3 volts means it’s at about 75% charged.11.8 volts or lower means you have 25% or less charge. 

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

Let’s say it’s been around five years since your last installation, how much is a replacement car battery? The typical car battery cost can range between $75 and $120or up to $200 for a premium battery. If you have a hybrid, your battery is much bigger – and much more expensive. Hybrid batteries run between $1,000 and $6,000, but most are covered under warranty for a much longer period of time than a typical battery.

Schedule Your Battery Service at Allen Samuels Chevrolet

Whether you’re ready for a battery check or a replacement, visit Allen Samuels Chevrolet in Hearne for all of your automotive needs. Contact us with questions or schedule your service online at any time!