How To Tell When You Need a New Car Battery

Car batteries are the lifeline of your automobile. The battery provides the spark, which turns the starter, which in turn fires the distributor and leads to the ignition of gas in your internal combustion engine. Without a strong battery, there are chances that your car will have trouble starting, or, worse, won't start altogether. But how often should you change your battery and why?


    No Set Time

        Car batteries have no set time in which they must be replaced. Some may last just three or four years, while others will last much longer. It all depends on the brand, the maintenance and the conditions that the battery is subjected to. Batteries in cold areas, especially in the winter, usually need to be replaced more often than those in warmer areas, as cold saps the energy out of them.

    What to Look For

        The first sign that your battery may need to be replaced is trouble starting your car. If your car seems weak when it first cranks, then your battery is probably weak as well. Examine your battery whenever you have the hood of your car open, or ask your technician to examine it. If there are any cracks whatsoever, then you definitely should replace the battery.
        Sometimes a battery will appear to be weak, but it's just a bad connection--examine the posts that stick up off the top of the battery and see if they are full of corrosion. If this is the case, then pick up a corrosion cleaning kit, as suggested by Second Chance Garage's website, and follow the directions. Clean posts make a lot of difference.

    Time to Replace

        There are certain easy indicators that tell you it is time to change your car battery. A dead battery that will not hold a charge should be replaced as soon as possible. Any battery that was dead and that was left out during the winter likely froze. This kills a battery instantly and it should be replaced. If a battery is constantly dying in the winter and causes the starter to "click," according to the Self Sufficient Urbanite website, it likely needs a change.
        If you are in doubt, have the battery checked by a technician or at most auto parts stores. To replace the battery it's best to bring in your old one, as you'll get a refund on the "core charge" of the new battery--you might as well have them test the old one while you are there before buying the new battery.

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