If you want to ensure that your car lasts longer and that too without any apparent problems, you must first understand how it works. For this, you have to learn that your car battery is more important than it appears.
It is not only required to successfully start the car, but with how many electrical components are present in today’s modern cars, your battery is paramount for the optimal performance of your vehicle.
Thus, if you start having trouble with the car battery, you should know it's time to replace it. But there are still a few things that need to be done before you can replace the battery, and this blog hopes to cover them.
When Should You Replace Your Car Battery?
Typically, your car battery can last a decade with proper care. However, that is seldom true, as most batteries tend to last only 3 to 5 years. This happens because of the increasing number of electrical appliances on board a vehicle that requires constant power to function properly.
Thus, depending on how you drive, what you use, and how well you maintain your battery, you might need to replace it every 5 years. Apart from these, you also have to factor in the external environment, such as extreme temperatures and how frequently you drive your car.
Reasons To Replace Your Car Battery
The need for car battery replacement Holmes Chapel can be multifaceted, such as:
Sluggish Crank: If you are having difficulty starting the car engine or if you are experiencing a sluggish crank, then it might indicate issues with the battery, and thus you might have to replace it.
Dimmed Lights: Your headlights, taillights, dashboard lights, or the cabin light fail to light up properly or appear dim? Well, it can be a sign of a weakened car battery in need of either charging or replacement.
Trouble With The Electrical Components: If you are experiencing frequent trouble with the electrical components in your car, it might be due to your car battery, and you might have to replace it.
Need To Jump-Start The Car Frequently: The need for frequent jump-starting your car also signifies the need for battery replacement.
Warning Light Comes On: The warning light installed on your dashboard can clearly indicate if there is any trouble with your car battery. If it comes on, you should get your car battery checked.
Corroded Terminals: The terminals on the battery can erode due to corrosion and thus require replacement.
Old Battery: Over time, the battery will lose its effectiveness and will no longer be able to sustain the electrical components in your car. You should replace your car battery every 5 years.
Unfamiliar Smell or Odor: Likewise, if you smell any unfamiliar odor coming from the bonnet of your car or the car battery, go for an inspection.
How Do You Test a Car Battery?
Before any replacement, you must be sure that your battery is already weak enough that it can’t sustain regular charging. For this, you should do a test. This can be done by using a multimeter. It is a handheld device that is used to measure electrical voltage, resistance, and continuity. All you have to do is:
First, set the multimeter to read the voltage of the car battery.
Then, make sure that your ignition is turned off.
After that, properly clean the battery, and ensure there is no grease, grime, or some sort of corrosion, before connecting/touching the multimeter’s probes to the correct terminals on the battery. (Negative to negative and Positive to positive)
Finally, check the reading. A healthy battery must show between 12.4 and 12.7 volts.
Causes For Car Battery Replacement
Various reasons will require you to change or replace the car battery, such as:
Misuse/Owner’s Fault
The most common reason is misuse or a fault of the car owner. If you have left the lights in your car on, then it will rapidly drain the battery. Doing this repeatedly will weaken the battery and thus require you to replace it.
Similarly, if you have left something on charge, such as a smartphone, it will drain your battery much faster. Also, if you make frequent short trips, it will put stress on the battery, affecting its lifespan. These are things that can easily be rectified and thus prevent car battery replacement.
Old Battery
Another common factor that results in battery replacement is when the battery is weakened due to old age. Over time, the car battery will stop retaining the amount of current it once did. This will lower its efficiency and gradually the battery will cease functioning.
You should know that most car batteries are reliant on lead-acid, and are made of multiple cells. Each of these cells is filled with a dilute solution of sulfuric acid and lead. Over time, your battery will undergo sulfation, which is a chemical reaction that will cause the negative plates of your battery to accumulate sulfate crystals, and thus the battery will cease to function.
Trouble With The Charging System
Sometimes, the problem can be with the charging system of your car and not the battery. Maybe your alternator is not working properly, or maybe the wiring of the car is faulty and requires maintenance.
Any issues with the charging system will prevent the battery from getting charged, and thus, will lead to failure. In such cases, it is important to get a proper inspection to find out the root of the problem before making any decisions.
Corrosion
Lastly, you should know that corrosion is one of the biggest culprits behind any battery failure. In most such cases, there is a residue on the battery terminals, and it corrodes the terminals, hence preventing them from properly connecting with the car’s charging system. Such corrosion can also damage the physical exterior of the terminals, resulting in substantial expenses.
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