How Often Do You Need To Replace A Car Battery?

Batteries in your car do a lot of work for you. They are often considered a silent functioning part of your car. No matter where you go, the car’s battery helps you drive your car carefully while you enjoy its power for charging various gadgets and accessories.

So, it’s important to look after your battery and check its condition once in a while to ensure that your car is running smoothly on the road. You should check for the signs of damage and accordingly, you should either consider replacing or repairing the battery.

How long does a battery last?

The life of a battery is 4 to 5 years under normal conditions. The normal conditions are driving your car in ideal temperatures, full cycle charges, and not draining its power for charging tons of accessories. 

As the ideal conditions don’t exist, you shouldn’t expect the car battery to work for 4 to 5 years. It’s always best to check for the signs of damage that tell you to replace the battery.

Batteries designed with old technology used to last only for 1 or 2 years. However, present-day batteries are developed with advanced internal design and engineering to tolerate modern cars’ heavy usage and increased traffic conditions. So you can expect the batteries to last for at least 3 years.

As a general rule of thumb, get your car battery checked every 3 years even though you feel like there’s no sign of trouble with the battery.

The life of a battery also depends on how you are using the car. You can expect fast discharge from the battery when you leave the car for too long or drive short distances. So, it’s better to take out your car more often rather than leaving it in the garage for too long.

Signs of car battery damage

Always look out for the signs of car battery damage. Because if the battery dies suddenly and you are driving on a highway, it becomes difficult for you to manage things. Though you can rely on towing services, it’s an unnecessary hassle when all you have to do is to look out for the signs mentioned below:

• If the headlights are dimming
• Frequent need for jump starts
• Power fluctuations
• Slow starting
• Corrosion on battery

If you notice these signs, you should see a qualified mechanic as soon as possible for car battery replacement.

How to test the health of a car battery?

You can test the health of a car battery using the below test:

The headlight test

Your car should be idle to use the headlight test. Park your car and turn on the engine. Remember to turn on the headlights if it’s sunny. After that, rev the engine and see the brightness of the headlights. If it’s getting brighter, then the battery lost its efficiency to keep the brightness at a normal state when the car is idle. It means that there is something wrong with the car battery.

You can also test the battery’s life using electronic testers available in the market. You have to hook the tester to the battery in the car. It will take a snapshot of the battery and tell you whether it needs to be replaced or not. 

Also, always check the outer appearance of the battery even if it hasn’t been 3 or 4 years. Even if you find a slight amount of corrosion, it indicates that there is something wrong with the battery.

You can also clean the battery if you find a build-up around the terminals. Clean the build-up using baking soda and water. Always take care to wear gloves and safety glasses to protect your skin as the solution is slightly sulphuric.

Finally, check for any rotten egg smell emitting from the battery. It indicates that the battery is overheating, which means it needs to be checked by professionals. 

If your car is running smoothly without any issues, then the car battery has a huge role in it. From the engine start to your phone charging – you rely on it for various purposes. So, as a car owner, it’s your duty to check its condition regularly so that you won’t face any surprises while you drive on the road.