When do i need to change car battery

To ensure you're replacing your battery in a timely fashion, consult your manufacturer's recommended service intervals. Whether you live somewhere hot and humid or cold and dry, climate can negatively affect your battery.

Extreme temperatures in either direction will have different effects on your battery, but the outcome is the same: a shorter battery life.

Like our bodies, car batteries rely on liquids to keep moving. Furthermore, scorching temperatures can also do a number on the guts of your battery. When the heat rises and the water in your battery evaporates, the likelihood and speed of corrosion increase, and corrosion is one of the leading causes of battery drainage and malfunctions.

Just as hot weather can lead to battery problems, cold weather can, too. When the heat index turns to wind chill, your battery needs to work harder to generate enough energy to keep your car running smoothly. Cold weather can also result in thicker engine oil, which puts an additional strain on your battery. A free battery check at Firestone Complete Auto Care can help you determine whether your battery is worn out.

The middle of nowhere is the wrong place to have a weak battery! You can combat the harsh effects of weather on your battery by making sure you have the right battery type. Wondering where to get your battery replaced? Firestone Complete Auto Care offers battery repair and installation services , and we carry climate-specific batteries too. How you use your car over a long period of time can affect how often you need to replace your battery. This can lead to decreased performance. The good news is that these battery-draining habits make for great excuses to take your ride on a good ole' fashioned road trip.

However, a lot of factors can cause the premature expiry of the battery, requiring you to have it replaced earlier. Does your engine need a lot of cranking before it starts hummering? Consider replacing it as soon as you can before it finally kicks the bucket. Consider taking it out and having it recharged. If the problem persists, it may be a good indicator that your battery is dying and needs replacement. Keeping such a battery can be dangerous and damage or corrode other components in your car.

Have it replaced immediately. In the majority of the cases, if your car engine cranks but fails to start, the problem could lie with your car battery, which might not be giving enough volts to get the engine running.

Take the battery out, have it recharged and put it back in. Alternatively, use jump cables to jump-start your car and keeping it running for half an hour or so. The car should start again normally.

Even if the car is back to normal, there is no telling how long the charge will last in the old battery. Take precaution and buy a replacement battery just in case, lest you end up stranded in the middle of nowhere because of a battery that gave out at the most importune moment. There are a lot of reasons why even cars with relatively new batteries may need to get jump-started.

Regardless, if you had the battery jumped more than three times in a single week already than it might just need to be replaced. Jumping your car battery is quite hard on it and doing it frequently can quickly damage it and shorten its lifespan. Ironically, a damaged battery would need even more jump-starting to work and thus, get harmed further.

Not only that, but you might also be ruining your starter and alternator in the process. Save yourself the hassle and risk of costly repairs by replacing the old battery with a new one. Extreme temperatures, as well as built-up of too much acidity in your car battery, can cause its case to swell and crack. If you notice your car battery to be anything but a straight-sided rectangular shape, it is high time you have it replaced.

As mentioned already, the average service life of a car battery is 4 years. Pay attention to the way your vehicle reacts when it starts as well. Here are seven telltale signs that your car battery is dying:. Over time, the components inside your battery will wear out and become less effective. A slow start is usually the last gasp before a battery kicks the bucket. The battery powers all of the electronics in your vehicle, from your lights to your radio to your dashboard computer. If the battery is losing its charge it will have a harder time running these things at full power.

The more things you plug into your car while driving — like your phone charger — the faster your battery will die.

In most vehicles, the check engine light can mean just about anything and it may come on when your battery is running out of juice. If not, you should get it replaced. Damage to the battery or an internal short can cause the battery to leak gas.

If you smell rotten eggs when you open the hood, a leaking battery may be the culprit. Take it in to get checked out ASAP and replace the battery if necessary. Notice a white, ashy substance on the metal parts of your battery?