How Often to Replace a Car Battery

If you’ve been on the road for a few years, you may have started to wonder about how often to replace your car battery. Thankfully, the process of learning how to test a car battery, as well as learning how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced, is easy. As a rule of thumb, car batteries tend to last 4-5 years, which means you should start to pay closer attention to its condition after that time though there are a number of factors that can impact how long your battery lasts for. Find out more of what our service team has to say below about how much is a replacement car battery and more. Then, contact us with any questions that you might still have about the process!

What Causes Car Battery Deterioration?

• Heat: Warm weather accelerates the evaporation of liquids found inside your car’s battery. If you live in a hot climate, you may need new car batteries more often. 
• Vibrations: If the hold-down clamps for your battery are loose or you frequent tough terrain, the vibrations may damage your battery. This damage can shorten its lifespan. 
• Needing a Jump: Any time you need a jump, this will reduce the life of your battery. Keep this in mind when exiting your vehicle, as you’ll want to be sure all the lights and electronics are off. 
• Time: As with any battery, a car battery can only endure so many charge cycles. Even with diligent care, a car battery will eventually need to be replaced. 

For a better idea of how long your car battery should last for your vehicle, consult your owner’s manual. You can also discuss your maintenance concerns with our expert parts team for additional guidance. 

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

Are you wondering how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced? Keep an eye out for the following warning signs as you commute from Grand Island to Hastings:

• Dimming headlights
• Frequent need for engine revving or jump starts
• Slow engine start when you turn the key/push the button
• Abnormal power fluctuations

How to Test a Car Battery

If you’re looking for a weekend project you can tackle in your Lexington garage, learn how to test a car battery here:

The Headlight Test: 

1. Start your engine, leave the car in park, and be sure that the headlights are on. 
2. Rev the engine to see if the brightness of your headlights changes. 
3. If the headlights get brighter when you rev the engine, that means the current is not strong enough to power your lights when idling. 
4. This is a good time to take your vehicle in for further assessment as you may need a fresh battery. 

Using a Digital Multimeter:

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

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

So, how much is a replacement car battery? In most cases, a typical car battery costs between $75 and $120. If you have a premium battery, it may be closer to $200 for a replacement. If you own a hybrid or EV, a battery replacement will be much more expensive. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 for a new battery, but this cost is offset by the lack of fuel consumption. 

Find Out More About Your Vehicle’s Needs with Midway Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Now that you know how to test a car battery, as well as how often to replace a car battery, the next step is ordering one online if you need it. We can always take care of the process for you, simply schedule a service appointment online.