You can expect to start having problems with your car’s battery after it has been used for three years. The average lifespan of a vehicle battery is three to four years. Some make it to five years. The key is to know your battery’s age – a sticker on it gives you the month and year it was manufactured – and to look for the following problems with your automobile. These problems are a sign you need a new battery.
A Dashboard Warning
Your vehicle’s dashboard may warn you that the battery needs to be replaced, and we can replace it at our auto repair shop. Usually, the battery light turns on and refuses to turn off. This is your vehicle’s main computer chip, the engine control unit, telling you that the battery is malfunctioning. Once we replace the old battery with a new one, the battery light will turn off.
Difficult/Cranking Starts
Does your car crank continuously before the engine catches and fires up? This is a sign that the battery is dying. You should one crank and then, boom, the engine is running. Cranking continuously points to a problem with the power supply to the starter. The battery supplies the starter with the power it needs to turn over the engine and start it. Difficult starts point to the car’s battery.
Accessory Problems
The battery also provides power to your automobile’s power accessories and components. For example, if your car is cranking numerous times before it starts and the headlights are dim, the battery does not have enough power. You may also experience problems with your power seats and windows or issues with other accessories such as your USB charging ports and console touchscreen.
Corrosion Problems
If you look at the battery and see that it is corroded, you need to replace it. The battery will corrode when it starts to leak acid and water. You may also smell the battery acid if you smell rotten eggs around the battery. You do not want to keep a leaking battery in the engine.
Battery Case Problems
Finally, the battery case can bubble or warp if there is a problem with the reaction between the battery acid and lead plates inside the battery. This can also cause the case to crack.
Call us today if you need a new battery. We would be happy to remove and dispose of the old battery and replace it with a new one. One that will give you another three years at least.
