Keeping your car’s battery in good condition is important. Not only does it help you keep your car running smoothly but it also allows you to avoid the frustration of ending up with a dead car battery.
Just like any other vehicle component, car batteries deteriorate with time and become ineffective. Therefore, you need to buy a new battery to replace the old one. But how often to replace car battery before it fails?
According to the American Association of Automobiles, most car batteries wear out within three to five years. So, once your car battery reaches the three-year mark, get it tested once every six months to determine if it needs to be replaced.
Let’s discuss why car batteries deteriorate within three to five years, how to maximize the battery life, and what to consider while buying a new car battery.
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Why Car Batteries Deteriorate Over Time
The following are the main reasons why a vehicle battery wears out over time.
Usage
It goes without saying that using your battery decreased its efficiency. Just like any other gadget with a battery, such as a laptop and a smartphone, your car battery loses a tiny portion of its total capacity every time it’s charged up by the car engine.
In simple words, your battery can’t be charged to its 100% capacity as time passes. Most lead batteries are rated for about 1500 charge and discharge cycles before they lose their capacity. That’s why they become inefficient after three to five years.
Vibrations
Excessive vibrations, whether they’re caused by poor road quality or bad suspension, can affect your battery negatively. It puts an extra strain on the car battery and causes its internal parts to break down quickly.
That’s why it’s important to secure the battery firmly to minimize unnecessary shakes. While it won’t eliminate the negative effects of vibration, it can reduce them significantly.
Charging System
Every car with a battery has an alternator, which is a built-in charging system that converts mechanical energy into electrical power. If you have a bad alternator, it’ll reduce the car battery’s lifespan.
If it undercharges the battery, it’ll accelerate battery drainage. Whereas, overcharging can lead to battery fluid leakage. And both of these can speed up the battery degradation process.
So, if you’re experiencing a battery problem or odd behavior in the car’s electrical system, you should also get your car’s charging system checked, along with the battery, by a local auto repair shop to find out if it’s working optimally.
Bad Driving Habits
The way you drive your vehicle also impacts how often you need to change your car battery. For example, if you daily use your car for short trips, such as going to the office or a nearby grocery store, you might end up deteriorating your battery quickly.
That’s because short trips won’t provide the alternator with enough time to fully charge the battery between trips. Not only will it drain the battery quickly but it can also lead to shorter battery life.
Additionally, if you keep your vehicle in a driveway or garage for extended periods, your battery will drain eventually because of the parasitic draw.
Temperature
Extreme temperatures can negatively affect your car’s battery. Although hot and cold weather affects the battery differently, the end result in both cases is the same, which is reduced battery life.
Cold Weather
When your vehicle is in a very cold climate, the battery inside will need to work harder to provide the energy required to start the car. Cold temperatures can also increase the viscosity of your engine oil, which will put more strain on the battery.
Hot Weather
Conventional lead acid batteries contain liquid. In extremely hot weather, this liquid can evaporate, reducing the liquid level in the battery. If you drive your vehicle with lower levels of battery fluid, it’ll affect the battery’s condition, leading to malfunctions and reduced battery capacity.
Signs Showing That You Need Car Battery Replacement
Keep in mind that changing your car battery after three years is a general guideline and it doesn’t necessarily apply in all circumstances. So, you might need to change your car battery earlier, depending on your unique situation.
If you experience any of the following signs, consider getting your car battery checked immediately to determine if it needs to be replaced.
- Slow engine start
- Electrical issues
- Check Engine light is on
- Corroded battery terminals
- Odd smell from the hood
- Swollen battery case
- Old battery (over three years)
Tips to Maximize Your Car Battery’s Lifespan
Here’s a list of tips that you can follow to maximize your car battery’s life and keep it in good working condition.
- Get your vehicle serviced regularly to prevent any vehicle component from putting a strain on the battery.
- Always turn off lights and other accessories before switching off and leaving the vehicle. Never leave anything on as it’ll drain the battery quickly.
- Drive your car at least for 30 minutes at a normal/high speed once a week to keep the battery charged.
- If you have to drive your car on a bumpy road, then inspect the vehicle right after your trip to make sure that the battery connections haven’t become loose.
- Get your car battery’s health checked every time you take your vehicle to a workshop for regular maintenance.
- Inspect the battery’s terminals once every month to make sure they don’t have any corrosion buildup.
- Close all the vehicle doors properly before leaving the car, as slightly open doors will keep the interior lights to stay on and continue drawing battery power.
- Avoid attempting to turn on your car’s engine repeatedly if it’s not starting due to some internal issue.
How to Test Your Car Battery
Testing your car’s battery is a great way to check its health in order to determine whether or not it needs to be replaced. You can test your car’s battery by using a digital multimeter or performing a battery test.
Digital Multimeter
If you have a digital multimeter, consider using the steps listed below to test your vehicle’s battery.
- Set your digital multimeter to DC (Direct Current) volts.
- Open your car’s hood to locate the battery. Read the user manual of your vehicle to find the exact battery location.
- Connect the red cable of the multimeter to the positive terminal of the battery.
- Grab the black cable of the tool and connect it to the negative battery terminal.
- Turn on the ignition of the vehicle. Make sure that you don’t start the engine.
- Check the readings available on the tool’s display.
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If the readings are 12.6 volts or above, your battery is fully charged. If you want to test the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) to check the battery capacity, you can use a battery tester.
Important Note: While disconnecting the tool/battery, make sure that you remove the negative cable before the positive one.
Headlight Test
Here’s how you can perform the headlight test to check your battery condition.
- Park your car in a safe spot and start the engine.
- Turn on the headlights and rev the engine.
If revving the engine increases the brightness level of your headlights, your battery is not in a good shape. In such a scenario, you’ll need to buy a new battery to replace the old one.
What to Consider While Buying a New Battery
Keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy that you can use to buy a new car battery. There are several factors that you need to consider while investing in a new battery for your car.
We’ve compiled a list of the most important ones that will help you choose a battery that suits your vehicle the best.
Battery Type
There are different types of batteries available in the market for automobiles, such as AGM and conventional lead-acid. While most cars use lead-acid batteries, there are models available that use the AGM battery design.
So, consult the owner’s manual of your vehicle to find out what battery type it uses. You don’t want to use a battery that’s not recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, you can end up with electrical issues in your car.
Group Number
The group number of the battery determines its terminal location, type, hold-down configuration, and physical size. You want to opt for a group number recommended by the manufacturer or you’ll buy a battery that might not fit in your vehicle’s battery tray.
CCA (Cold Cranking Amps)
Each battery is rated for a specific number of CCA. For example, 650 CCA is the industry standard, and it shows the amount of power that a battery can offer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Go with the cold cranking amp number that came with the original equipment.
Final Words on how often to replace car battery
Generally, you should replace your car battery once it’s three to five years old. However, if you see any signs of having a faulty battery, get it checked as soon as possible and replace it if needed.
Plus, make sure that you consider all the factors listed above to buy a new battery that suits your car the best. Additionally, purchase a battery from a high-volume seller as they’ll have fresh stock. You don’t want to go with something that has already lost a major part of its battery life sitting on a shop’s shelf.
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