How Often to Replace a Car Battery

With recommended driving styles in Bloomington, do you know how often to replace a car battery? Most car batteries have a four to five-year lifespan, but there are many factors that can affect its life expectancy. Take a look at some must-have car battery information like how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced, how to test a car battery, and more with the service department at Suburban Chevrolet. 

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

Before we jump in, let’s take a look at some of the clues your car battery will give you that indicate it’s starting to have problems on Minnetonka streets. They include: 

• Takes longer to start the engine when you turn the key/push the button
• Unusual power fluctuations
• Dimming headlights
• More frequent need for engine revving or jump starts

If you’re experiencing any of these problems, stop my Suburban Chevrolet and have your battery tested. 

What Can Shorten a Car Battery’s Life?

There are four big factors that can shorten your car battery’s life in Hopkins. They include: 

• Time: You don’t have much control over this factor: a car battery can only go through so many charge cycles, so it will die after a long period of time, even with the best care. Proper care can prevent the battery from dying on you early, though. 
• Heat: This is good news for Eden Prairie drivers, since we don’t have the kind of prolonged heat that causes batteries to deteriorate faster. However …
• Needing a Jump: If you let your engine idle for too long to warm it up on cold days and require frequent jump starts, this can shorten battery life significantly.
• Vibrations: Check your battery’s hold-down clamps are loose, especially if you drive over rough roads frequently. The vibrations will cause internal battery parts to break down faster.

You can get an idea of how much life is left in your car battery by sticking to your maintenance schedule, which will include regular battery checks that can catch problems before they happen. 

How to Test a Car Battery

If you’re wondering how to test a car battery, don’t worry — we can do it for you during your regular maintenance appointments or if you stop by if your car is showing signs of battery wear. There are a few easy methods to test a car battery at home. You can use a digital multimeter and follow its instructions, or do this quick check with your headlights: 

1. Turn on the engine, keep the car in park, and make sure the headlights are on.
2. Rev the engine. If the headlight brightness increases it’s a sign that your battery might be dying.
3. Take your car to a service center at this point for further assessment.

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

Typically, the price of a replacement car battery is between $75 to $120, while some premium batteries can be up to $200. Hybrid car batteries are far more expensive since they do a much bigger job than a conventional battery. A hybrid car battery cost can be anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000, but is generally offset by significantly better fuel economy. 

Keep Your Vehicle in Top Shape at Suburban Chevrolet

Now that you have an idea of how much a car replacement battery is, and how often to replace a car battery, bring your vehicle to Suburban Chevrolet for all your battery and service needs. Schedule an appointment with us for your next regular maintenance appointment.