How Often to Replace a Car Battery

Although there are a wide variety of factors that affect your car battery’s lifespan, from the climate you live in to your driving habits, it’s generally agreed that the average battery should be replaced every 4 to 5 years. Although the process of replacing a car battery is routine for a service center, there are nevertheless some important things you’ll want to be aware of, such as how to test a car battery and how to tell when it’s time to replace the battery. Auburn Honda’s service team has all the details below – check it out!

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

The following signs usually indicate that it’s time for your battery to be replaced:

• Dimming headlights
• More frequent need for engine revving or jump starts
• Takes longer to start the engine after turning the key/pushing the start button
• Unusual power fluctuations

What Causes Car Battery Deterioration?

• Heat: If you live in a hot climate, the liquids inside your battery will evaporate, causing it to break down faster than usual.
• Vibrations: Vibrations in your car cause the battery to rattle and deteriorate. These can be caused by anything from loose hold-down clamps to frequently driving over rough roads in Sacramento. Also keep this mind if you do a lot of long road trips or off-roading.
• Needing a jump: If you frequently jump start your car – say, from leaving your engine idling or leaving your lights on for too long – your battery life will be greatly shortened.
• Time: At some point, no matter what kind of care you take of it, your car battery will wear out and need to be replaced. Keeping it properly cared for will extend its life, though.

Although the general consensus is that you should have your battery replaced every 4-5 years, your owner’s manual will give you a more specific timeframe.

How to Test a Car Battery Yourself

You can perform two DIY tests of your car battery’s quality if you’re interested in testing it outside of your two yearly maintenance visits at your service center of choice. Just follow these directions:

Try the Headlight Test: 

1. Keeping the car in park, turn the engine on and make sure the headlights are on.
2. Rev the engine and check to see if the headlight brightness changes at all.
3. If the headlights get brighter, that means the current is not strong enough to keep the lights at normal brightness while the car is idling. 
4. If this is the case, take your car to a service center to get it checked out by a technician.

Using a Digital Multimeter:

1. Turn on the voltmeter and set it to 20 DC volts.
2. Under the hood, touch the negative terminal (black) with the negative meter probe (also black).
3. Touch the positive terminal (red) with the positive meter probe (also red)
4. Have a friend turn on the headlights and check the voltmeter reading.
5. If the voltmeter is showing 12.5 volts or higher at 80℉, your car battery is fully charged. 12.3 volts means it’s at about 75% charged, while 11.8 volts or lower means you have 25% or less charge and should get your car to a service center.

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery in Auburn? 

Unfortunately, there is no one single answer to this question. Depending on the type of vehicle, a replacement battery in Roseville can be anything from under a hundred dollars to several thousand. However, there are some benchmarks you can follow:

Typical gasoline-powered cars have batteries that usually cost anywhere between $75 and $120. Premium batteries are naturally more expensive, clocking in at around $200. If you drive a hybrid, expect to pay much more for your replacement battery, because hybrid batteries have much more complex jobs. They usually cost between $1,000 and $6,000, though it evens out a bit because you’re paying much less for fuel than a traditional gas-powered car. 

Keep Your Car Battery in Top Shape With Auburn Honda

If you want to learn more about your car battery or have any questions about what we’ve discussed above, you can contact our office anytime. And if you’re ready to bring your Honda to our service center near Citrus Heights for its regular maintenance, you can schedule an appointment on our website! Don’t forget to check out our service specials if you’re looking to save on your next appointment.