I was wondering if someone could give me info on car batteries.?

Question

Do you change your battery automatically even if there doesn't seem to be any problems? Is there a certain mileage where you would do this? Are there any warning signs that you should change your battery before it actually dies and leaves you stranded somewhere? Any info pertaining to car batteries is appreciated.

Answer 1

get your alternator checked, kragens [or schucks] will test it for free, and they'll test your battery as well...

Answer 2

The best thing the do is have a load test done on the battery. Some parts stores will do this for free! This will tell you the condition of the battery, and as long as the battery passes the test, there is no reason to replace it. I have have batteries go bad after a year, and have had batteries last for 8-10 years! There is no hard and fast rule about time or mileage.

Answer 3

Batteries usually last up to 4 yrs, give or take a year, depending on how you use your car and whats in your car. I have a hi powered stereo with a sub, plus live in the east coast (USA) so I go though both hot and cold weather. I get about 4 yrs out of a battery.
You can kinda tell if your battery is going because your car will start to "crank" slowly when you start it and/or if your headlights flicker when a song with a lot of bass comes on. You can also go to a repair shop and they can check the charging system (battery, alternator etc) for you for about 15 dollars. Some will do it for free.
I think it's just a good idea to change it every 4 yrs anyway to be on the safe side.

Answer 4

Car batteries have a life expectancy of about 5 years or so, give or take. If you buy the cheap ones, maybe 4, if you buy the better ones, maybe 6. It's really the number of start-ups and not the miliage per see. Bear in mind too, I live in Nebraska and it is harder on batteries in the cold, so if you live in L.A., perhaps your batteries will last longer? Alaska, maybe shorter?

I don't tend to replace them until they die because we have 2 cars, so if I am stuck some where, my wife can come get me (or vice versa), but if you want to be safe and pro-active, you could replace them about every 5 years to be on the safe side.

I had a car that seems to have something that slowly drained the battery. If I left it for 3 weeks without starting it - time for a new battery. If you drain it all the way flat, it generally doesn't recover from that. The recommended battery was on the order of 500 some CCAs (Cold Cranking Amps), but I got tired of replacing them. I just started buying the bigger 800+ CCA batteries (more designed for like an 5-7 liter 8 cylinder truck engine than my 6 cyinder 3.0 liter) because they lasted longer. I would buy them for my 4 cylinder today if they would fit in the battery compartment. Generally speaking, higher CCAs are better. 325 CCA batteries, IMHO, are junk.

There are these things you can buy that are esentially a smaller battery with jumper cables. The idea is, you put it in your car and jumpstart off of it in case of emergency. Also, you can get these brushes to clean your battey cables, etc. off with ($.99 at any auto store). Good idea to keep any corrision cleaned off (maybe 1x per year). You can also get felt disks that are supposed to help prevent them from getting corroded in the first place. I use them, but am not totally convinced that they work. But they are cheap and can't hurt.

Another add-on after market type thing you can get (if you live where there is winter) is an engine block heater. You plug it into an electrical cord and it keeps your engine block warm, including the oil, which makes it eaiser to start. Just don't forget to unplug it before you drive away.

Answer 5

The biggest killer of car batteries is repeated undercharging. Ideally a car battery should not be allowed to fall below 50% of its fully charged state. The car battery has ONE function, that is to turn the enhine over until it fires, whereupon the alternator takes over, recharging the battery and running all the car's electrics. A good battery, if looked after, can give you 3 - 5 years useful life.

In summer, starting is not usually a problem, but in winter we use the headlights more, the engine is cold and harder to start. If a car battery is totally flattened even twice, it can seriously damage it.

So, if the car is getting difficult to start, have the cause looked at immediately before any damage is done.

There are so-called "leisure batteries" as used in boats and caravans that are designed for the occasional deep draw of current, they have thicker lead plates but generally don't supply as many "cranking amps" for starting.

Answer 6

Well most maintenance free batteries have a 3 to 5 year warranty this doesnt mean they are going to last that long though. They perform fine in moderate temps but when the heat soars or the temp plummets thats when battery problems begin to show. If it hesitates in turning your vehicle over then its going bad. If its nearing the end of its warranty life then its probably past time for a new battery. You can have it tested at almost any parts store for free they can tell you if its good but they cant predict if it will be good tomorrow!

Answer 7

From personal experience. No. No warning before you're battery dies. no certain millage when you should change it. The best advice, Keep a set of jumper cables handy, and enough money saved for a new battery. Or, if you can afford it, change your battery every few year, best time is before winter hits. Winter is hard on batteries. always make sure, you replace your battery with another of the same cranking amps.

Answer 8

Lead-acid batteries use lead acetate and sulphuric acid to produce electricity. There are two circuits tied to your car's battery: One to crank over the engine (via the starter) and to provide a trickle charge to the alternator (to get it going), and the other -- upon engine start -- to run things via the alternator to reverse a slightly higher voltage across your battery (about 13 volts and trickling amperage), so it can recharge, i.e., reverse the chemical process which generated the current in the first place. (Today's ignition systems switch over automatically -- it doesn't take any conscious thought on the part of the operator.)

If your car's dash includes a volt meter, You can see this. Battery voltage is around '12 volts'.(Actually, about 12.6 volts) If the alternator is running things, the voltmeter should be reading around 13.5 volts. When you first start, if the voltmeter is on the starting circuit, you'll see it drop to around eight volts or so -- the battery is working hard, at that point.

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Any chemical reaction is temperature-dependent. A battery which produces approximately twelve volts in normal temperatures can produce only about ten volts in cold weather. Worse, the engine oil gets thicker in cold weather. The result is slow cranking in colder climates, even with a *good* battery. Hence, the reason for household garages, and dipstick heaters in really cold climates. (just remember to unplug the the dipstick heater cable before driving off!)

In warmer weather (up to a point), even a weaker battery can generate enough voltage to start the engine.

A good rule of thumb used to be three years as the changeover time. Today? It's more like four; I have had one battery (in temperate climes) last eight years before giving up the ghost. (In the meantime, I carried a small portable 'trickle charger' that cold boost the battery a bit in colder weather. They are available in most auto parts stores and departments.)

The reason batteries die is that deposits on the lead plates (from usage) will eventually build up and 'bridge' over to the other cells, shorting (at least two) out. When the battery is recharging, the deposits will dissolve back into sulphuric acid (given enough available hydrogen in the liquid, yet.)

The trouble is, the deposit-deposit removal cycle isn't quite uniformly even. Eventually a deposit chain is going to bridge a cell or two. That happens -- in about 4 to 5 years or so.

Regards,

wsulliva

Answer 9

My strategy is to replace the battery before it leaves me stranded , I start thinking about it after 3-4 years. Even if you replace a seemingly good battery, you avoid the inconvenience of being stranded in cold weather, having to pay for a tow truck or auto club to give you a boost, you avoid potential damage to the computer and cars electronics from a boost. You get to choose where and when you buy your new battery often getting a really good deal when its on sale, instead of having to get one in cold weather when everybody is shopping for a battery as well.

Answer 10

Most folks wait for it to good dead. I have always believed in preventative maintenance, and always change my battery 6-12 months prior to it's "expiration" -or- at the FIRST sign of a potential problem.

I don't want to be stranded in the winter because of a bad battery, broken belt, bad tire, useless wipers, and so on. It's cheaper in the long run - and gives one piece of mind to have an auto that's 100% up to par regarding routine maintanence items.

A top-of-the line battery costs (perhaps) $100. A top-of-the line Battery + a tow or road assistance is closer to $200.

Answer 11

You only need to change a car battery when it goes bad. I won't change one until I go out and my car won't start. Some people can't afford this inconvienence. If you are one of these people, take it to a local repair shop. They'll be able to tell you the condition of your current battery. A decent battery will last around 5 years if your charging system works properly.