How Often to Replace a Car Battery

As you notice a slower start or dimming lights in your cabin, you may begin to wonder how often to replace your car battery. It’s often recommended that you replace your car battery every 4-5 years, but that can depend on your driving habits around Nashville and many other factors. Learn more about how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced, how to test a car battery, and the important factors that affect your battery life with the service center at Victory Nissan of Dickson. 

Signs Your Battery Needs to Be Replaced

There are some signs that you could look for when your battery is reaching the end of its lifespan. Here’s how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced:

• If your headlights are dimming 
• When your engine needs more frequent revving or jump-starts
• If it takes longer to start your engine when you insert the key or push the button
• When your Clarksville drives experience unusual power fluctuations

Factors Behind Battery Deterioration

A number of factors can affect how often to replace your car battery:

• Heat: The weather your vehicle is exposed to effects your battery life as hot weather causes the liquid inside your car battery to evaporate, leading to a shorter battery life. 
• Vibrations: If your battery is not properly secured the vibrations from bumpy roads or loose hold-down clamps can cause the internal battery parts to degrade more quickly.
• Needing a Jump: Sometimes you leave the lights on at the end of the day or let your engine idle too long. Unfortunately, the resulting jump-start means it can shorten your battery life significantly.
• Time: Wear over time is inevitable. While your car battery can only take so many charge cycles, proper care can allow you to make the most of its full life cycle.

Be sure to take a look at your vehicle’s owner’s manual or the %%di_makes% maintenance schedule for how long your car battery can last.

How to Test a Car Battery

During your routine maintenance, have the technicians check your battery to see when it’s time to replace your battery. Otherwise, many retailers offer free battery tests, or you can learn how to test a car battery at home using these methods. 

The Headlight Test: 

1. Start the engine and turn on the headlights, but leave your vehicle in park.
2. Observe any brightness changes by revving your engine. 
3. Your headlights becoming brighter means your battery doesn’t have enough current to keep your lights at normal brightness while the car is idling. 
4. Visit a Dickson service center for a closer battery inspection. 

Using a Digital Multimeter:

1. Use a voltmeter set to 20 DC volts. 
2. Pop the hood and place the negative meter probe (black) on the negative terminal (black).
3. Place the positive meter probe (red) on the positive terminal. 
4. With the help of another person, have them turn on the headlights while you’re checking the voltmeter reading. 
5. At a temperature of 80℉, readings at 12.5 volts or higher mean your battery is fully charged. If the meter reads at 12.3 volts, it means that your battery is about 75% charged. Meter reading at 11.8 volts or lower hints at a battery that has 25% or less charge. 

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

Now that you have a better idea of how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced, how much is a replacement car battery around Franklin? Typically, your battery replacement can cost between $75 and $120 for a standard battery, while premium batteries can cost upwards of $200. But how much is a replacement car battery? If you drive a hybrid or electric model, your battery can cost between $1000 and $6000 because they require more detailed repairs. However, that cost is offset over time as your vehicle sees lower or no gas consumption. 

Schedule Your Battery Service with Victory Nissan of Dickson!

When it’s time to change your battery, you know you can trust the certified technicians in the Victory Nissan of Dickson service center. Simply schedule your service online to get back to your adventures around Nashville. If you prefer hands-on car care, take a look at how to disconnect and install a car battery. Contact us if you have questions about how to take care of your car battery.