How Often to Replace a Car Battery

a technician installing a battery in a clients car


Your car battery is the most essential component keeping your Aston Martin driving around Sugarland at peak performance. With all the driving you do outside of San Antonio, you might be wondering how much for a car battery or how often should you replace a car battery?

For the most part, many automotive experts believe your car battery needs to be replaced every four to five years. However, the time intervals between Aston Martin battery replacements can vary depending on the kind of driving you’re doing. If you want to know how to replace a car battery and more, read on to learn all about this from Aston Martin Houston, the premiere Aston Martin dealership in the San Antonio area.

 

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

When it comes to Aston Martin battery replacement, you often hear about “how often should you replace your car battery?” To be honest, there are key signs to note when it’s time to know how to replace a car battery in your vehicle:

  • Dim headlights
  • The vehicle can’t start without the help of engine revving or jump-starts
  • When you turn the key in the ignition or push the start button, there’s a delay before the engine fires up
  • The dashboard, interior lights, or other cabin technologies are experiencing power fluctuations

Why Do Car Batteries Wear Out?

The answer for how often to replace a car battery can vary between car owners in Sugarland. There are a few factors that can cause a battery to wear out faster, including:

  • Extreme Temperatures: The high temperatures in Houston can cause the liquids inside a car battery to evaporate, which can have a negative effect on battery life.
  • Loose Hold-Down Clamps: The battery is held in place by hold-down clamps that can become loosened while driving on a rough surface or after hitting a curb or pothole. When the hold-down clamps aren’t tight, the battery can jostle around as you drive, causing vibrations that can damage internal components.
  • Jump-Starts: When you jump-start a car battery, the overall battery life is shortened. One jump-start if you accidentally leave the lights on all day won’t have too large an impact, but the effect of multiple jump-starts can start to add up.
  • Time: Inevitably, a car battery will eventually succumb to time. Just like any battery, it can only withstand a certain amount of charge cycles.

How to Test a Car Battery: Two Methods

Wondering how to test a car battery? You can schedule an appointment to have it tested at a service center, or follow one of the simple at-home testing methods outlined below! For the second method, you will want to have a friend with you for assistance.

How to Test a Car Battery Using the Headlights:

  1. Turn on your engine and leave the car in park. Turn the headlights to full brightness.
  2. Rev the engine, noting any changes in the headlights’ brightness.
  3. If the headlights grow brighter when you rev the engine, it’s a sign that the current is too weak to maintain that brightness when idling.
  4. If your car fails the headlight test, you’ll want to have it inspected by a technician for further assessment.

Using a Digital Multimeter:

  1. Set a digital multimeter to 20 DC volts.
  2. Pop the hood. Connect the negative meter probe with the negative battery terminal (both of these are black).
  3. Connect the positive meter probe with the positive battery terminal (both of these are red).
  4. Have your friend turn the headlights on. Check the voltmeter reading when they do so.
  5. At 80℉, 12.5 volts or higher means your battery is fully charged. 12.3 volts indicates about 75% charge, while 11.8 volts or lower indicates 25% or less battery charge.

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery?

So you know about car battery replacement and testing one around San Antonio, so how for a car battery in %%di_city%5? The average car battery cost ranges between $75-$120, or up to $200 for a premium battery. For a hybrid vehicle, the cost of replacement is higher, between $1,000-$6,000. Hybrid batteries are more expensive because they have to provide more power than standard batteries.

Schedule Battery Service in Houston With Aston Martin Houston

Now that you know how to replace a car battery, you’re probably looking for trusted battery service near The Woodlands? The service center at Aston Martin Houston is a top destination for luxury car owners. Beyond Aston Martin battery replacement, we have a variety of pieces on our website covering different auto maintenance needs. Whether it’s about tire rotation, Replacing your cabin air filter, or learning about car detailing, we’ve got some additional reading material for you. Contact us for more information and we’ll see you soon at Aston Martin Houston!


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