How Often to Replace a Car Battery

Not sure if your battery needs to be replaced? If you ask most experts, they’ll usually recommend a battery replacement about every 4-5 years, but that number can vary depending on the type of vehicle you drive, your St Louis driving habits, and several other factors. Learn how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced and more with the service center at Suntrup Nissan, and visit us for all of your mechanical needs.

Causes of Battery Deterioration

Over time, your battery will naturally deteriorate, and you’ll need to get it replaced. However, here are some things that can speed up the process of battery deterioration:

• Heat and very warm weather
• Vibrations and friction
• Needing a jump-start

Signs That You Need a New Battery

Sometimes, it’s not easy to tell if you need a new battery as the signs aren’t always very visible when driving through Jefferson County. Here’s how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced:

• Takes longer than usual to start your car
• Strange power fluctuations
• Dimming headlights
• More frequent need for engine revving or jump starts

Car Battery Check Test

Before you take your vehicle to our service center near St Charles, make sure your battery is still working. Here’s how to test a car battery:

Using Headlights: 

1. Keep the car parked, turn on the engine, and check that the headlights turn on.
2. See if the brightness of the lights changes when you rev the engine.
3. If the headlights get brighter, then the current isn’t strong enough to keep the lights at normal levels of brightness while the car is idling.

Using a Digital Multimeter:

1. Set the voltmeter to 20 DC volts.
2. Open the hood, and connect the negative terminal on your battery to the negative meter probe on the reader.
3. Connect the positive battery terminal to the positive meter probe.
4. Have someone turn on the headlights.
5. Check the voltmeter reading.
6. 12.5+ volts means your battery is fully charged, 12.3 volts means it’s at about 75%, and 11.8 volts or lower means the battery is at about 25% or less.

Car Battery Replacement Cost

Now that you know how to test a car battery, you’ll need to know what to pay if you need to have your battery replaced. So, how much is a replacement car battery? Usually, a replacement car battery can cost anywhere from $75-$120, but a premium battery can cost up to $200. If you have a hybrid battery, they can cost anywhere from $1,000-$6,000 since they’re a bigger job. If you need a battery replacement, save on your costs with our service and parts specials at Suntrup Nissan.

Service Your Battery at Suntrup Nissan

Now that you know how often to replace a car battery, you can make sure your battery is at the right capacity. If you need your battery replaced, schedule a visit to our service center in St. Louis, and contact us for all of your service needs. Check out more service tips, like how often you should rotate your tires.