If you’ve been driving your vehicle for a few years, you may begin to wonder about how often to replace a car battery. Luckily, learning how to test a car battery and how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced is easy. Generally, car batteries last 4-5 years, so if your battery is around that age, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to its condition. However, a variety of factors can impact how long your battery lasts. Read on with our Crete service team below to learn about how much is a replacement car battery and more!

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

Are you wondering how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced? Keep an eye out for the following warning signs as you commute from Lincoln to Seward:

• Dimming headlights
• Frequent need for engine revving or jump starts
• Slow engine start when you turn the key/push the button
• Abnormal power fluctuations

What Causes Car Battery Deterioration?

• Heat: Warm weather accelerates the evaporation of liquids found inside your car’s battery. If you live in a hot climate, you may need new car batteries more often. 
• Vibrations: If the hold-down clamps for your battery are loose or you frequent tough terrain, the vibrations may damage your battery. This damage can shorten its lifespan. 
• Needing a Jump: Any time you need a jump, this will reduce the life of your battery. Keep this in mind when exiting your vehicle, as you’ll want to be sure all the lights and electronics are off. 
• Time: As with any battery, a car battery can only endure so many charge cycles. Even with diligent care, a car battery will eventually need to be replaced. 

For a better idea of how long your car battery should last for your vehicle, consult your owner’s manual. You can also discuss your maintenance concerns with our expert parts team for additional guidance. 

How to Test a Car Battery

If you’re looking for a weekend project you can tackle in your Milford garage, learn how to test a car battery here:

The Headlight Test: 

1. Start your engine, leave the car in park, and be sure that the headlights are on. 
2. Rev the engine to see if the brightness of your headlights changes. 
3. If the headlights get brighter when you rev the engine, that means the current is not strong enough to power your lights when idling. 
4. This is a good time to take your vehicle in for further assessment as you may need a fresh battery. 

Using a Digital Multimeter:

1. Set the voltmeter to 20 DC volts.
2. Touch the negative battery terminal (black) with the negative meter probe (black).
3. Touch the positive terminal (red) with the positive meter probe (also red)
4. Have a helper turn on the headlights while you check the voltmeter reading. 
5. At 80℉, 12.5 volts or higher means your battery is fully charged. If it’s reading at 12.3 volts, you have about 75% charge. If your voltmeter displays 11.8 volts or lower, you have 25% charge or less. 

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

So, how much is a replacement car battery? In most cases, a typical car battery costs between $75 and $120. If you have a premium battery, it may be closer to $200 for a replacement. If you own a hybrid or EV, a battery replacement will be much more expensive. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 for a new battery, but this cost is offset by the lack of fuel consumption. 

Service Your Vehicle at Sid Dillon Chevrolet Crete

Now that you know how to test a car battery and how often to replace a car battery, you’re equipped to care for your battery like a professional. If you need a new battery, you can quickly order one online. If you prefer to let our expert staff handle your vehicle’s service, book an appointment with us at your convenience!