How Long Should Car Batteries Last?

by  |  On July 31st, 2014  |  In Car Tech, Tips & Guides

When your car battery does its job, it doesn’t demand very much attention. But when they get old, they often misbehave and crank the vehicles engine slowly or perhaps not even start the car. Usually this means it’s time for you to purchase a new car battery. A common question is, “When a battery should be replaced so it doesn’t let me down?” Well, the answer is that it “depends”. A rough rule of thumb is a car battery lasts about four, maybe five years, under normal conditions and then its best to get a new one.

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But what are normal conditions?

Normal conditions” consist of a number of factors that exist in theory but rarely seem to happen. Normal in this case means the battery goes through full charge cycles, isn’t subjected to extreme temperatures, is attached to a properly functioning charging system, and isn’t providing power for a ton of accessories. As you might imagine, normal just isn’t that common. In the real world, temperature extremes, vehicle vibration, short trips down the street and an ever-increasing array of electronic devices take a toll on a battery’s lifespan.

If you look at a typical lead-acid, maintenance-free car battery, it’s easy to make sense of why these factors affect a normal battery. Inside the plastic battery box are plates made of heavy materials like lead and lead compounds. These plates are suspended in a mix of water and sulfuric acid. A host of factors can disturb this arrangement and weaken the battery structure. Vibrations from rough travel can shake loose or damage the plates. Extreme heat during the summer can speed up the chemical reaction inside a battery which can shorten its life. Driving distances can affect the reaction, too. If you have a short commute or take lots of brief trips, the battery never gets fully charged and this constant state of undercharge results in “acid stratification” which hurts performance.

It may be time

The most obvious sign of a battery that is nearing the end is that when fully charged, it cranks the engine slowly! However, because the battery is part of a larger system connected to other parts of the car, a slow cranking may indicate a deeper problem than simply no juice. If something else is going wrong in the electrical system — say, a weak alternator — a working battery may be providing less current than it should. A good mechanic can help check this for you. The battery itself provides other clues to whether it’s on its way out. The first is age. If the battery is older than three or four years, start expecting problems

Conclusion:

Batteries are so reliable and so simple that drivers have a tendency to forget they’re even there until it’s too late. If you pay attention to your car’s battery and conduct a few observations along the way (is it cranking too slow?), you’ll reduce your risk of being stranded on the road. All things considered, batteries are relatively inexpensive, considering the amount of work they perform on a regular basis. When in doubt, it often makes sense to just get a new one.

Source:JTS KIA of Columbia, SC

Jyotsna Ramani is a passionate writer and an avid globetrotter. She had a knack for writing since her early years, though that was mostly letters to her penpals and jotting her thoughts down in her "Dear Diary". Over the years, she realized how her hobby could turn into a full time career and she started writing web content, books and pieces for local magazines. There has been no looking back ever since.

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