Car, truck and SUV batteries are more stressed than ever before. Whether it’s extreme temperatures, or the need for a constant power supply from increasingly complicated on-board electronics, battery maintenance is just as important as a regular tune-up, to get the most out of your vehicle.
Regardless of whether it’s a tablet, smartphone, MP3 player, or GPS Receiver that draws power from your vehicle battery, or even human error, where you may have made the simple mistake of keeping your headlights on after shutting the vehicle off, or by even forgetting to close a door, or trunk lid, it is important to remember that your battery does have a limited lifespan.
That lifespan can be lessened by constant charging of your smartphone from your car battery, especially if your car battery is not new.
A battery, whether for truck, car or SUV should ideally have a lifespan of approximately six years. But depending extreme temperatures, humidity, heavy accessory loads and other factors that are detrimental to battery life, expect three or four good years from your factory or aftermarket battery.
The battery in your vehicle is there to provide a jolt of electrical energy to start the engine and to provide engine-off accessory power for a limited amount of time. Once the engine is running, the alternator takes over to power the accessories and charge the battery.
Car batteries typically feature six connected cells in a lead-acid formulation, or up to 12 cells in a 24-volt system found in heavy trucks or other large vehicles.
Batteries are not “one size fits all.” There are several things to consider:
Speaking of the alternator, a faulty alternator can cause your battery to not recharge properly. Your dealer’s service department or your local auto repair center has the equipment to check the health of your vehicle’s alternator. We recommend having it checked every time you change your oil.
It happens to all of us: we get into our vehicle, insert the key or push the ignition button, and…zip, nada, nothing. And it always seems to happen especially when we are in a hurry. Sometimes a good Samaritan with a pair of jumper cables may happen by to give a hand, but we recommend keeping a set of jumper cables in the trunk of your vehicle.
Like an insurance policy, you may never need to use it, but it’s a good feeling to know the cables are there, just in case.
But care is needed when jump-starting your dead battery. Start by placing both vehicles in park and shutting off the ignition. Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal on your dead battery. Look for “POS” or “+” if you are not sure.
Attach the other red clip to the red, POS post on the good battery. Next, attach the black clip to the negative terminal of the good battery, and the other black clip to a clean, unpainted piece of metal surface under the hood. DO NOT attach the black clip to the black battery post because sparking could ignite the dead battery’s electrolyte fumes.
Start the vehicle with the good battery and allow it to run for approximately five minutes before attempting to start the other vehicle, this will put some charge into the dead battery. Then try starting the other vehicle. If the engine doesn’t turn over, it may need to idle a little more to build up more charge. Also rev up the donor engine so that its battery delivers more amperage in the process.
Once the vehicle with the dead battery starts, don’t turn it off. Drive a while to see if the alternator can help recharge the battery. You will know, if the engine manages to restart on its own after being turned off. If not, it could be that the battery charge is too low to be saved.
Replacing a vehicle battery is a good project for do-it-yourselfers. Start by consulting your vehicle owner’s manual for the proper size and location of the battery. Identify the positive and negative posts and the proper cables that are to be attached to each. The positive post will have a red plastic cover over it. There may also be a + sign stamped onto the battery casing or printed on a nearby label. Start by loosening the negative (-) terminal bolt and removing the cable, taking care not to touch the positive post at the same time. Once you loosen the bolt, use a terminal puller, if available, to remove the cable from the negative battery post. Follow by repeating the procedure with the positive post.
Next, remove the clamp or retaining system holding the battery in place. Carefully lift the old battery to remove it from your vehicle. If a terminal cleaning tool or a wire brush is available, use it to clean any corrosion that may exist on the cables.
Position the new battery so that the red, positive post will match up to the location of the red cable. Secure it with the battery retaining clamp, removed earlier. If the battery includes anti-corrosion washers, place them over the posts now, followed by a thin layer of anti-corrosion grease to prevent buildup on the posts, which could prevent battery charging. Finally tighten the positive cable, and repeat the process with the negative cable.
Check to make sure the battery is secured to its mounting platform. Close the hood and be on your way.
Typically, prices range from $45 to $250, depending on power, size, and quality. In many cases, no appointments are necessary. You can see how much battery replacement costs for the make and model of your vehicle.
Regardless of the type of vehicle you drive, your local dealership service department, auto parts store or local automotive specialists offer check-ups to quickly replace your battery, so you can be on your way.
