Car Battery Installation & Replacement: What You Need To Know
As a car owner, it’s crucial to understand the importance of your car battery. Your car battery plays a vital role in supplying the electrical service needed to start your vehicle when it’s not running. However, it doesn’t stop there. It also serves as a reserve capacitor to protect your car’s sensitive electronics from voltage spikes originating from the alternator.
A malfunctioning car battery can create serious issues, causing your car to die on the road, and leaving you stranded. Although a bad battery often results in your car failing to start, extreme conditions can lead to much more severe problems. For instance, severe weather such as intense heat or freezing cold temperatures can cause a weak battery to fail.
Therefore, it’s important to have your car battery tested regularly to ensure it’s performing its best. Don’t overlook the significance of your car battery; it’s a crucial component in keeping your car running smoothly.
If you have any questions about car batteries, their installation, or replacement, read on to learn more.
When Do You Need to Replace Your Car Battery?
For Nevada and Arizona drivers, nothing is more frustrating than trying to start a vehicle only to find it won’t turn on. A quick jump-start may help in the short term, but eventually, you’ll need to replace your battery.
No one wants to be caught off guard by a battery failure, so it pays to know when your car’s battery may be at risk. These four signs might indicate that your vehicle needs a new battery:
1. Trouble Dealing with the Weather
There’s no denying that Arizona and Nevada can be scorching hot during the summer months, which can make it difficult for people to get out and about. The same is true for car batteries—especially older car batteries. Heat can evaporate the fluids inside your battery, which can contribute to internal corrosion.
Cold weather can affect the health of auto batteries, as well. Winter weather can slow down the chemical reactions batteries are designed to create, shortening the lifespan of your battery in the process. On top of that, your engine oil can move slowly when it’s cold out, meaning you’ll need more power to get your engine running. These factors can affect batteries of any age, but older batteries tend to be affected more than new ones.
2. Lack of Regular Car Battery Usage
It’s easy to assume that your car’s battery is drained by using it, but that’s not exactly the case. In fact, driving actually charges this battery. On the flip side, not using your vehicle for a long time can deplete the battery’s charge. To keep your older car battery in good shape, if you’re planning to be out of the area for a while, ask a friend or family member to drive your vehicle for a short period of time every so often.
3. Difficulties Starting Up
Of course, the classic sign that your car battery on its way out is trouble starting your vehicle under what should be ordinary circumstances. Does it take an unexpectedly long time to start your car, or do your headlights flicker when you turn your vehicle on? If that’s the case, your battery might be on the verge of failure.
4. Dashboard Warning Lights
Finally, most vehicles can give you an extra sign that your car battery is in need of replacement. A light on your dashboard will activate when your diagnostic system detects a problem with your starting system or battery. Typically, a car battery will last about three years before it needs to be replaced; however, factors like the model of the car you drive and the brand of battery you use can affect this lifespan.
Schedule Car Battery Replacement Service
Choose the Car Battery Replacement Pros
Replacing a car battery may not be the most elaborate automotive service, but your vehicle still deserves the best when it comes to this or any other maintenance task. However, finding a reliable auto repair shop can be challenging, especially since there are so many businesses to choose from in this field.
Whether you need a car battery replaced or are looking for other car maintenance services in Nevada and Arizona, your best bet is Tire Works Total Car Care. Our team of auto mechanics can take care of all your car maintenance, repair, tire, and wheel needs. Thanks to our ASE-certified mechanics, you won’t have to worry about subpar service or unexpected problems with your car. And for maximum convenience and comfort, enjoy our complimentary shuttle service while we replace your car’s battery.
Our Car Battery Services
If you’ve ever changed AA batteries in household gadgets, you may assume the process of replacing a car battery is just as simple. In reality, that’s not the case. Car batteries can weigh 40 to 60 pounds, and they should be handled by people wearing work gloves and safety glasses due to the possibility of battery acid splashes.
With that in mind, it’s best to work with professional mechanics when you need a new car battery. At Tire Works, we can handle:
System Diagnostics
When you bring your car to our auto repair shop for battery replacement, it’s the perfect time for our auto mechanics to take a closer look at your vehicle. Before replacing your battery, we’ll inspect crucial starting and charging system components to see if they need extra attention.
Car Battery Sizing
Not every vehicle needs the same battery size to get started. Our crew can review your car’s electrical system and the battery you currently use to figure out its ideal battery group size and its type.
Car Battery Replacement
After our mechanics have checked your system and determined the best battery size for your car, we’ll be ready to get to work. In the process, we’ll take pains to get everything right—and if you spot any signs of trouble when we’re done, we’ll be happy to resolve these issues.
Which Car Battery Type is Best for You?
There are several types of car batteries on the market today, but you’ll need to find one that’s fully compatible with your vehicle. Here is a brief rundown of three major categories of auto batteries.
Side-Post Car Battery
If you drive a vehicle from General Motors, there’s a good chance that your car will rely on side-post batteries to get started. These batteries are usually found in sizes 70, 74, 75, and 78.
Standard Top-Post Car Battery
As their name suggests, standard top-post batteries are a relatively common type of battery compatible with countless American and Japanese vehicles. They’re available in many sizes, generally ranging from 24 to 65.
Recessed Top-Post Car Battery
You’ll likely need to buy a recessed top-post battery if you drive a European-made car from companies like BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Look for them in sizes 41, 42, 47, 48, and 49.
Save Big on Car Battery Installation
At Tire Works, we understand that even the most minor auto maintenance expenses can make it difficult for our customers to balance their budgets. That is definitely the case for car battery replacement, since your battery can begin to fail out of nowhere—leaving you with little choice but to install a new one as soon as possible.
To lighten the load, our mechanics make helping our clients save money a high priority. As part of this goal, we provide a full range of online auto repair coupons for common car maintenance and repair tasks like car battery replacement.
Get Charged Up with Help from Tire Works
If your car battery is showing any signs of trouble, there’s no need to put off getting a new one. Instead, let the expert mechanics at your closest Tire Works location take care of it for you—we’ll be happy to help!
