When To Replace Car Battery

Battery forms one of the most important components of a car's engine. Without a battery, your car will not even start; forget about taking you to your destined destination. It has been estimated that if you indulge in proper care and maintenance, your car will run for at least 100,000 miles, if not more. However, by this time, your car battery will not be the one that came along with the automobile, at the time of purchase. The reason for this is the fact that battery has a much lower shelf life, as compared to a car, and needs to be replaced at some point in every car's lifetime. In case you want to know when to replace car battery, the information provided in the following lines will come handy.

Signs That Car Battery Needs Replacement

Extreme Weather Conditions

Weather conditions have a major effect on the life of you battery. If you are planning to shift from a place with temperate climate to the one that is subject to extreme weather conditions, it is advisable to change you car battery and buy a battery more suitable to the future weather conditions. Majority of the batteries are rated by a measurement called 'cold amperage'. In normal conditions, a battery with a low number of 'cold cranking amps' will ensure that your car starts at the first go. However, as you go to a place where winters are extremely cold, you would require a battery with a minimum rating of 600 'cold cranking amps'.

Excessive Wear and Tear

After a certain point of time, even the human body breaks down, as in - gets affected by diseases. So, you can understand that a battery won't last the entire lifetime of a car. Though a dead battery can often be charged by a power boost from jumper cables, there is a limit to the recharging as well. After a long time of abuse and excessive wear and tear, the battery needs to be changed. When your battery becomes dead on a frequent basis, needing a power boost, or does not hold a charge, it means that it has become extremely weak and it is better to replace it as soon as possible.

Damage To Battery Casing

Accident is a term that a large proportion of car drivers experience at least once in their lifetime. An accident, in quite a few cases, has an affect on the battery life as well. In case your battery has been damaged, or otherwise compromised, in an accident, it is advisable to replace it almost immediately. If you notice any cracks in the body of the battery, get a new one. This is because cracks can cause dangerous leaking of sulphuric acid or other chemicals from the battery, which can prove to be very harmful for the car as well as its users.

End Of Warranty Period

Almost all the new car batteries come with a warranty period, the time within which you can get it replaced, or at least repaired, by the manufacturer, if any defect or damage occurs. After the end of the warranty period, the onus as well as expenditure for repairs falls on the buyer i.e. you. So, if you battery has started showing signs of being worn out and has also gone past its warranty period, it is better to replace it. It makes financial sense to invest in a new battery, rather than paying for repairs on an old one, every now and then.