A dead battery is, unfortunately, fairly common and most drivers will experience it at least once. As your CDJR dealer, we want to give you a heads-up on some signs that you need to visit us for a new car battery before the old one fails.
Old Battery
This is probably the most common reason for battery failure. The average lifespan of a battery is three to five years. The reason for its relatively short life is the chemicals inside the battery that enable it to store and supply electricity slowly break down as they work. The breakdown of the chemicals reduces the battery’s storage capacity and makes it more difficult to store an electrical charge.
When your battery is three years old, we advise a battery test. We’ll hook your battery up to our computerized battery tester. This machine will probe the battery’s strengths and weaknesses and report on the battery’s potential remaining life. If your battery is healthy, it’s advisable to retest it annually. If the battery is weak, we can install a new one in minutes.
Extreme Weather
Extreme heat or cold affects your battery’s health. While we don’t have a problem with extreme heat in Wisconsin, our cold winters can weaken a battery. As we all know, a car takes longer to start in the winter. This is because the lower temperature lowers a battery’s electrical output. At 32 F, for example, a battery loses 20% of its power.
Extended cold weather, particularly for an older battery, can be a death knell. The electrolyte solution in the battery can freeze and expand. This expansion can cause the battery casing to bulge or distort. While the electrolyte will thaw when the temperature rises again, it’s been damaged and your battery could fail. We can’t repair this type of damage, but we can fit a new battery for you.
Check Battery Light
The check battery light will illuminate in response to any issue affecting the electrical system. A worn battery can trigger this light if its voltage output drops below a certain level. A healthy battery should supply approximately 12.4 volts. If the voltage drops to 12 volts or less, sensors attached to the battery will notify your car’s computer and the warning light will light up.
This light can also be triggered if the battery connectors are loose or the alternator is weak and isn’t sufficiently recharging your battery. Our technicians will test your battery and check the electrical system for any potential issues. If the battery is healthy, it can be recharged while we repair the cause of the problem.
Don’t get stuck on the roadside with a dead battery. Contact us today at Bergstrom CDJR of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.
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