Car Battery Life: How Long Should Your Car Battery Last?

Every year, over 70 million new vehicles are sold around the world.

Every single vehicle on the road has a car battery. Extending the battery life of your vehicle is possible and will save you money. You may be wondering, how long does a battery last?

Let’s take a look at how long batteries last and what you can do to make them last longer.

Normal Battery Life

An average car battery life is around 5 years. It is not uncommon for a battery to last longer, but many die before they reach 5. There are signs that will let you know when the time to replace the battery is approaching.

Signs a Battery is Dying

Here’s what you should look out for:

• Sluggish starting
• Battery is deformed
• Cold weather impacts starting
• Frequent need to jump the vehicle
• Turning the key doesn’t turn on accessory lights

You want to change the battery before it dies, stranding you wherever it went dead at.

What Can Shorten Battery Life

The length of time a battery will last depends on a number of factors. There are some things that will lower the battery life. If possible, you should avoid any of these things from happening to your vehicle battery.

Factors that Shorten Battery Life

Some factors, such as rapid or extreme temperature fluctuations, are a simple fact of life in Kansas:

• Corrosion on terminals
• Vibration from operation when not secured
• Electrolyte contamination
• Extreme temperature changes
• Under or Overcharging the battery
• Low water or low electrolytes

Control these risk factors to extend the battery life of your vehicle.

How to Prolong Battery Life

Even the best car battery will succumb to age, but you can prolong the life of your battery. One thing to remember is that the battery is charged by the alternator as the vehicle is in operation. As a battery depletes and charges, this is what lowers a car battery life expectancy.

What You Can Do

Doing all of the following steps can prolong your battery life for up to a couple of years:

• Don’t take a lot of short trips
• Make sure connectors are secure and tight
• Turn off lights when you exit the vehicle
• Don’t use electronics while idling
• Make sure the battery is secured

The goal is to limit the amount of stress put on the battery over time.

Professional Assistance

If you begin to have problems with your battery, replacing it should fix the problem. If it doesn’t, there could be something else going on. A certified service department can help make sure that it’s not the alternator or other component.

If you suspect something might be wrong with your vehicle, don’t hesitate to get it looked at. You don’t want to replace the car battery only to discover that wasn’t the problem. That could mean over a hundred dollars wasted every time you replace the battery.

Your Car Battery Life

Your car won’t be able to operate without a car battery. Making sure that your car battery life is as long as possible will save you money and prevent waste.

If you have any questions or concerns or are ready for a new vehicle, contact us.