How Often to Replace a Car Battery

Are you finding yourself having to have your vehicle jump-started often? Experts recommend having a battery replacement about every 4-5 years, so if you haven’t had a battery change in a while, then it could be time to take your vehicle into a service center. Learn how often to replace a car battery and if it’s time to get yours replaced with the service team at Suntrup Volkswagen, and let us help you get back on the St Louis roads in no time.

Cost to Replace a Battery

How much is a replacement car battery? Usually, you can expect to pay anywhere from $75-120, but a premium battery can cost up to $200 to replace. If you have a hybrid vehicle, then the cost of replacing a battery can be anywhere from $1,000-$6,000, but the lower gas usage usually offsets that price overall. The cost of a hybrid battery replacement is higher due to the fact that it’s a tougher job. Save on your next service visit with our service specials at Suntrup Volkswagen.

Causes of Battery Wear

Naturally, your vehicle’s battery will wear down over many miles driven on the St Peters roads and will need to be replaced. But, there are several factors that can speed up the deterioration of your battery, including:

• Heat and hot weather
• Vibrations
• Friction
• Needing a jump-start

Signs You Need to Replace Your Battery

Sometimes, it isn’t easy to tell if you need to have your battery replaced as it can be fine after a jump-start. Here’s how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced:

• Takes longer to start the engine when you turn the key/push the button
• Unusual power fluctuations
• Dimming headlights
• More frequent need for engine revving or jump starts

Testing a Car Battery

If you suspect that your car battery needs to be replaced, here is how to test a car battery using two different methods:

Headlight Test: 

1. Turn on your engine, and park the car while keeping the headlights on.
2. Rev the engine and see if the brightness of the headlights change.
3. If the headlights get brighter when you rev the engine, then the current isn’t strong enough to keep the lights at regular levels of brightness while the car idles.

Digital Multimeter Test:

1. Set the voltmeter at 20 DC volts.
2. Open the hood, and connect the negative battery terminal to the negative meter probe.
3. Connect the positive battery terminal to the positive meter probe.
4. Have someone else turn on the headlights and read the voltmeter.
5. If the voltmeter is at 12.5 volts or higher, then the battery is fully charged. 12.3 indicates that the battery is about 75% charged, and 11.8 volts or lower means the battery is at 25% or less.

If your battery needs to be replaced, then schedule a visit with our service center at Suntrup Volkswagen to get a replacement ASAP.

Service Your Battery at Suntrup Volkswagen

Contact us if you’re still unsure of how often to replace your battery, and let us help you get back on the St. Louis roads in no time at all.