Car Battery Replacement Cost
Last Updated on September 19, 2023 | Written by CPA Alec Pow
First Published on November 4, 2020 | Content Reviewed by 
CFA Alexander Popivker
Among the worst feelings on the planet is climbing up into the driver’s seat of your vehicle, trying to start your vehicle, and seeing that nothing is really happening. Most of the time, it’s a sign that your car’s battery has actually died and will either have to be jump-started or replaced. In the meantime, you’ll start to ask yourself how in God’s name you’re going to get around without an automobile when you have a dead battery on your hands.
You’ll pay whatever the vehicle battery will cost to get back out on the road. Let’s talk about what makes your car battery so crucial to your vehicle and also talk about what the car battery cost might be the next time you have a dead battery and need it to be changed.
What Does a Car Battery Do?
The car battery that you have under the hood of your vehicle does practically exactly what you would expect it to do. It gives your car the power that it requires to get up and running when you stick your car key into the ignition and turn it. Without a completely functional vehicle battery, your car isn’t going to do much at all for you. Everything from your engine to the lights inside your vehicle will close down without a working battery.
Your car battery is accountable for supplying your automobile’s starter with power when you try to turn your vehicle on. The starter uses this power to start the engine so that you can drive your car around. It also continues to provide power for your vehicle’s electrical system for as long as you need it to. So it’s easy to understand why driving around with a bad battery in your car is a huge no-no.
If you ever notice that you have a very old battery in your vehicle or if your battery has actually been giving you fits recently, it most likely means that you will have to purchase a brand-new battery for your car. The car battery cost will be quite low at best, and it’ll be well worth it when you consider what a crucial function your battery plays in the total wellness of your automobile.
How long Will a Car Battery Last?
Now that you understand what makes your car battery so crucial, you should have a much better understanding of why you will need to keep a close eye on it to prevent it from dying on you. The last thing you would want to do is have your vehicle battery die at the worst possible time simply due to the fact that you didn’t check it for many years. You need to have some idea of the length of time your car battery is going to last.
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Typically, most of the car batteries are created to last for around 3 years. There are, nevertheless, some car batteries that will last for 4, 5, and even 6 years before needing to be changed. It actually depends on whether you purchased a premium car battery or not. The added car battery cost that comes with doing this is typically worth it for those who will want to make sure they have the very best battery possible in their vehicle.
Even if you spend more when purchasing a car battery, though, you’re not going to be able to keep it around for the full life of your car. Once it reaches and passes the 5-year mark, your car battery is certainly going to be closer to its death. You’ll seriously need to think about changing it ASAP.
How Can You Find Out If a Car Battery Has to Be Changed?
As we already pointed out, you can find that a car battery most likely needs to be changed based upon its age. If you have a car battery that is at least a couple of years old, that will be enough to think about changing it. However, that’s far from the only reason to make you think about changing your car battery. There are also a good amount of symptoms that will tell you that you need to take on the car battery cost and put a brand-new battery in your vehicle.
Here are a few of the ways in which you’ll be able to see whether you need to have your car battery changed:
- Your car’s engine does not start right away when you turn your vehicle key in the ignition
- Your vehicle’s interior lights are extremely dim and your car appears to be experiencing electrical problems as a whole
- Your vehicle’s check engine light has actually turned on
- Your vehicle’s battery appears to be producing a really pungent odor when you turn your vehicle on
- Your car’s battery has adapters on it that are visibly rusted
- Your car’s battery has a case on it that has actually modified into a different shape than it used to be
If your car’s battery seems that it wants to tell you that you need to get a brand-new battery by showing any of these symptoms, you need to jump in action as soon as possible. Pay the car battery price to get a brand-new battery installed into your automobile right now.
What Could Happen If You Do Not Change a Car Battery?
There are some individuals who will, regrettably, neglect all the indications of a problem with a car battery that we just talked about and continue to drive a car around with a bad battery in it. You must avoid doing this at all costs.
The bright side is that you most likely will not experience any significant problems with your vehicle when you push a car battery too far. However, the problem is that you might effectively find yourself stuck someplace with a dead battery sooner than you’d want to. That might require you to either tow your car or to leave it in an unknown location until you can return and put a brand-new battery in it.
You’re better off learning what the car battery cost is going to be and paying to have a brand-new battery put in your old battery’s place. It’ll offer you assurance when you’re behind the wheel of your vehicle and prevent you from getting stuck somewhere in your vehicle.
Where Can You Come Across the Best Battery for Your Car?
If you believe that your car battery might be on its way out and you wish to change it before it’s far too late, there are a number of locations where you can find a brand-new battery. You can, typically, get one at any car parts shop. The majority of these shops bring a big pallet of car batteries for nearly any make and design car.
You can likewise drive your car to your mechanic and have them hook you up with a brand-new car battery. Just be on the lookout that you might have to get a battery from a car part shop on your way there sometimes. Not all vehicle service centers have a big supply of car batteries on hand at all times.
In this day and age, you can also purchase a brand-new car battery at most of the big-box shops like Walmart. Usually, they’ll have a car battery cost that is even lower than the price that you’ll find at car part shops. It could be worth looking around for car batteries before settling on the best one for your budget.
Just how much Does a Car Battery Cost?
Because car batteries play such a crucial function in cars, you might be under the impression that purchasing one is going to set you back a fair bit of money. If you happen to have a high-end car, you might invest a little fortune in changing the car battery. However, if you only need to put a standard battery into your car, your battery cost isn’t going to be all that high.
While the exact car battery price that you’ll need to pay will differ based upon which battery you choose, the common car battery price is someplace between $50 and $220. That’s not pricey at all when you think that your car battery is among the most important elements of your whole car.
Should You Purchase a Cheap Car Battery?
Despite the fact that the car battery expense isn’t that high, there are individuals out there who will do almost anything to cut down on how much they invest in their vehicle. That in some cases means putting a cheap car battery into their vehicle when they have an old battery that will have to be changed. In some circumstances, individuals will be able to find car batteries that cost under $50.
In theory, this may seem like a terrific idea to you. It’ll prevent you from needing to pay an arm and a leg for a brand-new car battery and get you the battery that your vehicle needs. However, it might come at a higher cost in the long run. Your $50 car battery may just last you a year or 2 before it begins creating issues once again. It may also be made by a maker that’s not all that concerned about helping you if you encounter any issues with your car battery.
Instead of going the low-cost path, you have to always go the reputable path when it concerns car batteries. You’ll feel a lot better about driving your vehicle around when you know that it has a premium battery in it. It’ll make the slightly higher car battery cost that you’ll pay more than worth it.
Should You Change a Car Battery by Yourself?
Dealing with or being around a car battery might be daunting to plenty of individuals. There are some individuals who will not even try to jumpstart a car battery when theirs goes down since they are afraid of what may happen. However, you need to understand that, if you want to change a car battery by yourself, it’s possible for you to do it. And it’s not even that hard thanks to all of the web posts that have been done on it.
We would not recommend popping the hood on your car and haphazardly ripping your old car battery out and changing it with a brand-new one. However, we would not be against you researching how to change a car battery and doing the job yourself. It is among the easier automobile upkeep jobs that you can handle.
How Can You Make a Vehicle Battery Last Longer?
As we have actually already said time and time again today, the car battery cost isn’t that high at all. You should not be terrified about needing to change it at some point. However, you need to do everything that you can to make certain your car battery lasts as long as possible. This is in fact quite easy to do.
Here are a few of the steps you can take to extend the life-span of your car battery:
- Limit the number of shorter car rides that you take
- Be sure you turned off your car’s interior and exterior lights when leaving your vehicle
- Clean any rust on your car battery as fast as you see it
- Make a habit of checking your car battery as often as you can
- Avoid plugging a lot of electronic devices in your automobile
You’re not always going to get years of additional life out of your car battery by doing these things. However, you should guarantee that you do not need to deal with the car battery cost any faster than you would usually have to.
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