How Often to Replace a Car Battery

Your car battery is an integral part of keeping your Honda running properly on the Santa Cruz roads, so you’ll want to pay special attention to it. As with almost all components of your vehicle, your car battery wears out with time and will eventually need to be replaced to maintain your car in top condition. There are several factors that affect your car’s battery life, including your driving habits and the climate you drive in, but experts generally agree that you should replace your battery every 4 to 5 years. Ocean Honda Santa Cruz has put together a guide outlining some important information about replacing your battery below.

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

There are several common signs to keep an eye out for, that indicate it’s time to take your battery to a service center to be replaced:

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

What Causes Car Battery Deterioration?

• Heat: If you live in an area with a lot of hot weather, you may find your battery deteriorates more quickly because of the liquids inside the battery evaporating.
• Vibrations: Loose hold-down clamps on your battery can cause vibrations that wear out your battery. Vibrations can also be caused by driving over rough terrain or driving over debris.
• Needing a jump: If you jump start your car after leaving your engine idling or leaving the lights on overnight, this will cause your battery life to shorten by quite a bit.
• Time: As stated above, your car battery will eventually deteriorate simply due to age. However, if you take proper care of it, you can extend its life as long as possible.

Please note that, although the general consensus is that batteries last for 4-5 years, your owner’s manual will give you a specific number.

How to Test a Car Battery

There are a few ways to get your car battery tested. The easiest is to have it tested during a twice-yearly maintenance visit at your Aptos-area service center. However, there are two ways that you can DIY a battery test if you’d prefer. 

The Headlight Test: 

1. Make sure your Honda is in park, then turn on the engine and make sure the headlights are on.
2. Rev the engine and check to see if the headlight brightness changes.
3. If the headlights get brighter, that means the current is not strong enough to keep the lights at normal brightness while the car is idling. 
4. This indicates that your battery is having trouble; take your Honda to a service center to get it inspected further.

Using a Digital Multimeter:

1. Set the voltmeter to 20 DC volts.
2. Under the hood, touch the negative terminal (black) with the negative meter probe (also black).
3. Touch the positive terminal (red) with the positive meter probe (also red)
4. Have a friend turn on the headlights and check the voltmeter reading.
5. At 80℉, a voltmeter reading of 12.5 volts or higher means your battery is fully charged and is fine. 12.3 volts means it’s at about 75% charged. A reading of 11.8 volts or lower means your battery has 25% or less charge and needs replacing. 

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery? 

Depending on the kind of batter your Honda requires, the cost of a replacement can vary greatly. A standard car battery costs between $75 and $120 to replace, while a premium battery can cost up to $200. If you drive a hybrid, expect to pay more for a battery replacement since your battery has a bigger and more important job – these replacements cost between $1,000 and $6,000 depending on the specific model. However, hybrids also consume far less gas, so the cost of a new battery ends up being balanced by the fuel savings. 

Keep Your Vehicle in Top Condition at Ocean Honda Santa Cruz

If you’ve tested your car battery and found it needs replacing, don’t hesitate to bring your Honda by our service center near Watsonville. You can also contact our office with any questions or to learn more about the services our dealership offers. And don’t forget to take advantage of our service specials if you’d like to save on your next appointment!