How Often to Replace a Car Battery

The common consensus experts have on how often to replace a car battery is at an interval of 4-5 years. However, there is a lot more that goes into it. Learn more about how to test a car battery, how much is a replacement car battery, and how to know if your car battery needs to be replaced from the Ocean Honda service team below. 

How to Know If Your Car Battery Needs to Be Replaced

Clearwater area commuters should take these warning signs below seriously and schedule a service if any of these situations occur:

• Headlights are dimming
• Frequent need for engine revving and jumpstarts
• Engine takes longer to start
• Consistent power fluctuations

How to Test a Car Battery for Yourself

DIY Tampa area drivers can follow these methods to test their battery at home:

The Headlight Test: 

1. Turn on the engine, and activate the headlights.
2. Rev the engine to see if this changes the brightness of your headlights
3. If the headlights get brighter, then the current is not strong enough to keep the lights at normal brightness while the car is in park.
4. Visit your local Honda service center for further guidance. 

Digital Multimeter Test:

1. Set to 20 DC volts.
2. Under the hood, touch the negative terminal (black) with the negative meter probe (black).
3. Touch the positive terminal (red) with the positive meter probe ( red)
4. Have someone else present to turn on headlights and check voltometer 
5. At 80℉, 12.5 volts or higher indicates a full charge. 12.3 volts indicates a 75% charge.11.8 volts or lower indicates a 25% or less charge. 

How Much is a Replacement Car Battery for Your Vehicle? 

The typical car battery cost will run you between $75 and $120,and you may pay up to $200 for premium vehicles. Hybrid car batteries tend to be a little more nuanced and will require you to fork over between $1000-$6000, but this is offset by the lack of gas consumption that is associated with these vehicles. 

Visit the Ocean Honda Service Center!

Now that you have learned how often to replace a car battery, be sure to stop by our service center near Wesley Chapel to keep your vehicle in pristine condition. Our service specialists will let you know about our limited time service specials to help you save money. Contact us for more information!