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How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Car Battery?
Are you having issues with your car battery and wondering how much does it cost to replace a car battery? Maybe you are wondering if it’s safe for you to replace your car battery on your own? If you have never replaced a car battery on your own it may seem like a daunting task but in reality, most people that can turn a wrench can do.
Before you decide to replace your car battery you should first have it tested to confirm that the battery actually needs to be replaced. It also helps to know how car batteries work before deciding to replace one on your own.
The Cost to Replace a Car Battery
How much does it cost to replace a car battery? The cost to replace a car battery is around $160 for a car battery expected to last 5 years. You can find car batteries for less money but they likely will not have a warranty and will only be designed to last a few years.
If you want to buy a car battery designed to last as long as possible you should consider going with an Optima car battery.
Optima batteries are designed differently than other car batteries and are designed to last 2 to 3 times as long as a typical battery. This means they can last anywhere from 10-15 years. They are also virtually spillproof and are more resistant to vibrations than typical car batteries.
I’ve included a youtube video below that explains the difference between most car batteries and optima car batteries below.
What are Car Batteries? How Do Car Batteries Work?
A car battery is part of the electrical system of your car. Your car battery stores electrical energy to be used to then start up your car after you turn it off. If your car battery is going bad it may take a bit longer for your car to start up or it may not start at all.
The majority of car batteries in cars today are lead-acid batteries. Electricity is stored by the chemical reaction of the lead and acid inside of the battery. The stored electricity is then able to be used to turn the starter of your car which will spin the internals of your engine to start up your car.
Car batteries are charged by your car’s alternator while the car’s engine is running. As your car’s engine is running it will spin the alternator of your car which uses electromagnets to produce energy to then send to the car battery to be stored.
The electricity would then be fed from the alternator to your car battery to then be used by the electrical components of your car like your headlights and car stereo. Your car battery will only retain a certain amount of electrical energy which is typically around 12 volts.
When Should You Replace a Car Battery?
Most car batteries will last anywhere from 4 to 7 years before needing to be replaced. You can check when your car battery was made by checking the label on the battery. This will tell you when the car battery was actually manufactured. Keep in mind that the car battery may be older than the date that you purchased the battery.
If your car starts hesitating when you go to start it or does not want to start on cold mornings your battery will likely need to be replaced soon. As your car battery ages, it will not be able to hold a charge as well. If your car battery is underpowered this can lead to issues with starting up your car. It can also lead to issues with your electrical components in your car’s electrical system.
Does Your Car Keep Dying?
If your car won’t start and you suspect it to be your car battery I would first get a jump and take your car to your local auto parts store. When you arrive they will be able to test your car battery to determine if it needs to be replaced or not.
You may be looking at another electrical issue besides an issue with your battery so it’s best to have it checked before replacing it. Other electrical issues and your car not starting can stem from your alternator not putting out enough electrical energy to power the car battery.
You could also have an electrical component in your electronic system that is malfunctioning and causing a drain on your battery when the car is off. If you’d like to learn more about what to do if your car keeps dying you can check out my other article that explains some common causes.
How do Mechanics Replace Car Batteries?
Mechanics will typically have more tools at their disposal than the average Joe. What some mechanics can do is connect your electrical system to a portable battery pack before disconnecting the battery. This way they don’t have to reset anything in the electrical system once they have installed a new car battery.
However, outside of those sorts of tools, a mechanic is going to replace your battery the same way you would. By removing the cables from the battery leads and then removing the battery from the car.
How to Dispose of a Car Battery?
Car batteries should be disposed of properly. This means not throwing them away in your trash bin. Car batteries can hurt the environment if not disposed of properly. One place that you can take car batteries to be recycled and disposed of properly is your local auto parts store.
They will take your car battery typically for free and have it recycled so that parts of it can be used again. I know that they will typically do this for free if you buy your new battery from them. I’m not sure if they charge you to dispose of an old battery if you did not buy a new one from them.
How to Safely Replace a Car Battery
When replacing a car battery the main thing to keep in mind is the orientation of the plus and minus terminals of the battery. The negative terminal of the car battery will be represented with a negative sign. The negative cable coming from your alternator will also be black in color. The positive terminal of your battery will be represented by a plus sign. The positive cable coming from your alternator will be red in color.
It’s very important that these wires not be mixed up when reinstalling a new battery. Doing so can ruin parts of your electrical system and potentially cause the battery to explode. My technology teacher told me a story about someone hooking up their battery leads backward which caused their battery to explode in your face. You don’t want to have this happen to you like the acid in the battery will cause significant harm to your face.
Your car battery will be secured to the chassis of your vehicle to prevent it from moving around when you accelerate or hit bumps in the road. In most vehicles, your battery will be in the front of your vehicle under your hood next to your engine.
To learn more about how to safely replace your car battery you can check out my other article that explains step by step how to replace your car battery if it needs to be replaced.
Related Questions
Is it safe to drive with a car battery problem? It depends on the sort of battery problem. If you are having a battery problem where your car shuts off when you are driving it that is unsafe.
If your battery hesitates to start in cold weather but starts up fine on warm days you should be fine to keep driving as long as it keeps starting up. Eventually, you would want to replace your battery as it’s only going to keep degrading as time goes on.
How long does it take to replace a car battery? It should take you about 15-30 minutes to replace a car battery. As long as you have the necessary tools and know how you can expect it to take under half an hour, maybe under 15 minutes. Reprogramming your radio may take longer to do than replacing your battery.
Is it safe to replace your car battery? Replacing your car battery yourself is safe as long as you don’t mix up the battery leads. If you don’t know what you are doing or mix around the battery leads connected to the battery it could cause the battery to explode.
You also don’t want to accidentally touch your wrench to both battery terminals. This would complete the circuit and would send all 12 volts of electricity through the wrench and into your hand if you are holding the wrench.
Is it easy to replace a car battery? Replacing a car battery is an easy task that can be done by most people that know how to use a wrench. All you really need to do to replace a car battery is remove the battery leads from the old battery. Then remove the car battery from the battery holder.
Install the new battery into the battery holder, and then reconnect the battery leads. Overall it’s a simple job.
What do the plus and minus terminals on a car battery mean? If you look at a car battery you will notice that it has two terminals, one with a plus sign, and one with a negative sign. The plus and minus terminals denote which terminal is the positive terminal of the battery and what terminal is the negative terminal.
The plus terminal is the positive terminal and should be connected to the positive battery lead which will be red in color. The minus sign terminal is the negative terminal and should be connected to the negative battery lead which will be black in color.
Cost To Replace A Car Battery – In Conclusion
Hopefully, by now, you understand how much it costs to replace a car battery and the steps needed to replace one by yourself. Replacing a car battery is fairly easy and can be done by most people even if you don’t have experience with working on your own car.