Have you been driving around with the same battery in your car for more than a few years now? If you have, then you might be wondering, “How long do car batteries last?”, at the moment. It’s a great question to ask, because the last thing you want is for your current car battery to give out on you unexpectedly. You could end up getting stranded somewhere if your car battery dies without giving you any warning. Let’s take a look at the answer to the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, and learn more about car batteries in general below.
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How Long Do Car Batteries Last?
The good news for car owners is that car batteries don’t have to be replaced all that often. Most of the time, the answer to the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, is going to be about 5 years. You’re not going to have to worry about putting a new car battery into your vehicle before reaching the 5-year mark in most instances.
But with that being said, you should know that car batteries don’t always last 5 years. If you get lucky, you might be able to keep your current car battery for 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 years in some cases. It’s not all that out of the ordinary for car batteries to last well beyond 5 years. But at the same time, there is also a chance that you may have to replace your car battery before it hits the 5-year mark. Some car owners only get 2 or 3 years out of a car battery prior to having to replace it.
There really isn’t a surefire answer to the question, “How long do car batteries last?” But generally speaking, you should be able to get somewhere between 3 and 5 years out of a car battery before you even begin to have to worry about putting a new one into its place.
What Factors Affect the Lifespan of a Car Battery?
Now that you know approximately how long a car battery is going to last you, we want to spend a few minutes discussing some of the different factors that can impact a car battery’s lifespan. There are actually quite a few factors that are going to help answer the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, for you.
First and foremost, the car battery brand that you decide to go with could affect the longevity of your battery. When you buy a car battery from one of the best brands in the business (more on them in a little while!), you might get well over 5 years of life out of it. But when you buy one from a no-name company that specializes in selling cheap car batteries, you might not even get 3 years of life out of it. It all depends on which brand you decide to buy.
Where you live is also going to have an effect on the lifespan of your car battery. If you live in a part of the country where it’s almost always warm or hot outside, this is going to push your battery to its limits day in and day out. It could very well lead to your battery only lasting you for 2 or 3 years tops before it begins to give out on you.
One of the other things that can also have an impact on your car battery’s lifespan is the maintenance that you do to your car. If you’re someone who doesn’t do the proper maintenance, it could put a big drain on your car battery and cause it to conk out sooner than expected. It’s why you should make it your mission to do as much maintenance as you can on your car.
How Do I Know When My Car Needs a New Battery?
At this point, you should have a good idea of what the answer to the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, is going to be for you. You can probably take a good guess at how long your car battery is going to last based on the brand that you chose to go with and the temperatures that you expose it to on a daily basis. But what you might not know is what you’re going to have to look out for in terms of when you’ll need to worry about buying a new car battery.
There are a bunch of warning signs that will let you know you need to put a new battery into your car right away. You should avoid ignoring these signs at all costs so that you don’t end up with a dead car battery at the worst possible time. Here are some of the signs that’ll show that you need a new car battery:
- Your engine cranks slower than usual when you go to start your car
- Your check engine light is on for no other apparent reason
- The fluid level in your car battery is low
- Your battery is beginning to look bloated
- There is fluid leaking out of your battery
Have you seen any of these signs lately? Then you should stop asking yourself, “How long do car batteries last?”, and start thinking about replacing your battery ASAP.
Can a Car Battery Just Die Without Warning?
Oftentimes, you’re going to see signs of a car battery that’s on its way out. They’ll give you the time that you need to replace your car battery so that it doesn’t die without giving you any warning. You should, however, be aware of the fact that your car battery could really die on you at any second. It’s not all that uncommon for a car battery to die without giving any warning at all.
In some cases, a car battery might die unexpectedly when you leave an interior light on in your car and drain it. In that case, you simply jump your car battery and inject some life back into it. But you might also find that your car battery will give out on you when it gets to be up there in age without letting you know that it’s going to happen first. It could put you into a tough spot as you may have to get your car towed so that the battery can be replaced or rely on a mobile mechanic to help you out.
Should You Replace a 5-Year-Old Car Battery?
There are some people who like to try and get out ahead of having to deal with a dead car battery by replacing it as soon as it reaches the 5-year mark. They ask themselves, “How long do car batteries last?”, and then swap their old battery out with a new one as soon as they hear that batteries usually only last about 5 years.
If you’re the type of person who likes to limit the amount of risk that you face each day, you might want to consider replacing a 5-year-old battery. But you should also recognize that, by replacing your car battery at the 5-year mark, you could be throwing out a battery that still has a lot of life in it. You could also be wasting a decent amount of money by taking this approach to dealing with your car battery.
You’re welcome to replace a 5-year-old car battery if you want. But your best course of action might be to have your car battery tested to see where it stands. A test could show that your car battery is still good to use for at least another year or two.
How Should You Go About Replacing a Car Battery?
At some point in time, you’re not going to have any choice but to replace the battery in your car. Your old battery is going to reach its breaking point and stop providing your car with the power that it needs. Once it hits that point, you’ll need to have your battery replaced right away to keep your car out on the road.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys working on cars, replacing a car battery is a pretty simple process. Although there is some danger associated with doing it if you make a mistake, it’s fairly easy to replace an old battery in a matter of just a few minutes. Just make sure that you read up on how it’s done prior to getting started.
Or if you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of taking out your old car battery and replacing it, you can also call on almost any mechanic to get the job done. This isn’t a job that’s going to cost you an arm and a leg in most cases.
What Are the Best Car Battery Brands?
Regardless of whether you choose to replace a car battery yourself or hire a mechanic to help you, you’re going to be in charge of picking out which battery you want to use. As we alluded to earlier, it’s a good idea to pick out a car battery that’s made by a reputable brand so that it’ll last you a long time. Some of the best car battery brands in the business include:
- ACDelco
- Optima
- Exide
- Odyssey
- XS Power
Do your research on the different car batteries that are available today to find the one that’s going to work best in your car. You won’t find yourself asking, “How long do car batteries last?”, as often as you might otherwise when you have a car battery from a top brand in your car.
How Much Do Car Batteries Cost?
People worry about answering the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, for many different reasons. Some worry because they’re concerned about getting stranded by a dead battery, while others worry because they don’t want to get caught off guard by a dead battery at the worst time. But mostly, people are concerned about the costs that come along with replacing dead car batteries.
Fortunately, buying a new car battery shouldn’t cost you that much money. There are some car batteries for luxury cars that can go for several hundred dollars. But the average car battery is typically going to cost just $50 to $200, including installation. That’s a pretty small price to pay for something as important as a new car battery in the grand scheme of things.
How Can You Make a Car Battery Last Longer?
While car batteries aren’t going to break the bank for most people, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to want to have to replace them too often. With this in mind, you should do what you can to increase the lifespan of your car’s battery if you can. You can do this by:
- Limiting the number of short car rides that you take
- Making sure that your car battery is safely secured in your car at all times
- Turning off any interior lights in your car when getting out of it
- Cleaning off any corrosion that builds up on your battery
- Reducing the number of electronics that you plug into the outlets in your car
By taking these simple steps, you can make your car battery last for a much longer time. You might be able to surpass the 5-year mark with ease by doing some of the things we just mentioned.
Is It Possible to Sell a Car With a Dead Battery?
If you have a car with a dead battery that you don’t want anymore, you might be wondering what you should do with it. You don’t need to know the answer to the question, “How long do car batteries last?”, you need to know how to get rid of a car that has a dead battery in it. It’s not going to be as difficult as you might think.
You could invest in a brand-new battery for your car so that you can sell it. But why do that when you could just as easily sell it to a company like Cash Cars Buyer without having to replace the battery? We can take your old car off your hands and provide you with top dollar for it, despite the fact that it has a bad battery in it.
Interested in finding out how our process works? Contact us today to learn how to sell a car, bad battery and all, for cash.