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Batteries

Your Car Battery:

Without the battery to give electricity to your car, the car will not start. Here’s some information about batteries to help you understand what it does, and what you can do to prevent issues that may arise:

Your car battery uses chemicals to provide the energy necessary to power your car, just like normal batteries. This electricity goes to places like the starter. It keeps the flow of electricity constant as well, so it can keep the engine running.

To know when the battery was shipped to your distributor, look at the four- to five-digit code on the battery cover. The first letter is what month the battery was shipped, starting with A for January and goes down to L for December. The next number indicates the year, where 1 would be 2011 and 8 would be 2008. A battery can last longer than three years, but it’s important that around that point you should have your battery inspected yearly. Short trips and weather also play a part in shortening the lifespan of your car battery. You should get it replaced every 5 years at the most (meaning if your battery has a 3 or below/ 9 and above on it, you will want it replaced).

Bad batteries can hurt other parts of your car. If they don’t get enough energy flowing through them, that will cause more stress on the healthy parts. Some of the parts that are hurt include the charging system and the starter.

How to know if your car needs its battery replaced:
…Rotten Egg Smell- if there’s a rotten egg smell around your car battery, that’s your indication the acid inside of it is leaking out. This corrodes the posts (the plus and minus pieces of the battery), and you will need the acid to be cleaned out of the car, or you risk it not being able to start.

…Slow engine crank- your car takes longer to start up.

…Check engine light- since the battery is the power source of your engine, the check engine light will turn on if your battery gets weaker.

…Low Battery Fluid Level- Usually, there’s a spot on the casing of the battery you can see through. If the fluid level is below the metal plates inside the battery, you need to get the battery and charging system tested. This normally happens when the car is overheating.

…Swollen case- Usually, heat causes your car battery to swell up. This certainly isn’t good for it. This reduces the battery life, and you will likely need to get it replaced if this happens.

…Doesn’t hold a charge- If you attempt to charge the battery and it doesn’t hold that charge no matter how long you charge it, it’s time to get a new one.

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