Eliot Park Auto Service
1341 S Colorado Ave, St Louis Park, MN 55416 952.544.4097
Question:
When do I need to replace my battery?
Eliot Park Auto Service Answer:
That's a good question for St Louis Park drivers. All batteries wear out and need to be replaced – but some are replaced before their time.
Look, if your battery is dying and you need a jump-start, it could very well be that you have a bad battery. But St Louis Park drivers should have Eliot Park Auto Service test the battery first to see if it's actually bad. The problem could be parasitic drain or a bad alternator that's not properly charging your battery.
And St Louis Park drivers in this situation also need to have their service advisor check their alternator and have it tested. A surprisingly high percentage of “bad” alternators brought into Eliot Park Auto Service in St Louis Park are actually just fine: the problem is a worn serpentine belt and/or belt tensioner. If the belt is slipping, it's not spinning the alternator properly so it can't fully charge the battery.
Hopefully, St Louis Park drivers can see that a dead battery can be the result of a chain of events: a worn serpentine belt, a worn belt tensioner, a bad alternator or a bad battery. If you don't check the belt, tensioner and alternator, you can just end up replacing batteries that are still good. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Eliot Park Auto Service .
That brings us back full circle to when batteries do fail. There's a chemical cycle that takes place inside your battery: the battery is discharged when you start the vehicle and is recharged by the alternator when you drive. Short trips around the area with frequent stops and starts may mean that your battery is never fully recharged. When a battery isn't fully charged, parts of the battery harden and are no longer available to “store” electricity. Over time, your battery just can't hold enough charge for the needs of your vehicle. This is demanding on your alternator as it tries to keep up, causing it to wear out prematurely.
Batteries last longer in colder climates and wear out faster in warmer MN climates. We want to remind St Louis Park drivers that, on average, 70% of batteries fail within four years. Many MN automotive experts recommend replacing your battery every five years. This will reduce the chances of being stranded on a local street with a dead battery as well as prevent undue wear on your alternator.
Eliot Park Auto Service
1341 S Colorado Ave
St Louis Park, MN 55416
952.544.4097