That’s a vital question for Plainfield motorists. 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 Plainfield auto owners should have their battery tested first to see if it’s actually bad. The important problem could be parasitic drain or a bad alternator that’s not properly charging your battery. And Plainfield drivers in this situation also need to have their alternator inspected and tested. A surprising percentage of “bad” alternators brought into Douglas Automotive Repair, Inc. in Plainfield 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.

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. If you’ve been having trouble with your battery, give us a call to have your starting and charging system tested.

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 Car or SUV and is recharged by the alternator when you drive. Short trips around the Plainfield 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 Car or SUV. This is detrimental to 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 Illinois climates. We want to remind Plainfield car owners that, on average, 70% of batteries fail within four years. Many Illinois automotive experts recommend replacing your battery every five years. This will curtail the chances of being stranded on a local expressway with a dead battery as well as prevent undue wear on your alternator.

Give Douglas Automotive Repair Inc. a call to have your battery tested.

This entry was posted in Battery, Belts, Preventive Maintenance, Safety and tagged Alternator, Battery, belt tensioner, Preventive Maintenance, Safety, Serpentine Belt on April 3, 2014.