NAPA Canada
7025 Ontario Street East Montreal, QC H1N 2B3 514-251-6540
Question:
When do I need to replace my battery?
NAPA Canada Answer:
That’s an essential question for Montreal drivers. All batteries wear out and need to be replaced.
Look, if your battery is dying and you need a jump-start, it could very well be that you have a bad battery. But Montreal drivers should have their Montreal auto service center test the battery first to see if it’s actually bad. The vital problem could be parasitic drain or a bad alternator that’s not properly charging your battery.
And Montreal drivers in this situation also need to have their service advisor inspect their alternator and have it tested. A surprisingly high percentage of “bad” alternators brought into NAPA Canada in Montreal 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, Montreal 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 NAPA Canada service advisor.
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 Montreal 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 harmful 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 QC climates. We want to remind Montreal drivers that, on average, 70% of batteries fail within four years. Many QC automotive experts recommend replacing your battery every five years. This will lessen the chances of being stranded on a local expressway with a dead battery as well as prevent undue wear on your alternator.
Stop by or give us a call.
NAPA Canada
7025 Ontario Street East
Montreal, QC H1N 2B3
514-251-6540
At NAPA Canada we install quality NAPA replacement parts.