If your battery is over 4 years old we'd advise replacing it with a new one. You may find you're able to temporarily recharge a battery this old, however it's likely to lose its charge again very soon. Older batteries do deteriorate over time and naturally lose their ability to hold a charge.
If it is over four years old and is starting to show signs of deterioration, it's probably time to replace it. You can try to recharge it and get a little more life out of it. However, that charge isn't likely to last that long and you will have to keep recharging more and more.
In some cases, the battery can just be recharged. This is often true if you accidentally left the lights on and the battery died. Give it a jump and it should be back to normal. However, if the battery is getting old and just not performing like it used to, it is probably time to get it replaced.
If you know your car battery is relatively new and has been kept in good condition, it can probably sit unused for about two weeks before it goes flat. If you've left your car unused for over two weeks, it's quite likely you'll need professional assistance.
Generally, electric vehicle batteries last 10-20 years, but some factors may reduce their lifespan.
Some cars will get up to five or six years out of their battery, while others will need a new one after only two years. In general, your car will usually need a new battery after three to four years. Replacing your car battery is another part of routine maintenance.
First, you need to light a fire and let it burn down to hot ashes. Then remove the filler/vent caps from the top of the battery, take the battery off the car, and place it on the hot ash. Be careful and make you it doesn't catch fire. The hot ashes should warm the battery up.
In any case, you will have to plug in the battery and wait until it is 100% full. Then wait until it is almost empty, about 5%. Then, plug it in again and recharge it again. Repeat the procedure several times, until you get a reconditioned battery.
Short trips drain your car battery, and if you never drive long enough for your alternator to recharge it, your car battery will grow weaker and weaker every time you start the engine. A full recharge protects your car battery. Leaving a car battery drained can damage it and make it more vulnerable to extreme cold.
Yes, a trickle charger can fully charge a battery; it will just take a very long time. Because trickle chargers only emit between 1-3 amps, you can expect to wait days for a fully charged battery. For example, a 1-amp trickle charger will take a full 100 hours to completely charge a dead Battle Born 100 ah Battery.
No, you can't charge a car battery while idling. At best, it'll charge the battery a few amps, but not nearly the hundreds of amps it took to start the engine. After a few days of starting and then idling the engine, you'll steadily deplete the battery instead of charge it.
You don't need to charge your car fast. A slow charge is much better, as batteries tend hold the charge for a longer period of time with this method. The trickle charger has an electric cord with a plug and two jumper cables with alligator clips. Check the terminals of the battery and clean them.
After three years, it's normally time to install a replacement. After four or five years, most car batteries will be almost completely unreliable. Old car batteries can present a number of safety and reliability issues. Luckily, it's easy to identify if your car's battery is nearing the end of its lifespan.
Important: The entire reconditioning process can take up to 24 hours. During this time, battery redundancy is lost for approximately 4 hours.
“Electrical devices or lights left running, a defective charging system or alternator, and extreme weather are some common reasons but maybe it's just time to get a new battery.”
On average, a well-maintained and properly-installed car battery will last between three and five years. Once your battery reaches three years of life, it's recommended to have it assessed and tested.
Check the voltage
Carefully remove the covers on the battery terminals and connect the positive side of the voltmeter to the positive (red) terminal first. Then connect the negative side of the voltmeter to the negative (black) terminal. Now, check your reading. A healthy battery should read between 12.4V and 12.7V.
Typically, the average car battery life is between three and five years. Pushing a battery longer than five years, even under perfect driving conditions, could cause your battery to fail without notice. For that reason, many manufacturers recommend a replacement schedule of five years.
The two biggest culprits responsible for shortening a battery's lifespan are surrounding temperature and driving habits.
Battery Longevity
Typically, car batteries will last anywhere between three and five years. Because of this, most mechanics will recommend you replace your battery every four years or so just to be safe.