Blog / Benton Harbor Chevrolet Dealer

5 Signs You Need a New Car Battery from Your Chevrolet or GMC Dealer

A car battery should last about three years, and it could even last up to five. Once your current battery gets too old, then you'll need to head to the Chevrolet GMC dealer and get a new car battery ASAP.

1. Distorted Battery Case

Something could go wrong with your battery and cause distortion. The case could swell up on all sides, or you might just notice a few bubbles or bulges on one side of the battery. Either way, it's not a good sign. A distorted battery needs to be replaced, even if it isn't very old.

2. Leaky Battery

Batteries can leak. Sometimes this is a one-time issue. You'll know that your battery has leaked if you notice a blue, green, or white powder on the metal connectors. This can easily be washed away at the dealer or at home with baking soda and vinegar.

However, you should start monitoring your battery for signs that it's still leaking. If your battery is leaking, then you'll see that powder appear again, or you might catch a whiff of something similar to rotten eggs when you pop the hood. If your battery leaks more than once, then it should be replaced.

3. Problems with Your Headlights

When your headlights start flickering, you may assume that the bulbs are burning out and need to be replaced. However, you should have your car fully checked out at the dealer, as the headlights themselves aren't always the problem. The battery supplies the power to the headlights, and a dying battery can't always power the headlights well. This can lead to flickering or dimming headlights.

4. Problems with Other Accessories

Pretty much everything in your car is powered by the battery. All the interior and exterior lights, the power seats and windows, the stereo/infotainment system, and even the dashboard are powered by that one little battery under the hood. So, when your battery is getting old, it may start struggling to power everything the way it should. You might find all the lights in the car are dimmer, the dashboard is dimmer, the power windows stick or don't work, and so on.

5. Dead Battery

Sometimes your battery will cause some of the problems we talked about above before it dies, but it won't always. One day you might just climb behind the wheel, try to start the car, and find the battery is totally dead. If the battery fails to start the car once, then it's time to get a battery replacement.

Visit LeValley Chevrolet GMC when you need your car battery replaced. We can change out the battery and perform other tuneups while you're here.

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