What is a Car Battery Test

What is a car battery test and when do you need one?

Having your car battery die is a huge inconvenience at best and a dangerous situation at worst. That’s why it’s important to know when your battery is struggling and when it’s time to replace it with a new one altogether. Our expert Orlando auto service techs are here and making it simple ™ – check out this guide to the car battery test and what it means.

Four signs of a failing car battery

It’s easy to keep an eye on your car battery at home and note when it’s acting up. Here are some signs of a failing car battery. If you notice them, you might want to bring your car to Toyota of Orlando for a car battery test:

• Your car battery light illuminates in your dashboard (dead giveaway).
• You notice that the battery case is swelling or bloated-looking.
• You open the hood and smell a sulfur or rotten egg smell (this means your battery is leaking).
• Your car is slow to start or refuses to start at all.

If you notice any of the above signs of a failing car battery, definitely schedule a battery test at our Orlando Toyota service center. Our techs can quickly conduct the test and do a physical inspection to see what’s going on.

Should you replace your battery if it fails the car battery test?

So you’ve spotted the signs of a failing car battery and decided it’s time to schedule a battery test. Whether you conduct it at Toyota of Orlando or another car maintenance center, your tech will use a battery tester to send a jolt of electricity through the battery. The battery tester will then give a simple readout as follows:

• Good. If your reading is good, it means your battery is in good shape and should last at least another six months. However, keep in mind that winter and summer are harsh on your car battery (we’re looking at you, Orlando summers). Even if your test result reads “good”, the summer could take its toll, so be sure to keep an eye on it at home.
• Weak. If your test reading gives you a weak result, it means that your battery isn’t operating at peak performance. Harsh weather or leaving your lights on could kill it, leaving you stranded. You don’t HAVE to replace it right then and there, but know that you’re running the risk of it dying when it’s the least convenient. We personally recommend replacing it at the time or pretty soon after a weak test reading.
• Replace now. This one is pretty obvious – if your car battery test reads “replace now”, then you need to replace your car battery now. This test result usually goes hand-in-hand with a battery that’s already dead.

How often should you schedule a car battery test?

We recommend getting a car battery test done twice a year to play on the safe side. And if you notice any of the issues we mentioned above, definitely get one on your schedule to have our techs take a look under the hood.

Schedule your car battery care at Toyota of Orlando

Think your car battery might need a little TLC? Schedule service at Toyota of Orlando today. We’re open seven days a week at 3575 Vineland Road and you can schedule online OR call us at Service 407-298-0001!