Knowledge is Power (Battery Testing)
November 16, 2025
It’s likely happened to you once or twice. You head to your vehicle, open the door, turn the key and… lo and behold, your battery is dead. Now you’re stranded, may have to get a jump or a tow, and you’ll definitely be late for wherever you were headed. While your vehicle may sometimes give you warning signs, other times it doesn’t.
As many as one out of every four vehicles will have to have its battery replaced in the next 12 months. If you don’t want to be surprised the next time your battery fails, consider having it tested.
There are different types of battery testing. One measures voltage. Another checks for something called conductance. By sending a certain type of electric current into the battery, it can measure how healthy your vehicle’s battery is. There’s also a load test. It checks how your battery is working while drawing power from it. Newer test equipment found in professional service facilities can check for a number of different conditions using different methods.
Most vehicle batteries last around five years. It all depends on how you drive and in what conditions. Extreme heat and cold will take their toll on a battery and shorten its life. Stop-and-go city driving will also place batteries under more stress than smooth, continuous driving.
So, what are some signs that your battery is starting to show its age? Well, the battery or alternator light may illuminate after you’ve started the vehicle or come on while you are driving. If you’ve left lights or some equipment on and drained the battery, that can be very hard on it.
Because the battery is one of your vehicle’s most important components, it’s a good idea to have us check it regularly. In addition to examining the battery itself, a technician will also inspect the terminals and cables for corrosion, damage, fraying wires and loose connections. It’s smart to have us do it before any extreme weather changes are expected or before long trips. In this case, knowledge truly is power.
Elite Tire And Auto Care
33729 Plymouth Rd.
Livonia, Michigan 48150
734.427.3100
Need Service?
More articles from Elite Tire & Auto Care
Wobbly in Turns? Your Sway Bar May Be to Blame
November 1, 2026
When you take a corner in your vehicle, its supposed to feel controlled and stable. But you might notice one day that your vehicle feels like it is unstable, or even like its floating. It can be a scary sensation that gets your attention. If you feel that as you change lanes or when turning a ... More
Helping Your Engine Breathe Easier
October 25, 2026
You may have heard someone tell you its time to replace your vehicles engine air filter and thought, Its OK. Ill do it in a while. While its tempting to put that off, keep in mind that having your engine air filter replaced is one of the easiest ways to maintain your vehicles performance and ef... More
Let’s Clear the Air
October 23, 2026
In an effort to keep the air we breathe clean, modern vehicles with internal combustion engines are designed to reduce the emissions by recirculating exhaust gas into the engine. It has a part that controls how much of that gas to put back into the engine, and thats known as the EGR valve. EGR s... More