Does Your BMW Need a New Car Battery?

Jul 30, 2022

Every driver is familiar with the idea of a dead battery, even if you’ve never experienced it yourself. One of the worst feelings for any driver is to turn the key, and nothing happens. A car battery will eventually die, but as your BMW dealer, we can easily install a new car battery for you. These are some of the signs to watch for that your battery is failing.

Corroded Battery

Your battery contains several chemicals that are used to store electricity. One of these chemicals is sulfuric acid. This acid slowly breaks down as your battery ages, and this chemical breakdown is one of the reasons that your battery fails. As the acid breaks down, it releases hydrogen gas. This gas can escape the battery and enter your engine.

In the engine, the hydrogen mixes with other chemicals to form hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is colorless, but it’s poisonous and has a nasty smell. The gas is drawn toward your battery terminals, and it will form an acidic salt when it’s in contact with the metal. Gradually, this salt will corrode the battery terminals. Corrosion can be cleaned, but once corrosion starts, it will return. We recommend replacing your battery before it fails.

Old Battery

A car battery doesn’t have a very long life. On average, it will last for up to five years before it needs to be replaced. It can, however, fail sooner due to environmental conditions and driving conditions. As we’ve seen, the chemical reactions inside the battery will eventually destroy it. You will start to see problems with your battery as it gets older.

An aging battery will have more difficulty recharging, and its maximum recharging level will also drop. We advise that you come in for a battery test after three years. Our technicians can connect your battery to our battery tester. This machine subjects the battery to a variety of tests designed to test its recharging and electricity retention capabilities. If the battery fails the test, we advise replacing it.

Starting Difficulties

Your battery provides the power to start your engine. When you turn the key or press the button, a power electrical change is sent to the starter motor. This charge powers the starter solenoid, and the solenoid initiates the crank. Once your engine cranks, it should turn over and start almost immediately. If your engine experiences difficulties, this can be a sign of a weak battery.

A weak battery won’t have enough power to start the engine. As a battery gets older, it becomes more difficult to recharge. The battery will need time to build up sufficient power, and this will be reflected in the engine trying and failing, to crank. Our technicians can test your battery, and replace it if it’s failing.

If you have any problems with your battery, come into our service department at Valley Auto World BMW. Our expert technicians can fix any battery-related problem quickly and easily.