Your Ford’s battery will last for three to five years and then needs replacement. A battery usually fails due to the breakdown of the chemicals inside it that allow it to store and supply electricity. A battery can also fail due to problems with other engine components. As your Ford dealer in Meadville, PA, we’d like you to know some signs that you need to visit us for a new car battery.
Your Battery Is Old
As we saw above, the average life of a battery is less than five years under normal conditions. The battery contains several chemicals, including sulfuric acid, which react with each other, and the copper plates inside the battery to store electricity as chemical energy. These chemical reactions slowly cause the sulfuric acid to break down, and this causes a drop in battery storage capacity.
As your dealer, we advise that you get regular battery checkups to ensure your battery is always in top condition. We will get your battery by hooking it up to our battery testing machine. This tester will identify any weaknesses in the battery and provide a heads-up that it needs replacement. If your battery passes the test, we’ll test it again in a year. If it fails, we can replace it while you wait.
Cold Is Bad
Here in Meadville, PA, we get cold winters. While the snowy landscape looks beautiful, cold weather can be deadly for your battery, especially if it’s already weak. When you push the start button, your engine will come to life in seconds. In the winter, you’ll notice it takes longer for your engine to turn over.
Slower cranking is normal in winter, as low temperatures turn your oil thicker. The battery has to supply more power to overcome this problem. In addition to the extra power required, your battery will lose 30% to 60% of its capacity in freezing conditions. At this low temperature, electricity leaks out from the battery terminals. We’ll examine your battery and replace it if necessary.
Rotten Egg Smell
Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs, so it’s easy to identify. If you smell this stench wafting from your engine compartment, your battery is failing. This problem usually occurs in an older battery. The breakdown of sulfuric acid releases hydrogen. Hydrogen molecules are minute and will escape the battery casing.
When these molecules enter your engine, they combine with sulfur molecules released by the fuel in the engine. These two chemicals combine to form hydrogen sulfide. We can’t repair this problem, but we can install a new battery to fix the problem.
If you have a battery problem, we can fix it. Call our service department today at McCandless Ford Meadville, Inc.
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