Signs You Need a New Car Battery From Your GMC Dealer

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A dead battery is something that many drivers will experience at one point. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to happen to you. A car battery has a relatively short lifespan of less than five years. Its life can be further reduced by environmental factors and problems with other engine components. As your GMC dealer, we’d like you to know some signs that you need to visit us for a new car battery.Corroded TerminalsCorrosion is more common in older batteries. The battery stores electricity as chemical energy, and the chemical reactions inside the battery that make this possible gradually cause the battery to fail. One of the main chemicals inside a battery is sulfuric acid. As this acid breaks down, it releases hydrogen gas. This gas escapes the battery and mixes with sulfur molecules in your engine to form hydrogen sulfide.Hydrogen sulfide is poisonous and corrosive, and it’s drawn to the terminals on your battery. The gas forms an acidic salt around the terminals and will start to corrode them. Corroded terminals will weaken the battery even further. You can clean the corrosion, but it’s a temporary measure. If your battery is corroding, it needs to be replaced ASAP to prevent it from failing.It’s Too HotSummer in Texas is a great time of year as the temperature seldom drops below 77 F. Although these temperatures are wonderful for us, they cause problems for your battery. Excessively high temperatures can lead to long-term battery damage and a dramatically shortened battery life. A battery contains sulfuric acid, an electrolyte solution, copper plates, and other components.The battery generates heat as it supplies electricity, and a high external temperature will push its temperature even higher. When this happens, the inside of the battery can start to corrode, and the electrolyte solution will begin to evaporate. These events cause the battery’s charging capacity to drop and make recharging more difficult. We examine your battery and replace it if it has suffered heart damage.Loose Battery ConnectionsThe battery is connected to the electrical system by two cables. One connects to the positive terminal, and the other connects to the negative terminal. These cables must always be tightly connected, as even a tiny gap between a terminal and a cable prevents electricity from passing through the cable. When you drive, the battery and the cables move slightly in response. In time, these slight movements can open a gap between the cables and the terminals. This will reduce or prevent the battery from recharging, and also affect the battery’s ability to supply power to start your engine. We’ll check the battery connections and securely tighten them to fix this problem. Most battery problems can be easily fixed while you wait. Call our service department today at Gay Buick GMC.

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