Minneapolis Car Battery Installation

Don’t Lose Your Charge

Improve your vehicle’s performance and reliability with a new battery. If your car’s battery is worn out and has lost its charge, it’s time to install a new one that will give your engine a new boost of power. Don’t wait until your battery dies and you need a jump just to get to the shop — stop in today for a car battery installation.

Car Batteries

How Your Car’s Battery Works

The car battery is one of those easy things that everyone knows their car has. Most people know how to jump start a car. Here in Minnesota this happens a lot more in the colder months when we don’t want to be standing outside. There’s a reason for that.

Your car’s charging and starting systems are closely related and both include the battery. Most of us know what a battery does: it provides power to your car. When your car’s not running the battery doesn’t do much. It makes sure that your clock doesn’t lose time and waits for you to hit the unlock button.

Modern cars are a little more complicated. The fancy computers (control modules) run function tests when the key is off and the doors are closed. Eventually the control modules shut down and there’s almost no power taken from the battery. When you jump in the car and start it, the ignition switch sends a signal to start the vehicle. The starter motor receives power from the battery and starts your car. Once the engine is spinning the other systems in the car keep the engine running.

After your vehicle is started the alternator is spinning and charging the battery. The battery and alternator work together to power all the electrical systems in your car. This includes the control modules needed to make the engine run, as well as safety features like anti-lock brakes, the air bag system, and advanced safety features like blind spot monitoring and backup cameras. They also power the lights, stereo, and on modern cars the cruise control.

When to Bring Your Car in for a New Battery Installation

There are a number of signs that the starting and charging systems are not functioning properly. Batteries do not output as much power in extreme temperatures. This is why a weak battery will not start your car on the first morning it’s below 30°. When you turn the key to start your car the engine cranks and starts. If the cranking is slow this is usually an indication the battery is weak. If you think your car is cranking slow you should have your starting and charging system checked to make sure your car continues to start!

If you turn the key and you only hear a click, it’s usually a sign the starter has failed. The starter usually doesn’t give warning signs of failure, but keeping a good, strong battery helps make sure the starter doesn’t have to work too hard. If your battery light comes on or the dash lights in your car appear to dim, then your alternator is probably failing. You should get to a repair shop as soon as possible otherwise the car will die and not restart.

In our Minnesota climate batteries usually last about 4 years. If your battery is 5 years old or older, you should consider replacing it even if you’ve never experienced a problem. The alternator and starter are only replaced on an as-needed basis, but usually last 10-15 years. Having your starting and charging system tested regularly can go a long way in ensuring your car doesn’t leave you stranded.

At Alexander’s we stock Interstate Batteries to fit almost every import car. Call today and have your starting and charging system tested before it’s too late.