Your car won't start? you don't necessarily have to change your battery, recharging may be enough!
A battery problem can happen quickly. This is something you don't necessarily think about when buying a used vehicle. However, it does not necessarily have to be changed in all cases. At CapCar, there is no risk of having a dead battery when buying: with a detailed inspection of the vehicle with more than 200 points to be validated, even the battery is missing! If your car does not start, and no lights come on, the battery has run out of power. You must first identify the location of the battery (refer to the car's maintenance book if necessary): this is the rectangular box to which a red wire and a black wire are connected.
Before determining whether the battery needs to be changed or not, you should perform an easy test with a voltmeter to find out if it is a battery problem or alternator (battery recharging circuit).
If the battery is not the cause, it will be necessary to change the alternator, which no longer supplies it with energy.
How to proceed with a voltmeter battery test?
The voltmeter test (or multimeter set to "volt") is simple: with the engine off, switch to DC volt ("=" sign), connect the red to the +, the black on the -, and the voltmeter measures the voltage present at the battery terminals.
To check the condition of your battery For a perfectly healthy battery, the voltage measured must be between 12.5V and 12.7V. Below 11V, the battery is empty or almost. It should therefore be recharged, if in doubt, or to confirm that it is not out of order (by running your car for at least 1/2 hours without using accessories such as the car radio, GPS or air conditioning). If the situation does not improve, you will have to change your battery.
Do you need to replace your battery? Choose a suitable one for your car
Before changing the battery, you must take note of the data specific to it in order to take a similar one. It is important to note:
the "nominal" voltage which is expressed in volt (V): for example 12V the capacity in Amperehour (Ah): for example 75Ah the starting power in Ampere (A): for example 400A
These data allow you to choose your new battery! You must also choose the shape of the box and especially the location of the + and - terminals, as well as the model of your car (city car, 4 × 4 ...) and of course the energy mode of the engine (diesel, gasoline, hybrid…).
To buy your new battery, you can go to a specialized store, your dealer, or on the internet. The average price of a battery is € 120. But this price can vary widely depending on the make, model, and power of your car (€ 80 for a Renault Clio, € 300 for a Mercedes S500).
I change my battery in stages
The first step is to take the old battery apart. Be careful, in older cars, sulfuric acid deposits may have formed on and around your battery, and they are very corrosive! Provide a pair of work gloves.
Disconnect the - pole, then the + pole (always start with the - pole) Unscrew everything that holds the battery (bolts, screws, etc.) Remove the battery (without tilting it to avoid any sulfuric acid leakage) Place the new battery making sure that the + and - terminals are in the right place Screw the bolts and screws that hold the battery in place Connect the + terminal first, then the - (c ' is the reverse, we always start with the pole +)
Get help! Don't hesitate to ask for help to remove the battery from your car. It can weigh heavy, sometimes over 20kg!
Did you know? : You can recycle your battery by bringing it back to your car center or to a recycling center.
Changing a battery is not that complicated and its replacement is in the end about 30% cheaper when you takes care of it yourself: professionals generally charge 30 to 80 € for this very simple operation, for which you must however proceed in stages and not be scattered!
