GREENSBORO, N.C. — When your car starts, it’s a beautiful sound. Sometimes we take every day, several times a day, the car starts for granted. It used to be when a car battery was dead, it was dead, but that's not how it works anymore.
“How is your car starting? Are you losing your radio memory settings, is your driver’s seat setting messing up? It's all a good indication that your battery may be at the end of its life,” said Mike Quincy, Consumer Reports Auto Editor.
Consumer Reports auto experts say all the technology and bells and whistles we have in our cars drain our battery. Even the functions that save gas, drain the battery.
“For example, a lot of people have start-stop, so when you go to a stop sign your car immediately shuts down. It saves gas but then it has to restart again and that is where your car battery is being utilized most,” said Quincy.
Instead of out and out dying, the batteries of today drain and lose some of their functions. At least it gives you a heads-up, right? Sometimes.
The average battery lasts 3 years. Consumer Reports says it's a good idea to get your battery checked once a year to see how much life is in it.
When you have to replace your battery, experts say you don't need to buy the most expensive battery, but you should get a battery the same size and type as what you have from the manufacturer. Oh, and one more thing...
“Unlike a wine a battery does not get better with age,” said Quincy.