San Diego Auto Repair

Photo by Daniel @ bestjumpstarterreview.com on Unsplash How to check your vehicle’s battery Have you ever been in a hurry to get to work or school, and your vehicle won’t start? A dead or damaged battery can cause it. Having your vehicle break down in the middle of the road due to a dead or damaged battery can be another nightmare.   Even if jump-starting your vehicle may get you to your work or school, the best option is to replace your battery before other significant issues arise. For this reason, it is helpful to know when your battery needs to be replaced, and in this month’s blog, we will share some tips on how you can check your vehicle’s battery.  Signs to know when to replace your ve ... read more

At some point in your “driving career”, you’ll probably run into a situation where you need to have your car jump started. Like a flat tire, this can occur without warning and can definitely cause an inconvenience. Luckily, jump starting a car is fairly easy, and generally won’t cause any issues if you’re prepared. Knowing what to do beforehand is one great way to ensure you don’t panic or stress out in such a situation. Here are some guidelines and tips on how to jumpstart a car. The Basic Process In order to successfully jump start a car, you’ll basically be creating a circuit that connects the electric power current from the good or “live” battery to the “dead” one. To do this safely, with both cars off, you’ll need to: Connect the red or positive (+) end of the jumper cable to the positive post on the dead battery Connect the other posit ... read more

Your car’s battery is one of the mainstays of its life and performance. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to start your car, and all the electrical components of your car would be out of commission. Thus, keeping your battery maintained and in top shape should be one of your top priorities. Read on to learn some useful car battery tips. The Battery Recharges When the Engine is Running First of all, a basic rule of thumb to remember is the battery recharges when the car is running. There are many ways this can factor into the battery life. For instance, if you are parked with your car running, there is less of a chance that the battery will be draining during that time. However, if you are parked, the engine is off, and your headlights are on, your battery will drain. Secondly, if you’re taking many short trips that involve you stopping and starting your car engine repeatedly, you run the risk of draining the battery. This is because the battery never gets a chance to ... read more

One of the most common car issues out there is the dreaded dead battery. Luckily, it’s one of the easiest car problems to resolve on your own. Here’s how to change your car battery. Find the battery: Most manufacturers put the battery under the hood, but a few cars have batteries in unexpected locations such as the trunk or under the passenger floorboards. If you can’t find yours, check your owners manual to see where it might be. Disconnect the black cable first; using an appropriately sized wrench, loosen the nut that holds the cable onto the terminal. Carefully twist and pull up to remove the cable from the terminal. Disconnect the red cable: Now do the same thing for the red cable! Your battery terminals may have a lot of corrosion on them, depending on how your battery has aged. You can remove the corrosion by making a paste of baking soda and water and gently applying it to the terminals, letting it sit, and then wiping it off ... read more

Here at Convoy, we have covered many different battery-related topics including battery basics and how often a battery should be changed. However, the battery is actually only one aspect within your vehicle’s charging system and it’s not even the most important. The most important part of this system is the alternator. Image: Product Engineering The alternator is a mechanical device attached to the engine that runs off your vehicle’s serpentine belt. While the motor is running, the alternator spins, which converts mechanical energy into electrical power that powers all electric features like the lights, radio, and more. All batteries have a full charge output of around 12 volts which is plenty ... read more

Here's an interesting statistic for our readers: Only thirty percent of car batteries make it to forty-eight months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from fifty-one months in extremely cold areas to just thirty months in extremely hot climates. Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs, and entertainment computers are keeping car batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die. So you must recharge your battery. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around San Diego or Kearny Mesa. The alternator just can't keep up. The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health? We need to keep the battery as close to a full charge as ... read more

Knowing when a car battery replacement is called for can not only keep your car on the road, but also save you the time and money of having it towed and serviced after the fact.  Most car batteries are rated to last approximately five years. Absolute values on how long they are effective vary, as battery tests can only show the condition of the battery at the exact moment of the test, and not the entire chemical composition and its state of decay. It is safe to say, however, that after five years you should have your battery checked regularly to know when a car battery replacement is necessary. Signs that you may need a car battery replacement include the battery light illuminating on the dashboard, electrical systems like air conditioning, radio or headlights performing poorly, or your car not starting at all. If there are any indications that your battery is starting to have problems, it is a good idea to have it immediately checked. When a batt ... read more

Today’s report from Convoy Auto Repair is on car batteries, why they die and what we can do to lengthen their life. Most of us have had a dead battery at one time or another. In fact, it would be very unusual if you hadn’t. You may be surprised to learn that only 30 percent of vehicle batteries last for 48 months. Now that’s an average. How long a battery lasts depends on many factors. You may not know that one of the biggest factors is the temperature where you live and drive around San Diego. You might suppose that cold weather was harder on batteries because it takes more power to crank a cold engine, but the opposite is actually true. Batteries in very cold climates have a life expectancy of 51 months as opposed to 30 months in very warm climates. The reason is simple: batteries are chemically more active when they’re hot than when they’re cold. A car battery will actually start to discharge on its own within 24 hours in hot weather. It takes se ... read more