Exide Car Battery Repair and Replacement: A Complete Guide

Modern-day vehicles come with a host of innovative driver safety and assistance features. Enhanced airbags, crystal-clear windshields, powerful engines, seat warmers, air-conditioners and vibrant interior lighting are just some of the basic features of contemporary cars. A car battery, however, is the heart and soul of your vehicle. Batteries are responsible for powering up everything, from engines to the interior lighting of your car. They are, without doubt, an electrical component without which your car cannot survive.

When it comes to automotive batteries, Exide is the undisputed market leader. The brand is known for producing high-quality automotive batteries meant to enhance the performance of your car. Exide manufactures various types of hi-tech batteries to suit the needs of vehicles ranging from 2.5 Ah to 20400 Ah capacities. It caters primarily to car models of brands like Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Fiat, Ford, Skoda, Toyota, Mahindra, Tata, Honda, BMW, Audi, Volvo and Chevrolet. Some of the many Exide battery variants include -

• Exide Matrix
• Exide Mileage
• Exide Little Champ
• Exide Eazy
• Exide Epiq
• Exide Advanz
• Exide Gold
• Exide Cabby

       

Indicators of a Dead Exide Car Battery

Exide car batteries are some of the most powerful battery variants available in the automotive market. However, regardless of its quality, an automotive battery has a shelf life not exceeding 3 to 5 years.  Here are some of the most typical indicators of automotive battery weakening.

Flickering Headlights

As mentioned earlier, batteries power up your car’s headlights and rear lights. If your car battery is weak, it will not be able to supply the adequate amount of power to your vehicle’s headlights. As a result, you will witness constant flickering of your lights. Sometimes, the brightness of your headlights will also decrease visibly.

Clicking Sounds on Starting the Ignition

An automotive battery sends an electrical signal to the starter solenoid of your vehicle. This signal is later transmitted to the engine which starts the car. When your car battery is weak, it fails to send the adequate amount of signal to the solenoid making it difficult for the engine to start. Since the solenoid receives less than the required amount of electrical power, it makes easily audible clicking sounds.

Sluggish Engine Performance

It is not unusual for your car engine to take some time while starting. Typically, engines emit a cranking sound. However, with a weak battery, the cranking gets slower, and you will face difficulty starting your car.

Backfiring

As a result of a weak battery, intermittent sparks are produced which cause the fuel in the car to accumulate in the cylinder. The accumulated fuel ignites suddenly while you start the vehicle. As a result, you can experience a little backfiring from your car.

Battery Age

All car batteries have a limited life of 3-5 years. As a battery gets older, it is common for the electrolyte to get weakened or evaporate altogether. If you know that your Exide car battery is old, it is probably a good idea to have it checked.

Frequent Jumpstarts

With age, batteries fail to hold power for a long time. This makes them incapable of powering up your car after it has been parked for long hours. While it is not uncommon for car owners to jumpstart their cars occasionally, any vehicle that requires frequent jumpstarts is showing signs of a weak battery.

Corrosion

The corrosion of an automotive battery is one of the most noticeable and earliest signs of its imminent death. If you witness a blue or whitish powdery coating on the connection terminals of your car battery or see a transparent film on the body, you must get your battery checked and replaced. Increased corrosion cannot be warded off only by cleaning the battery because it is usually a sign of a weakening body.

Unusual Smell

Sulphur is an essential element used in the manufacture of automotive batteries. When batteries weaken, it is common for electrolytes to leak. Sulphur leakage, in such cases, produces an unusual smell, often akin to that of rotten eggs. While such foul odour may be indicative of other faults in your car, it is never a good idea to ignore it.

Damaged Battery Case

Moderate fluctuations in an automotive battery often occur as a result of recurring charge or discharge. When a battery witnesses temperature fluctuation for long periods, its case gets swollen. Sometimes, you might also observe scratches or breaks on the battery case if your car battery is weakened as a result of tampering.

If you notice any of the signs mentioned above, you should not shy away from getting your automotive battery checked by an expert. Delaying the repair or replacement of an Exide car battery will be fatal for your car and in some cases, might lead to severe accidents.

Exide Battery Installation and Replacement

While preliminary signs of battery death are noticeable, knowing the correct health status of your battery before you decide to get it replaced is vital. To have it checked, head to a nearby battery technician. Most experts use multimeters and other specialised tools to check whether your battery needs replacement.

If you decide to get your automotive battery replaced, here are a few things you must check before shopping for a new Exide car battery online or offline.

Group Size

Since different car models have different requirements, batteries are manufactured in different sizes and classified into separate groups. The battery tray of each vehicle is designed such that the cell fits snugly into it. As a result, each car is compatible with a particular group size of the battery that fits well into the battery tray. Before you shop for a new Exide car battery online, check the group size specification of your previous one. You can also check the owner’s manual of your car for this information.

Reserve Capacity

If the alternator or the fan-belt of your vehicle fails, the battery has to power the electrical systems of your car. The amount of time for which a battery can successfully do that is known as the reserve capacity. It is measured in minutes and is different for different car batteries. Before shopping for a new Exide car battery online, check the reserve capacity on the battery label or your car owner manual.

Cold Cranking Amps Ratings

Cold Cranking Amps refers to the amount of power your battery supplies to the car’s engine during start-up. It is common for cars that operate in colder climates to have trouble starting up for the first time in the morning. The number of amps that your automotive battery can support for 30 seconds at zero degrees Fahrenheit is CCA. Shop for a new Exide car battery online that has the exact CCA rating as your previous one.

Date of Manufacture

Very old batteries usually already have a weak electrolyte. Such batteries will fail to power up your car adequately and defy the purpose of getting a car battery replacement. Always check the date of manufacture before you buy a new Exide car battery online. The manufacturing date mentioned on the label of a new car battery should not be older than three months from the date of purchase.

Warranty Period

Automotive batteries come with a free replacement and a pro-rata warranty period. During the free replacement period, manufacturers are required to replace your defective battery with a new one free of cost. In the pro-rata period, partial reimbursement of the purchase cost is ensured by the manufacturer. Buying batteries that have a significantly more extended warranty period ensures you get to pay a reasonable Exide car battery price. Always be aware of your new automotive battery’s warranty period.

For good deals on Exide car battery price, check out AIS Windshield Experts

Installation of a new Exide Car Battery

Having bought a brand-new car battery, you will need to get it installed. Many people try their hands in replacing car batteries themselves only to find the whole process a struggle. Car battery replacement is a process that requires expertise and utmost care. Moreover, modern cars come with complicated and delicate electrical systems that get damaged easily on mishandling. To avoid tearing any component of your vehicle, always seek expert help to install new car batteries.

At AIS Windshield Experts, we take all measures to ensure a smooth battery installation and replacement for you. Exide, the leading battery manufacturer, is one of our chief partners. We use high-performance Exide batteries to replace your existing car battery. While doing so, our experts maintain international safety standards. Being familiar with all technical aspects of installing a new car battery, our experts do not inflict any damage upon your car.

Moreover, our service centres are present in all major cities of India. We also provide doorstep battery check and replacement services, making the process hassle-free for all our customers. Purchase your new Exide car battery online with AIS Windshield Experts today!