A battery test tells you whether the battery can still deliver the cranking amps your engine needs, and a charging test tells you whether the alternator is keeping it topped up. AutoTech Clinic tests all three parts of the starting system at our Dearborn shop and replaces batteries the same day.
Testing all three matters because replacing a battery when the alternator is the problem leaves you stranded again in a week, with a new battery that has already been damaged.
- How Long
- About 30 minutes to 1 hour for most vehicles.
- Same Day
- Usually finished the same day.
- Vehicles
- Foreign and domestic, cars through trucks.
Signs You Need Battery Testing and Replacement
- The engine cranks slowly, especially on a cold morning
- A single click or rapid clicking when you turn the key
- The battery warning light on the dashboard
- Dashboard lights dimming while cranking
- The battery is more than four years old
- Corrosion or white powder building up on the battery terminals
What We Do
- 01
Load Test the Battery
We measure voltage, cranking amps against the rating and internal resistance, which shows a battery about to fail before it leaves you stranded.
- 02
Test the Charging System
We check alternator output at idle and under load, and look at ripple, which reveals a failing diode inside the alternator.
- 03
Measure Starter Draw
A starter pulling too many amps flattens a healthy battery and can look exactly like a battery fault.
- 04
Check Cables and Grounds
Corroded terminals and a bad ground strap cause the same symptoms as a dead battery and cost far less to fix.
- 05
Fit and Register
We fit the correct group size and rating, clean the terminals, and register the battery to the vehicle where the charging system requires it.
Why Batteries Die in Winter but Are Killed in Summer
Heat is what damages a battery. Summer temperatures accelerate the chemical breakdown inside the case, and the damage is permanent. You just do not notice it, because a weak battery still starts a warm engine easily.
Then the first cold morning arrives. Cold thickens the engine oil so the starter needs more current, and cold also reduces the current a battery can deliver. The weakness that built up in July is what shows up in January.
Start Stop Systems Need the Right Battery
Vehicles that shut the engine off at a red light cycle the battery far more than a conventional car. They use absorbed glass mat or enhanced flooded batteries built for that duty.
Fitting a standard battery into one of these saves money on the day and fails within a year or two. We fit the type your vehicle was designed for and tell you why it costs what it does.
What Affects the Cost
We quote your vehicle specifically after inspecting it, because these are the things that move the number up or down:
- Group size and cold cranking amp rating for your vehicle
- Standard flooded, enhanced flooded or absorbed glass mat batteries
- Vehicles with start stop systems, which need a specific battery type
- Battery location, since some sit under a seat, in the trunk or behind a wheel well
- Battery registration or programming where the vehicle requires it
Call (313) 277-7200 with your year, make and model and we will tell you what to expect before you come in.
Why AutoTech Clinic
AAA Approved
An inspected facility that has to meet AAA standards for equipment and training.
Photos First
You see what we found and approve the price before anything is taken apart.
Same-Day Service
Parts on hand for the vehicles we see most, so you are not waiting on a delivery.