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The battery is one of your Nissan's most important components, providing the initial electrical charge that causes the engine to crank and begin combustion. The battery will wear out in time and can also be damaged by other issues in your engine. As your Nissan dealer, we want to tell you a few signs you need to visit us for a new car battery. Signs You Need a New Car Battery From Your Nissan Dealer Old Battery The average useful life of a battery is three to five years, then it needs replacement. This relatively short life is due to the breakdown of the essential chemicals inside the battery that enable it to store and supply electricity. A weakening battery always shows signs it's failing, giving you time to replace it. These signs include slower starting, dim interior lights, and slow accessories when operating under battery power. We recommend a battery test when your battery is three years old, as this will reveal its remaining strength and capabilities. If the test shows your battery is failing, we can install a replacement in minutes. more Corrosion Sulfuric acid is the main chemical in the battery, and as it breaks down, it releases hydrogen gas. The minute hydrogen particles can escape the battery's protective casing and enter the engine compartment. Sulfur molecules are always present in the engine as they're released from fuel. Hydrogen and sulfur will join to form hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous and corrosive gas. Hydrogen sulfide is drawn toward the battery terminals, forming a white, gray, or green acidic salt around them. This acidic salt gradually dissolves the terminals and any other metal it comes into contact with. As the terminals are damaged, your battery will weaken further. We can temporarily remove corrosion, but it will return as long as the damaged battery remains. We'll install a new battery and clean the corrosion to fix this issue. Overcharging The alternator is a mini generator, and one of its functions is to recharge the battery. Recharging begins as soon as your engine starts and continues until the battery is fully charged. The alternator recharges the battery at full power for ten minutes, then switches to recharging at 10% until battery capacity is reached. The voltage regulator is part of the alternator and controls the flow of electricity to the battery and other systems. If the regulator is damaged, the alternator may continue to charge the battery at full power. This heats the battery, and the electrolyte inside can boil. If this happens, your battery light will illuminate, and you'll smell acidic fumes from the engine. We'll repair or replace the alternator and test your battery to determine if it needs replacement. Don't risk a dead battery. Contact our service department today at Nissan of Bowie in Bowie, MD.

Keeping your Nissan in good condition is easy if it receives regular Nissan maintenance. This allows our technicians to identify and fix minor issues before they develop and cause component failure or other damage. As your Nissan dealer, we want to tell you about some of the maintenance tasks we offer. Tire Alignment Tire alignment is the angle of your wheels in relation to the axle. Your tires might point inward or outward from the front and might angle slightly inward or outward when viewed from above. It's also possible that your tires are perpendicular to the ground and face directly forward. The designers choose the angles that provide the best stability and traction for your model. Tire alignment can change over time due to driving conditions or accidents, and incorrectly angled tires develop a characteristic wear pattern. Poor alignment can also damage the axles, shocks, and struts. We can correct any alignment problem by connecting your Nissan to our alignment machine. This machine uses a computer to correctly angle each of your tires. more Transmission Service Your engine produces large quantities of energy, and the transmission focuses this energy and directs it to the wheels. A series of gears in diminishing sizes are used to supply the right amount of energy to enable the wheels to move at the desired speed. Over time, components will become worn out or damaged, and transmission performance will suffer. A transmission service can fix these issues. Our technicians examine each transmission component and replace any damaged ones. They drain the transmission fluid and replace the old transmission filter. The transmission is then cleaned, resealed, and refilled with fresh transmission fluid. Regular services reduce the chance of most transmission issues which saves you money. Tire Rotations Tires are subject to constant friction as they move, and they also weaken as they get older. They can also get damaged due to incorrect inflation, extreme weather conditions, and poor alignment. Each tire position generates wear on particular tire sections, and this sustained wear can cause leaks or a blowout. Rotating your tires aims to reduce tire wear and enable them to last longer. Our technicians move each tire to a different position to reduce wear. The specific positions the tires move to depend on the powertrain type in your Nissan. The front tires on an FWD, for example, wear down faster than the rear tires. Once all the tires have been relocated, our technicians rebalance them. Tire wear is equalized by rotation, allowing all tires to wear out relatively uniformly. Improve your Nissan's health, performance, and longevity. Contact our service department today at Nissan of Bowie in Bowie, MD.