3 Reasons To Have A Professional Install Your Car Battery

Replacing a car battery used to be one of the easiest maintenance tasks to perform on nearly any vehicle. In most cases, you needed to pop the hood, disconnect two terminals, remove a strap, and install the battery. Unfortunately, modern vehicles have drastically more complex charging and electronics systems, making battery replacement less straightforward.

Of course, battery replacement is still something that a dedicated do-it-yourselfer can handle, but it's worth considering the advantages of professional replacement. If you're thinking about changing your car's battery, check out these three reasons why you may want to have a professional handle car battery installation.

1. Risk of Memory Loss

The biggest change in modern cars is their increasing reliance on computer hardware and software. Every modern vehicle relies on several computer systems to store data on everything from your infotainment presets to engine fuel trim. Your car constantly monitors a bevy of sensors, adjusting aspects of engine operation to maintain optimum efficiency and performance.

Many of these parameters are adaptive, meaning they change over time and based on conditions detected by your ECU. Removing your battery can reset these adaptations, leading to unusual behavior and other issues. Professional technicians use special tools to prevent a total loss of power while changing the battery, preventing the erasure of these settings.

2. Coding Issues

Battery coding is a controversial topic in the automotive industry, with many owners complaining that it makes amateur repair work substantially more difficult. Unfortunately, it's a reality that many manufacturers do require battery coding following a battery replacement. Despite the name, this process involves updating the car's computer, not the battery itself.

The purpose of battery coding is to reset the charging system. This process is necessary since modern charging systems adapt to capacity loss as your battery ages. While your car will likely run fine without coding, failing to take this step can have unintended consequences, including reducing the overall lifespan of your new battery.

3. Difficult Access

There's no getting around the fact that many modern automobiles have extremely tight engine bays. As automakers use more advanced technology and extra components like turbochargers become more commonplace, there's less space for a big, bulky battery. As a result, some automakers now locate their batteries in the trunk, often in challenging locations that may require removing carpeted panels.

Although the extra steps needed to access trunk batteries may not be too difficult, they still mean spending extra time bending over a potentially cramped area. If you're not comfortable pulling apart parts of your trunk, you may want to consider letting a professional handle the installation instead.

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