Car batteries and key fob batteries

Signs your battery is on its way out

The engine turns over slowly, especially on the first cold morning of the year. The headlights dim at idle, or a battery light comes on. Sometimes it's just age: most car batteries last three to five years.

Here's the part that surprises people. Our East Tennessee summers are harder on a battery than the winters. Heat wears it down from June through September, and then the first freeze is just when a weak one finally quits.

Key fob batteries

If your fob works at the door but not from across the parking lot, the little coin battery inside is probably low. It's a quick swap, and it's a lot cheaper than a new fob.

Keeps dying even with a newer battery?

Then the battery may not be the problem. A weak alternator, or something drawing power with the car turned off, will drain a perfectly good battery. Tell us how old yours is when you call, because putting in another one won't fix that.