A number of environment conditions can drain your car's battery, including the heat of summer. It's easy to not notice this until the colder months, when your battery is called upon to deliver more power to start the engine and heat the cabin of your vehicle. It's always good to have your battery checked periodically, but definitely make sure to have Grosse Pointe Auto check your battery before winter so you won't be stranded in the cold!

A few warning signs of a troubled battery include: noise from the alternator, the starter motor turns the engine slowly or unevenly, you hear a clicking or chattering nose when you turn the ignition, or the battery light turns on. What appears to be a faulty battery is occasionally an issue with your vehicle's recharging system, which includes the alternator. To avoid hardware complications, make sure to have a talk with a technician in the event any of the above warning signs crop up.

Four years is typical for the life of a car battery, so if more than four years have passed, that's another good reason to have your vehicle's battery checked to prevent potential problems.