Car won't start, or the engine has started turning over lazily? A flat battery is one of the jobs we come out for. We test the battery and the charging system first, and fit the right battery there and then if that is the fault. If it isn't, the car comes in to the workshop.
Battery fitted from
£120
Battery, fitting and disposal, all in
Charging system tested before you pay for anything
Start-stop AGM and EFB batteries registered to the car
The honest bit
A battery almost never dies without warning. It cranks a little slower for a few weeks, the start-stop quietly gives up, the headlights dim at idle. Then the first cold morning arrives, the oil thickens, the engine needs more to turn over, and the battery that has been hinting for a month finally cannot hide it.
Here is the thing worth knowing. Winter exposes weak batteries, but summer is what weakens them. Heat speeds up the chemistry inside and evaporates the electrolyte, and every hot spell quietly takes a chunk out of the capacity. Short local trips make it worse, because the alternator never gets long enough to put back what the start took out.
Which is why we test before we quote. A proper check measures the battery's capacity and what the alternator is putting back, because fitting a new battery to a car with a lazy alternator just kills the new battery too. And a battery that was flattened by a light left on will often recover with a proper charge.
If a charge or clean terminals will sort it, that is what we'll tell you. The test is free either way.
Warning signs
Recognise two or more of these and it is worth a test this week, on your drive or at work. It takes us minutes.
The classic. The engine turns over more slowly than usual before it catches, that laboured rur-rur-rur instead of a crisp start, and it is most obvious first thing in the morning. If you are hearing it now, the battery will not survive the first cold snap.
A rapid click-click-click, or one loud clunk and nothing, means the battery cannot deliver enough current to the starter motor. Sometimes it is corroded terminals rather than the battery itself, which is one more reason to test before you buy.
Dim headlights at idle, the infotainment rebooting, windows moving slowly, a clock that resets. Modern cars shed electrical loads when the voltage drops, so odd electrical gremlins are often the battery waving a flag.
This one actually points at the charging system, the alternator and its belt, rather than the battery. A car that is not charging will flatten even a brand-new battery in an hour or two of driving, so do not set off on a long trip with it lit.
If the engine no longer cuts out at the lights, that is often the car protecting a weakening battery. The system needs a healthy battery to guarantee a restart, so it disables itself when the battery cannot be trusted. One of the earliest and most reliable warnings on a modern car.
Heat can physically distort the battery case, and an overcharging fault can boil the electrolyte, which smells of sulphur. Both mean the battery is finished, and a swollen or leaking battery wants dealing with promptly rather than driven around.
Most batteries last three to five years. If yours is past its third birthday, the date is usually stamped on a label, get it tested once a year. The test takes minutes, and it is how you replace a battery on your schedule rather than the battery’s.
The cheapest time to deal with a battery is before it strands you.
The call-out
No need to risk a breakdown getting a doubtful car to a garage. We bring the battery and the tester to wherever the car is.
Step 1
The registration tells us which battery the car takes, so the right one is on the van when we arrive. Whether it is a no-start this morning or a slow crank that has been getting worse, the symptom tells us what to test first.
Step 2
A capacity test on the battery, and a check of what the alternator is putting back. Fitting a new battery to a car with a lazy alternator just kills the new battery too, so we do not quote until we know which it is.
Step 3
Sometimes it is a charge, or clean terminals, and that is what we will tell you. If it is the battery, you get the exact fitted price for your car before anything comes out. If it is not the battery, the car comes in to the workshop instead of getting a part it does not need.
Step 4
A memory saver keeps your radio, clock and settings on most vehicles. Terminals cleaned and protected, the correct battery type fitted, and on start-stop cars the new battery is registered to the car’s electronics so it charges properly.
Step 5
We dispose of the old battery, and the new one carries a 12-month parts and labour warranty. Most call-outs have you back on the road in about half an hour.
Clear pricing
The price depends on the size of the car and the type of battery it needs. Every figure below is fitted, all in: the battery, the fitting, disposal of the old one, VAT and a 12-month warranty.
£120 to £129
Fiesta, Corsa, Polo, Focus, Golf, Astra and most family hatchbacks and saloons. The battery, fitting, disposal and warranty, all in.
£129 to £179
Bigger engines and diesels need more cranking power, so a bigger battery.
£149 to £249
The batteries start-stop cars require, registered to the car’s electronics as part of the job.
You get the exact price for your car before we fit anything, and the test that decides whether you need one at all is free.
A start-stop car restarts its engine dozens of times on a short drive and runs the electrics off the battery while it is stopped. That needs an AGM or EFB battery built for deep cycling. A standard battery fitted in its place fails early, often within the year.
The new battery also has to be registered to the car's battery management system. Skip that and the car keeps charging it as if it were the old, tired one, and the start-stop never comes back. We do both as part of the job, and it is included in the price.
A battery that keeps going flat again after a jump start or a long drive usually points at the alternator, or at something in the car drawing current while it is parked. The red battery light on the dash is a charging-system warning, not a battery warning.
That is why the test covers both, and why the BMW below did not need the repair the dealer quoted. Where a drain or a charging fault needs tracing properly, that becomes a diagnostics job from £45, and we say so before we start.
How our diagnostics service worksFrom the workshop
Real jobs off our ramps, described by the mechanic who did them.
Batteries don't last forever, and they've got a habit of throwing up symptoms that look like something far worse. This BMW 420 is a good example. The main dealer had quoted for a much pricier repair, but our diagnostic traced the fault straight back to the battery.
We replaced it the same day and had the customer back on the road without the big bill they'd been bracing for. It pays to check the simple things before throwing money at the complicated ones.
This is how a battery job should go. A customer got in touch one evening with a battery on its way out. By the next morning we were at their door, and the new battery was tested, fitted and charging within minutes of arriving.
No recovery truck, no day without the car, no waiting in at a garage, and a price they called excellent. In their words: "Excellent service, contacted in the evening and came round next morning to fit battery really quickly, excellent price, highly recommend!"
Stuck on the drive, in the work car park or at the supermarket? We come out, get the car started, and test the battery and charging system while we are there. If the battery is the problem we fit the new one on the spot rather than sending you off to buy one somewhere else.
If the battery is not the fault, we will tell you what is. The car then comes in to Turner Street, or we recover it if it cannot be driven, rather than you paying for a battery you do not need.
Our workshop is on Turner Street, so response times in and around Dudley are the shortest we can offer. Stourbridge, Halesowen, Brierley Hill and Kingswinford are all a short drive, and the rest of the Black Country is not much further.
Not sure the battery is the problem? The guide to the seven signs a battery is dying covers what to look for before you call.
In their words
My car broke down was recovered from home. Then Elliot did a really great job my bonnet wouldn’t open and I needed a new battery he also arranged a mot on my car. Really pleased with the help and work carried out friendly and helpful would recommend.
Denise Allen
Verified customer
So glad I have found a reliable, honest mechanic. Got my car sorted in a few hours. Supplied and fitted new battery at the house then took it to his garage to do a full service and fix oil leak. Happy with price and service received and will be recommending you to family and friends. Thank you Elliot 👍
Sarah Timmins
Verified customer
Prompt response my vehicle that had broken down (would not start at home). The mechanic Elliot was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable and immediately put me at my ease. He identified the issue quickly and made a temporary repair whilst he ordered some parts, and he returned the next day as we agreed, wasting no time in getting them fitted. Price was very reasonable, very satisfied with Your Local Mechanic. A first class job.
Zed Van veen
Verified customer
We'll always tell you honestly if someone else is a better fit.
Tested and fitted at your home, your workplace or wherever the car has stopped.
Workshop: Unit 6, Turner Street, Dudley, DY1 1TX. Open seven days, 7am to 5pm.
55+ years between them. 12-month parts and labour warranty. £5m public liability cover.
Every job is carried out by Elliot or Keith - the mechanic who quotes your job is the one who works on your car. No call centres, no subcontractors.
Lead Mechanic & Founder
Founder of Your Local Mechanic. City & Guilds Level 3 qualified with 15+ years experience, specialising in modern diagnostics and hybrid vehicles across the Black Country.
Senior Mechanic & MOT Assessor
Senior mechanic at Your Local Mechanic with 40+ years Vauxhall main dealer experience and a fully qualified MOT assessor, known for honest, careful work across the Black Country.
Before you call
Often, yes. We carry the common sizes across Dudley and the Black Country. Tell us the registration when you call and we will bring the right battery with us. Every call is answered, and you get an honest time before you commit to anything.
Battery replacement in DudleyFrom £120 fitted, rising to £149 to £249 for the AGM and EFB batteries that start-stop cars need. Every price includes the battery, fitting, disposal of the old one, a 12-month warranty, and registering the new battery to the car where the electronics require it. You get the exact figure for your car before we fit anything.
We test it free and give you an honest answer. A battery that has been flattened by a dome light left on will often recover with a proper charge. One that has lost capacity through age or heat will not, however long you charge it. The test tells the two apart in minutes.
A battery that keeps going flat again after a jump start or a long drive usually points to the alternator or a drain somewhere in the car. The red battery light on the dash is a charging-system warning, not a battery warning. That is why the test checks both before you pay for a new battery you might not need.
Diagnostics for charging faults and drainsYes, and it is harder on a battery than cold. Heat speeds up the chemistry and evaporates the electrolyte, quietly wearing the battery out. The damage usually shows up months later, on the first cold morning when the weakened battery cannot turn the engine over. The batteries we replace in autumn were mostly finished off in the summer.
The 7 signs a car battery is dyingYes. Start-stop cars need an AGM or EFB battery that can cope with constant restarts and deep cycling. A standard battery fitted in its place fails early, often within a year. The new battery also has to be registered to the car’s battery management system, otherwise it is charged as if it were the old, tired one. We do both as part of the job.
We use a memory saver on most vehicles, so your radio, clock, seat positions and presets stay as they were. On the few cars where the manufacturer requires a code regardless, we will tell you beforehand.
Most last three to five years. Short local trips, lots of stop-start driving and hot summers all shorten that, because the alternator never gets long enough to put back what starting the engine took out. From its third birthday, it is worth having the battery tested once a year.
Every battery we fit comes with a 12-month parts and labour warranty, alongside our £5m public liability cover.
Tell Elliot or Keith the car and what it is doing. You'll get a straight answer on whether it is the battery, the fitted price for your car, and a time we can be with you.
Every call is answered.