If your car starts and you can drive it, a trip to a parts store such as AutoZone can make sense. If it won’t start where it sits, a mobile service tests, jumps or replaces the battery there. Here is what AutoZone says it offers and what a mobile visit looks like, so you can choose. Axl Roadside Assistance is a mobile emergency roadside assistance service based in Mountain View, California, that comes to your car for jump starts, battery replacement, flat tires, lockouts and fuel delivery, 7am to 8pm daily.
Will AutoZone install a battery on a car?
AutoZone advertises free battery installation at its stores. AutoZone also says in-store services vary by location, available staff and vehicle. So ask your store whether your car qualifies before you go. If the car still starts and you can get it there, that is a reasonable first stop.
Can AutoZone help me jump start my car?
AutoZone’s service pages describe bringing your car or battery to the store. They do not describe a jump-start service or a driver who comes to you.
What AutoZone does say is that it tests batteries for free at its stores, and the test can be done while the battery is still in your car. It also says it will charge a battery for free. Those are useful steps if you can get the car to a store. If the car won’t start, getting it there is the hard part.
Who can put a battery in my car for free?
Free installation is advertised at AutoZone stores, with the conditions described above. You still need to get the car or the battery there. A mobile service like ours is not free: you pay for the job you need. You don’t need a membership or a subscription to call us. What you pay for is someone coming to the car instead of the car going to a store.
What is the average cost to change a car battery?
We don’t post prices online because every call is different, so here is what changes the cost instead of a number.
- The battery your vehicle needs, because different vehicles take different batteries.
- Whether it is a jump or a replacement, because a jump on a battery that only drained is a different job from installing a new one.
For Axl, the service call covers the visit and diagnosis. A new battery is the only added cost, and we tell you before we install it. Our rates are fair and affordable, with no hidden fees.
How can I tell if the battery is the problem?
A weak or dead battery often shows up as repeated clicking, or nothing at all, when you turn the key or press the button. Other signs are a slow, struggling crank and dim dashboard lights or weak headlights. If the engine cranks strongly but does not fire, the trouble is often fuel or ignition, and a new battery will not change that. That is why we check the battery before we replace anything.
My car won’t start. What does a mobile battery visit look like?
We come to the vehicle, whether it is at home, at work, in a parking lot or garage, or on the roadside. Our average response time is about 18 minutes, depending on where you are and where we are when you call.
First we check the battery’s age, condition and any visible damage. Then we try a jump start and watch how the car responds. A battery that has only drained usually starts after a jump, and a failed one doesn’t. If it has failed, we install a matching battery on site, and you can read more about battery replacement on our site. If the jump does the job, no new battery is needed. If you are not sure whether the battery is dead or just drained, see our page on dead battery or just drained.
We work on passenger cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles, semi-trucks, motorhomes and EVs. We serve Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Redwood City, Atherton, Woodside and Portola Valley, 7am to 8pm daily. We don’t tow, and if a car truly needs a tow, we tell you so you can arrange one.
So which should I choose?
- Choose a store visit if the car starts, you can drive it, and you want a battery test or a charge before the battery fails completely.
- Choose a mobile service if the car won’t start where it sits, because we test, jump or replace the battery there.
- If you can’t tell which situation you are in, call us and describe what you hear and see.
What should I have ready when I call?
To send someone, we need four things:
- Your name
- Where you are
- The vehicle’s year, make and model
- What happened
Call or text Axl Roadside at (415) 712-4161, 7am to 8pm daily.
