Your service center Reno South Longley Lane(775) 828-6996
4.7 stars · Serving Northern Nevada since 1983Hours vary by location: find yoursFind a location CouponsMy Garage
A battery check at Longley Lane tests the battery's cold-cranking capacity against its rating, cleans and tightens the terminals and reads the charging voltage, in the bay with any visit. The Car Care Council says to test after three years and before each winter in a cold climate; Reno has about 122 freezing nights a year.
4.8 stars from 339 Google reviews
A fleet van that will not start at 6 in the morning costs a day's route. A commuter car that will not start in the airport long-term lot costs a ride and a tow. Both batteries gave warning in a test that takes a few minutes in our Longley Lane service center, and both would have been caught by a fall check. Here is what the test at 4993 Longley Ln measures, why south Reno summers do more damage than the winters that get the blame, and when to come in.
Heat is what wears a battery out: it speeds the chemistry inside and dries the cells, and the Reno airport station averages about 65 days a year at 90 F or hotter (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). The lot at the airport, the asphalt along Longley Lane and a black pickup parked at a job site all run hotter than that number. Then winter arrives with about 122 nights at or below freezing and about 25 at 20 F or colder, cold oil makes the starter work harder, and a battery that lost a third of its capacity over the summer cannot deliver. The service center sits at about 4,400 feet (USGS 3DEP), lower than the hills around it, so Damonte Ranch and Washoe Valley mornings run colder still.
The technician connects a tester that reports the state of charge and the cold-cranking amps available against the rating printed on the battery, inspects the terminals and cable ends for corrosion and looseness and cleans them, and reads the charging voltage with the engine running to confirm the alternator is keeping up. The reading is shown to you: plenty of capacity means another season, a number well under the rating means plan on a battery before the cold. Alternators and starters are not replaced here; a low charging reading gets pointed out with where to take it. Battery testing is on the multi-point check on request.
The Car Care Council's rule is to test a battery once it is three years old and before every winter in a cold climate; our What's Due tool uses that three-year point. Fleet vehicles get it added to the fall oil change through the fleet program, so a whole fleet is tested before the first freeze. If the engine has started to turn over slowly on cold mornings, do not wait for October; slow crank on cold mornings describes what the test will show.
Longley Lane is open Monday to Friday 8 to 5 and Saturday 8 to 3, no appointment. South Reno is about 5 minutes away, the airport area and Hidden Valley about 8, Damonte Ranch about 9, Sparks and Midtown about 10, Old Southwest about 11 and Washoe Valley about 23 (OSRM free-flow drive times, 2026). A battery test with the fall oil change is the simplest thing on this site; ask for it the next time you pull in, and read the cold-weather battery guide if you want the detail.
My wife went in to buy a new battery for her car and they encouraged her to go to the dealer to get the warranty. When she checked and there was no warranty, they tested her battery and did not charge her even though she would have bought a new battery. Lastly, they fixed the XM radio for her for free. Although these were simple things, a lot of shops would have taken advantage of my wife's lack of knowledge of cars and charged her for these. This is a sign of honesty to me.
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Any full-service oil change, conventional, synthetic blend or full synthetic, with the multi-point maintenance check.
Most vehicles. Up to 5 quarts; extra oil and special filters may add to the price. Present this coupon on your phone or printed before service begins. One coupon per vehicle per visit. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions for the same service.
Nevada emissions test while you wait at our Reno service centers.
Test fee only; the Nevada DMV certificate fee is set by the state. Present this coupon on your phone or printed before service begins. One coupon per vehicle per visit. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions for the same service.
Show the coupon on your phone when you pull in, or print it. Terms are on each coupon. All coupons and how to redeem.
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Straight answers
Still have a question? Call your service center or drive in; there is no appointment to make.
Ask when you pull in; the technician will say what the service center can do that day. The test tells you whether it is needed, and the reading is yours to take anywhere.
The charging voltage check gives a strong indication. A low reading points to the alternator or its belt, which a repair shop handles.
Yes. Disconnecting the battery resets the readiness monitors, and the car must be driven for a few days before it can be tested.
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