SOS Roadside Service replaces car batteries where the car is parked, in San Jose and eight more South Bay cities in California. If it won't start or cranks slowly, the technician looks at the battery before anything is replaced, and if the battery is not the problem, you hear that instead of buying one. Call (650) 898-3789, 7:00am to 8:00pm, seven days a week, and have the year, make and model ready so we know which battery your car takes. We have an average response time of about 18 minutes.

On a freeway, or stopped in a traffic lane? Call 911 first, then us.

What happens on a battery call?

1. Tell us where the car is and what it does when you turn the key: a click, a slow crank, or nothing.
2. You get the price when you call, before the technician comes out.
3. At the car, the technician looks at the battery: how old it is, what shape it is in, any visible damage or wear.
4. Then a jump, and a close watch on how the car responds.
5. If the battery is finished, the technician removes the old battery, cleans the terminals and cable ends, fits the recommended matching replacement, and secures all the connections.
6. Before the technician leaves, the engine is started and the charging system is checked, so you do not drive away on a new battery when the battery was never the real problem.
7. If the battery is not the problem, you do not buy one, and we tell you where we think the fault is.

Is it the battery, the alternator or the starter?

A battery that went flat is not necessarily a bad one: a faulty alternator, an electrical problem or lights left on can drain a good battery. These are the usual signs, and the jump and a look at the car help narrow it down.

• A slow, dragging crank, or a click with dim dash lights: usually the battery.
• It starts, then dies while you drive, or the battery light comes on: points to the alternator.
• The dash lights stay bright, but the key gets one click or nothing: points to the starter.

For those last two, see alternators and starters. If you only need the car running today, a jump may be enough. To have the battery checked before you decide, ask for battery service.

Before we get there

• Year, make and model.
• Where the car is: an address or a cross street, and in a garage, the level and the space.
• Its history: whether it has needed a jump lately, or had a new battery recently.
• The key or fob, with you.
• If it died in a traffic lane or on a freeway shoulder, call 911 first and do what they tell you about staying in the car. A dead battery can take the hazard lights with it.

What customers wrote about battery calls

Guy came when AAA wouldn’t [...]. Best part - under 30 min for a mobile replacement.

Stevan was amazing! Battery was dead. Came in 15 minutes. Changed it, he was quick, efficient and a delight. Battery dead, give em a call,

The Technical assistance was great ! Battery install and tire repair was fast and outstanding.
6 stars for the service !

Times in these reviews are what each customer saw that day. More are on our reviews page.

What if it isn't the battery?

If the alternator or the starter is the problem, we replace those too, where the car is: see alternators and starters. For anything else that stopped the car, start at roadside assistance.

Questions people ask