battery light is on even though I just bought a bettery in August
The battery symbol indicates a charging system failure, the alternator may be failing.
you say May be failing, could it be something else? If it is that, how long can I drive before getting it fixed
Have the charging system tested now. If the alternator fails completely the battery can go dead after 20 minutes of driving, the the engine stalls.
Yes it could be something else like cables or electronics. You will hear most people here will say what it may be, because we can’t physically see or test the vehicle so there can’t really be a definate diagnosis. @Nevada_545 points to the alternator because that’s the first thing he would check given the information he has. If the alternator tests good then he would point you to the next most likely cause of the problem.
You can drive it without fixing it… until the car dies in the middle of an intersection.
Then you’ll have a tow truck bill, repair bill, and possibly need another battery (batteries don’t enjoy being fully discharged).
I’d take it into the shop today, myself, while you have options.
Good luck.