Some easy-to-perform car battery maintenance tips to prolong its life…
What is a car without its battery? From helping you to start your car to listening to your favorite songs and charging your devices, it is the battery in the car that powers it all! And hence, it goes without saying that one needs to properly maintain the battery of a vehicle if you want it to keep performing well.
While the lifespan of a car battery is fixed (3 to 5 years generally) and cannot be extended beyond that, most often than not, people end up changing their batteries sooner (every 2 to 3 years). The good news is that you can prevent an untimely demise of your car battery by assigning it proper care and maintenance.
Car Battery Maintenance Tips
Here’s how you can prolong the life of your car battery and make the most of it:
- By Fully Charging it At Least Once a Week
In case you didn’t know, your car battery drains even when the car is not in use as accessories such as lights and radio draw current. Even daily work trips, which don’t allow your battery to charge fully, can severely affect the lifespan of your battery, thus shortening it. You can use a car battery charger (solar or regular) to charge your car battery at least once a week fully. If that is not possible, you can either use alternative batteries, leaving one at home to fully charge while using the other.
However, one important thing to keep in mind is never to let your car batteries overcharge. Overcharging not only leads to the shortening of its life by breaking down the composition of water but can also lead to an explosion!
2. By Always Turning the Engine On First and Using the Car Accessories After
Your car battery is designed to provide sudden bursts of energy to the ignition and is not a power bank to charge your phone batteries and playing music. So when you operate car accessories while the vehicle is repeatedly idling, you are putting unnecessary pressure on your car battery, affecting its lifespan in the long run. So for a long life of your car battery, never use any electronics or car accessories while the engine is turned off.
3. By Going on Long Drives
As cheesy as it sounds, when you drive your car on longer routes frequently, you are maintaining your battery’s power, keeping it healthy. Short rides don’t allow you to charge your car battery sufficient and thus, have a detrimental effect on its lifespan. If your car is not used often, you can consider keeping a portable car battery charger.
4. By Checking the Car’s Alternator Every Now and Then
If you take care of your battery in every possible way, but still feel it is didn’t live up to the mark, consider getting its alternator check. If your alternator is the culprit, it will render all your efforts at charging the battery ineffective and will drastically shorten its life.
5. By Protecting it from Extreme Temperature Variations
If you are the adventurous kind and love to take your vehicle on extreme terrains and through extreme weather, invest in a car battery insulation kit. Exposure to temperature changes has a negative impact on your car battery. These insulation kits consist of protective acid and thermal resistant sheets which cushion your car battery against any extreme changes in the temperature while allowing sufficient ventilation.
6. By Inspecting Your Battery Once a Month
This is just a regular health checkup of your car battery to sense any impending trouble. With use, the battery terminals can corrode thereby breaking its connection with your car. While you cannot stop it, you can definitely slow it down by a regular clean up. You can scrub off the buildup using cola or baking soda and water solution. Don’t forget to clean it with plain water and drying it afterwards. If you find the task of regular cleanups tedious, you can go for a zero-maintenance car battery like Amaron. It offers the longest warranty in the market, thus making it one of the best car battery in the market.
7. By Storing it With Care When Not in Use
When the battery is not used for an extended period, it can largely affect its life cycle. The battery needs to be regularly used to retain the minimum adequate charge. In case you have to keep it away, store it in a temperature controlled environment. To keep it operational, supply it with occasional charge.
