Car Battery Life

Few people consider their car batteries until something has gone wrong with them. While usually a relatively simple and inexpensive vehicle repair, changing a car battery can actually grow both costly and annoying when it must be done too frequently. Luckily, there are a number of things that people can do to extend their car battery life.

Check The Water Level Of Your Battery

Each time your battery is charged, you should check the water level in your battery in order to make certain that it is at optimal levels. If low, you should carefully replenish this supply using only purified water that has been demineralized, to avoid introducing problems during this process. It is also essential to make certain that the water is inserted into the battery using a rubber hose or a plastic hose rather than a metal one. If you allow the water levels of your battery to grow lower than recommended, this can cause a lot of internal problems, specifically those related to the internal plates. The grinding of these plates together can cause excessive wear and will result in the need for a brand new battery simply due to gradual water loss.

Warming A Dead Battery

Although it might seem like your only option, it is never really best to jump start a dead battery while the battery is still cold. One of the most effective ways for warming the battery is to simply leave it in the sun for about an hour. If the car is parked into the shade it can be placed in neutral and pushed into a sunny location, or left in its original parked position until the sun reaches and warms it. This extra bit of effort will ultimately place less stress on the battery when jumping it.

Keep Short Jaunts To A Minimum

Constantly starting and stopping the car will certainly wear the battery down far more rapidly than if the car is used primarily for longer trips. This is especially true for cold climate areas. Consolidating your errands or when possible, allowing the car to idle, are two ways for reducing the damaging effects on car batteries of frequent, short trips.

Install An Insulation Blanket

One of the most effective tools for extending your car battery life is an insulation blanket. These are specially designed to surround batteries of specific sizes. They help to keep them warm at night and cool during they day and throughout heavy use. The key to installing one of these, however, lies in determining if sufficient room exists for the safe and successful use of an insulation blanket. Where larger batteries are installed, it may be more advantageous to opt for a battery that is smaller in size and use an insulation blanket to cover the battery through the use of the extra space. Differences in the internal layout of your automobile will help to determine if a larger battery size or a battery insulation blanket will make the most difference in extending the car battery life.

Check Your Alternator

For people with a little mechanical know-how, the alternator is often the first consideration that is made when the battery is continually on the fritz. In reality, however, if you alternator is continually draining your battery, it will likely not be long before the problem impacts your ability to operate the car at all. Thus, if you are having continual battery problems in spite of diligent maintenance, this may be one of the early warning signs of larger mechanical problems.

Avoid Unnecessary Energy Drainage

If the car is left unused for extended periods of time, it may be beneficial to totally disconnect the battery. Whether going away for vacation or attempting to use an alternative method of transportation for several weeks, this simple step can take minutes. Ultimately, it will help to avoid unnecessary energy drainage while you are gone.

Check For And Clear Up Corrosion Issues

If you battery has loose connections and corrosion it will need to be replaced earlier than if properly maintained. Baking soda and water are a perfect solution for clearing off the white, powdery evidence of corrosion, however, for extremely corroded cables it may be necessary to pour a touch of cola beverage over the affected areas. This will slowly dissolve harder formations of corrosion which can then simply be dusted or wiped away. It is also a very good idea to keep your battery clean in general. This is especially true for drivers who frequently traverse dusty roads or park in unpaved areas. This can be done with a dry close or soft, short-handle brush on a regular basis.

Loose connections should be resolved as soon as these are noticed through the use of professional maintenance and repair services. Loose cable can prevent the ideal transmission of energy and make the battery work harder every time the car is in operations. In fact, loose connections can drain a battery faster than nearly ever other common issue. Over time, diligent maintenance in this area can help automobile owners to save a fairly substantial sum of money.