A car is nothing without a good battery. Your car’s engine starting power comes from the battery, and if the battery is not good enough to give it strength, you get stuck.
Everything in the car runs electronically, such as the ignition system, the fuel injection system, and automatic transmission. Your infographic system, lights of the car, AC, etc., are also dependent on the battery. If your battery is low, you can have problems more than being stuck.
So, it is always a good idea to check your battery once in a while. Keep your battery maintain. Do consider some precautions to give your battery a longer lifespan. Here in this article, we will share the top 10 practical tips to extend your car’s battery life.
1. Tighten up the terminals: After changing the battery or servicing, it is necessary to tighten up the battery terminals. Due to loose terminals, the acid gets evaporated and cause corrosion on the terminals—this rust problem in charging the battery. You might even consider an OEM Bosch replacement from time to time.
2. Clean the terminals: Don’t let the terminals rusted. The distilled water of the battery evaporates on the terminals and make them corroded. This rust creates resistance in battery charging. The rusted terminals also problems in engine starting. To clean up the terminals, use a clean brush or use emery paper. Make sure to spray some battery terminals’ spray after cleaning.
3. Don’t use tap water: Always use distilled water, available in the market, to fill your battery. There are not enough minerals in the tap water. There is a possibility of debris in the tap water which make which affects the performance of batter. Keep checking the water level of the battery. A water level indicator is there in some batteries, which will help you notice if the water is needed.
4. Charge the battery: We are recommending to charge your battery once a week. If you are not using the car for some time, don’t forget to charge the battery. Most of the time, you forget to turn off the accessories, which drains the battery. If the battery has low charging for a certain period, it also affects the battery’s life span. To recharge the battery, you can either use a battery charger or go for enough long drive to charge up the battery. But it is highly recommended not to overcharge the battery. Overcharging may lead to a breakdown in water composition, which shrinks the life of the battery. It also causes an explosion.
5. Regularly check the battery’s condition: Do check regularly the physical condition of the battery. Sometimes the out cover of the battery gets damaged. The reason for damage could be a ride on the bumpy road. Because of the damage, the battery starts to leak. Leakage leads to water deficiency and affects the charging.
6. Battery holding plate: Make sure to check the battery holding plate once in a while. Any leakage in the battery damage the container and makes it rusted. A rusted plate is not able to stabilize the battery, which affects its performance.
7. Keep an eye on the alternator: If you are taking every possible care of your battery, it is still functioning correctly, then checking the alternator. It is a high possibility that the wrong or damaged alternator is not charging the battery correctly. If your battery is not charged, but you are using it, you are killing it yourself. Do check if the alternator is charging the battery or not.
8. Keep it in use: Don’t spare the battery unused for a more extended period. Car batteries are meant to be charged and recharged, and if not, then they go wrong. If you don’t have to go out, start your car and leave it for enough time to get the battery charged.
9. Make sure to turn off all accessories: Returning home or traveling, make sure to turn off the accessories when the engine is off. When you use the complements on an inactive engine, they are directly using the battery power. This causes the charging drainage and affects the life of the battery.
10. Use baking soda: The use of baking soda is recommended to clean the battery cover and terminals. Baking soda has properties to dilute the acid corrosion on the terminals. Have water in a bucket, mix baking soda in water, and clean the terminals with this solution. Or you can directly spread baking soda on it and rub it off with a clean piece of cloth. Thoroughly cleaning of the car’s battery is necessary. A new battery will not demand such cleaning and care. But if you are using it even for a month, do check if cleanliness is needed.
Bonus Tip.
If your battery is old and you are thinking of changing it with a new one, this tip is for you. Always check the manufacture dates of the new battery. Try not to buy a more than one-month-old battery. Batteries are like yogurt; they get worse over time.
Let’s sum up. The battery is the most important and inseparable part of a car. Not the only car, but all the vehicles need a battery to start. Do we pay as much importance to the storm’s maintenance as it is vital for the vehicle? If not, we should put some time and effort to consider some precautions and extend the battery’s life.
