How to Retain Car Battery’s Power When it is Parked for Prolonged Time
Every car owner knows that a car battery is a vital part of the vehicle. However, if you keep your car idle for an extended time, it can affect your car’s battery and other components’ performance. Your fuel budget will benefit from this. But it is not reasonable for your car’s battery. It can lead to damage.
Every time you start a car, the battery consumes massive energy to start the engine. This energy is replaced by the alternator, which recharges the battery while the vehicle is being driven. An idle sitting car makes it go from fully charged to dead within months.
If you are not driving the car, then how does the battery get drained? In present times, cars have a lot of electronics in them that are maintained and powered by the car battery. The battery in your car continues to power everything from the alarm system to the onboard computer systems as it rests. This is referred to as a parasitic drain.
If you leave your vehicle parked for long enough, the parasitic drain will deplete the battery’s entire reserve of power, leaving you with no way to start it. If you want to preserve the power even when your vehicle is idle for a long time, this blog might help you out.
What to do to Charge a Car Battery When it is Not in Need:
- Detach the battery from the car:
- Unplug the car accessories:
- Using a Battery Maintainer:
- Keeping your car inside a garage:
- Get your car’s battery tested:
- Charge the battery by driving for at least 30 minutes:
- Clean the Car Battery:
When your battery is linked to your vehicle, it will drain faster than when it is detached. If properly stored, a disconnected car battery can last up to six months. The key to making it last, just like new batteries, is to recharge it regularly. A recommended standard to follow is to charge the battery every 12 weeks.
If you are not driving your car, it is best to unplug or switch off all the car accessories as it can lead to a drain. Such as turning off the headlights, the trunk light, the glove box, or another interior box that can take a toll on the battery.
Battery maintainers are a sort of automatic charger that is designed to turn off after the battery has attained full charge and restart charging once the power level drops below the recommended level. This keeps both under and overcharging at bay. Make sure the charger you choose is suitable for the chemistry and voltage of your vehicle’s battery.
Extremely hot or cold temperatures might shorten the life of your battery. Keep your car inside a garage to retain the battery. Heat reduces a battery’s charge by evaporating its essential acid. Heat corrodes the battery more quickly. Cold temperatures, make it more difficult for the car’s ignition to function effectively. A car battery should be kept in a well-ventilated location with a temperature of between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sometimes a car battery can drain power due to its weak condition and age. In that case, get your car’s battery tested by a car mechanic. They can tell you whether you need to repair or perform a car battery replacement service.
As your car sits, the battery must maintain all of the information for the many systems onboard. While the battery loss may not appear significant at first, it accumulates over time and eventually leaves insufficient energy to power the engine.
If you started the car unexpectedly for a drive or to buy groceries, it would not start. The battery will not have enough time to recharge if you only use your vehicle for short excursions or leave it parked for days at a time. To keep your battery charged, we recommend to drive the car for 30 minutes once a week.
Car drivers often clean the car’s exterior surface but fail to recall the battery. Dust harms the interiors of the car, most notably the battery. That is because the negative and positive terminals of the battery make dust reactive, causing the battery to lose charge. Aside from that, the same dust corrodes the terminals of the battery.
To clean the terminals, use a basic towel and a car cleaning solvent or spray. After cleaning the terminals, make sure everything is dry.
Concluding Thoughts
Allowing your vehicle to sit idle for an extended period might diminish the battery’s power, necessitating car battery replacement. Even after numerous attempts, your car is not starting. It is better to get your battery checked. If you are looking to change car battery services in Singapore, then Swift Battery Specialist can help you out.
