Tips for Car Battery Maintenance before Going on Long Trips

Nothing goes together as pleasant weather and long drives! As summers approach, every trip lover tends to go out on a new adventure in their beloved cars. However, each trip taker has different kinds of experiences when it comes to long drives.

This is because each car gives out a different experience when taken on a journey. While some journeys give out a smooth journey, some trips are terrorized by the poor functioning of the car. These kinds of bad experiences can be easily avoided by regularly servicing cars. To help people with the car maintenance process, here are some of the tips one should check off before embarking on a long trip.

Check the charge states

State of charge, also known as SoC is one of the most essential factors in deciding the state and health of a car battery. This, however, is quite difficult to determine as it completely depends upon the battery fluid that is sealed inside the battery shell. One can look forward to the use of several devices like a voltmeter.

Voltmeter gives an idea about the state of charges that is flowing amongst the electrolytes in the battery fluid, helping ensure that they are in a sufficient state. A well-balanced charge state gives proof of pure charge, helping car leverage from better battery life.

Check the charge level

Charge levels and charge states are often confused for one other due to their similarity. However, they both can be differentiated by the method they are analyzed. Unlike charge states, charge levels are often checked by inspecting the number of electrolytes on the strips.

If these electrolytes are low in count, a battery is often charged after being filled with fluids like demineralized or pure distilled water. One must take care of appropriate proportions while filling the battery and ensure that it meets the standards and not exceed the limits. An underfilled or overfilled car battery is likely to die out quickly due to an uneven amount of electrical charges. A regular electrolyte filling assures that your car battery keeps going on without needing to replace it for a long time.

Recycling the old batteries

Sometimes, the best befitting solution to a better road performance is to go for a new car battery. Car batteries usually have a shelf life of about 5 years but it usually fluctuates to a lesser value due to a variety of factors like age, weather, etc. Sometimes, an aged car battery can also be identified by visual degradations like corrosions, fluid leakage, etc.

One such kind of defects are examined, one must immediately take the car to the attention of authorized personnel and opt for a battery replacement. Replacing the car battery comes with different advantages which helps the car deliver a smooth on-road experience. When new batteries are installed, the older ones are safely replaced as a part of the nature conservation process, keeping your car safe from the potential damages it could cause.

Keep the battery clean

Batteries have a varying performance with respect to dirt collected on it. Sometimes, a battery might function normally despite being too dusty but sometimes, it’s working might even be affected by the smallest dust collection. This is because dust collection at certain places like clamps and cables can greatly affect the transmission of charges between the battery and car components.

Collected garbage like dust, grease, corrosion, and damps often lead to little side effects like flickering lights, uncertain start failures to a dead battery in some cases. Ignoring such garbage on the battery leads to a dead battery due to a weak cell charge. Cleaning such garbage before beginning a trip can prove beneficial by offering a seamless performance throughout the journey.

Keeping the battery charged at all times

Batteries operate on the basis of electrical power. Hence, it is natural for a battery cell to be intact if it continuously regulated with at least an essential amount of electrical power to keep it going. Whether a car is being run daily or occasionally, one must always ensure that the battery is kept topped enough to keep the charges alive.

Charging practices like trickle charge and float mode top-up can help keep the battery up and ready to go. Such a practice helps replenish a battery’s life, helping users to avoid replacing the car battery for a long time.

Keeping the car in enclosed places

This tip might seem to be an odd one out at first but has a scientific reason associated with it. Studies show that car batteries are affected when exposed to extreme temperatures. Whether it may be the extreme heat of summer or it may be the shivering cold of winter, car batteries tend to lose their charge as they come under the influence of such conditions.

Cars when exposed to such weather conditions for longer periods can eventually lead to a flat battery. The revival of such battery might be even difficult given the conditions it was exposed to, leading users to eventually go for an inevitable car battery replacement. Hence, keeping the car in enclosed places such as shades and garages can truly impact the health and performance of a car in a beneficial way.

These are some of the essential tips and tricks to keep car batteries ready for your next adventure. These practices help users avoid the regret that comes of a flat battery in the middle of a memorable trip, ensuring that they don’t end up spending excessive money just for the sake of getting back to the road. Whether a trip may be big or small, a set of such measures ensure that your battery performs optimally, whenever you need it the most.