What to do to Maintain the Health of Your Car Battery?
The car battery is an important component of the vehicle. When your car is turned on and operating, the alternator continuously charges the battery. But it goes under several fluctuations such as climate changes, average lifespan, sitting idle for a long period, corrosion and so on. A healthy battery ought to stay out of your mind, but a bad one can bring plenty of problems. Investing a little time and expense today on batteries can save you effort and money in the long term.
Here are a few tips that can help you to make sure that your car battery stays healthy and alive for a longer time: –
Practical Strategies to keep your Car Battery in Good Shape
- Keeping Battery Corrosion-free and Clean
- Make an Attempt to Minimize Daily Levels of Heat
- Stop making Frequent Short Excursions by Car
- Turn on the Car Battery at Regular Intervals.
- Once a Month, Examine the Voltage of your Battery
- Maintain your Car Battery
- Always keep the battery terminals clean and dry.
- Maintain fluid levels while never overfilling your battery.
- It is recommended that you top up your batteries with distilled water.
- Never leave your battery uncharged for extended periods.
- Vibrations might damage the battery plates, therefore keeping your batteries secure.
- Leave lights or accessories turned on to avoid draining your battery.
- Before disconnecting your battery, read your owner’s manual to guarantee that no computer or radio memories are lost.
- Don’t leave a car unattended for a long period
- When you park the Car, ensure everything is turned off
- Ensure your battery is securely attached
Allowing dirt to accumulate on the battery can result in the battery’s charge being drained through the dust of the battery case. This can also cause a short circuit, which can kill the battery which can lead to car battery replacement service.
The battery connectors will corrode over time as well, so keeping them clean and free of build-up is an excellent approach to extend the life of your car battery. Using an old toothbrush dipped in a baking soda and water mixture, scrub the terminals. Then, using a spray bottle filled with cold water, rinse the mixture and thoroughly dry it with a clean cloth.
When exposed to high temperatures, the battery’s life rapidly decreases and the fluids in the battery dissipate. This occurs even with brand new sealed batteries. The battery does not need much charge to start the vehicle in the winters, although batteries can often malfunction even in the cold season due to damage done during the summer period.
To preserve your automobile from excessive heat during the summer, park it in a shaded area or a garage if possible.
When you start your car, your battery gets a strain, but it is then recharged by the engine during the ride. So, if you simply drive a small distance, the battery will be unable to restore the level of power lost. If you repeat the action daily, the battery voltage will steadily decrease until it can no longer start the car.
When the battery under the hood is not utilised for a lengthy period, it loses its charge. The battery’s power is rapidly depleted. To avoid this, it is recommended that you start your vehicle once a week and take it for a journey. When it loses all of its charges, the car battery jump-start must ensure to start the vehicle. Even by doing a jumpstart, your car engine is not cranking then it is best to replace the car battery.
When a lead-acid battery is left uncharged or at half charge, its life is significantly reduced. A completely charged, the healthy lead-acid battery should have a voltage of 12.7 volts or above. If the voltage falls below 12.5 volts, we recommend that you charge the battery as soon as possible. It’s also worth noting that a lead-acid automobile battery is considered half charged at 12.4 volts and entirely flat/dead at 12.0 volts.
Read More: Car Battery Voltage Guide
Maintenance of your car battery is especially critical throughout the summer and winter. There are several things you can do to extend the life of your battery, saving you time and money and, most significantly, lowering your chances of being stranded with a dead battery.
Lead-acid car batteries must be kept completely charged at all times to avoid harm. All lead-acid batteries, regardless of manufacturer, will naturally lose charge over time this is known as self-discharge.’
A flooded lead-acid battery will self-discharge at a rate of about 1% per day at room temperature, 0.25 % per day at 10°C (50°F), and 1.5 % per day at 30°C (86°F). It is crucial to remember that parasitic loads from the vehicle will increase the rate of discharge, therefore if your car will be sitting idle for more than a week, a trickle charger should be connected to keep the batteries in excellent condition.
It’s easy to overlook, but performing a quick check on the electrics before getting out of the car is a smart practice to develop. Make sure all lights, wipers, heaters, navigation systems, and entertainment systems are turned off completely, as they can drain the battery the next time you start it.
Although vibration can shorten the life of your vehicle battery, you must always use an approved battery clamp to ensure it is securely fastened at all times. Vibration and noise might damage your battery’s internal components, causing short circuits and lowering battery life if it is not properly connected.
Remind the mechanic to double-check the battery fixture the next time you’re in the garage to ensure its securely in place.
Takeaway
Keeping a healthy car battery can help to reduce the deterioration that can lead to a sudden breakdown. When the battery goes through various changes it warns us by indicating different signs such as warning lights on the dashboard, dim lights, clicking sounds while turning the key, slow engine cranking etc. this can help to save the headache of the battery dying. The above-mentioned points can help you to keep your battery healthy. However, mishaps of a car battery can happen at any time.
Searching for quick and affordable car battery replacement services in Singapore? Then you are at the right place. Swift Battery Specialist offers 24 hrs car battery replacement, car tyre repair and replacement that aids in smooth driving on the roads. Get in touch with us!
