The battery is the pulse of your car; without it, you cannot start. But during its lifespan, it undergoes a lot of temperature fluctuations, which deteriorates its life. Hot temperatures slide down its life expectancy to about three years, and cold weather slows its start. Furthermore, when parked the car idly for many days, it loses the charge of the battery soon. These are all the results if you do not maintain your car’s battery.
However, you can adopt these eight ways to increase your car battery life:
1. Skip keeping your car idle for too many days
As mentioned in the introduction, your car battery loses its charge rapidly when kept the vehicle on idle mode. When that happens, you need to jumpstart to start your four-wheeler. So, to avoid this, make sure that you’re driving your car at least once a week. The periodic interval driving will help you maintain the battery’s lifespan.
2. Switch off everything when turning off the engine
When you turn off your car’s engine, the battery ejects more quickly. The music system and inside lights of your four-wheeler are the two crucial causes of reduction in the life of your car battery. Therefore, whenever you stop your vehicle, minimise battery usage by switching off its interior lights and other accessories.
3. Dirt-free the battery
Letting dust and dirt perch on the battery can result in a time- and money-consuming damages. First of all, it can drain your battery’s charge, which can lead to a short circuit, and eventually, the battery would be dead. Dust and dirt can also corrode the terminals of the battery over time. That’s the reason you should ensure that you regularly remove the dirt from your car’s battery through a brush.
4. Prevent excessive heat exposure
No matter your car’s battery is newly sealed or old, you can axe its life, and simultaneously, can evaporate its fluids. You may even wonder, in winter, the battery doesn’t need much charge to get the car started, then why it failed? The reason behind that is the damage has already taken place in summer. Hence, to avoid this, park your car in a shady area during the summer.
5. Test battery’s state of charge
If left uncharged or partially charged, the car battery can lose its life considerably. Therefore, keep a check on its state of charge with the help of a voltameter. If the battery has a minimum charge of 12.7 volts or more than that, then it is healthy. But, if it is less than that, then it can be considered as dead. So, you need to make sure that your battery is at the correct charge even when not in use.
6. Mix distilled water whenever needed
Yes, distilled water; it helps to maintain proper balance and extend the battery’s lifespan. As said above, during summers, there are high chances of fluid evaporation. So, by adding distilled water to it, you’ll be able to reduce the cell damage due to overheating.
7. Insulate your battery
With the introduction of a variety of new cars to better fuel efficiency, manufacturers have reduced the hood space. It ultimately affects the engine airflow, leaving the battery overheated, which leads to deterioration of its lifespan. Therefore, to protect your battery from the summer heat and winter cold, wrap it with insulation covers.
8. Inspect the screws and cables
There can be some breakage of cables and terminals of your car’s battery. The moisture, filth, and dirt around the wires and screws can not only minimise the battery life but will also weaken the charge. Hence, make sure that screws and cables are tight and free from dust, dirt, grease, or corrosion.
Final words
A faulty car battery can land you in trouble anytime. If you miss adopting any of the above habits, then you can get into trouble soon. If your battery is down at home or road, then look for a trustworthy car maintenance service. They’ll help you repair or replace the battery, saving you money and time.
Furthermore, if you want tips to purchase a battery or any other spare parts for your car, then read on the blog tips for buying car spare parts. Last but not least, to get a good ride all your life, you need to take care of your car first.
Hi, I’m Erika Rhein, a writer by profession and passion, both. I’m skilled in interestingly rendering informative articles to help my readers make valuable decision. Furthermore, I write on different subjects, which includes home or office improvement, lifestyle, and fashion.
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