Car batteries are extremely important when it comes to providing the right amount of ‘juice’ to your car. So it keeps running, you keep rolling and your haters keep hating. Car batteries are often neglected. Like seriously, you don’t have to wait for your battery to go flat and then go for a replacement. You must always keep a check on it, like how you check your phone for its battery.
Let’s first understand how a car battery works. Brace yourselves as we’re about to talk ‘chemistry’. Car batteries run on a chemical reaction caused by Lead plates, sulfuric acid, and water, which generates the electricity and makes your car go Honkity HONK.
Unlike your typical AA batteries or the batteries that you have on your phone, car batteries work a little differently. With the need of running frequent checks, car batteries require constant attention or there might be inevitable damage to your car. Imagine, what could be more dreadful than running late for work and hearing that nerve-racking engine-stall noise when the ignition is attempted. This is why we are constantly stressing upon the fact that now and then, you must run a check on the health of your car’s battery. Confused how to do that? Well, just keep reading further!
Tips to Extend Your Car’s Battery Life:
- A lot of car owners complain that their battery died too soon even though they used it less often. Well, this might sound bizarre but ‘driving less’ is the problem over here. Your average car is fitted with a generator that uses the car’s kinetic energy to charge the battery. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the car battery is not like a typical battery; it uses the current generated by the generator, to power your ignition, lights, stereo player, etc. If you do not use your car too often or take shorter trips, the battery wouldn’t be able to have enough charge and the next thing you know, bye-bye battery!
- After the advent of smartphones, our lives have become a lot easier. However, your car battery might have a different opinion on the use of smartphones. Phone chargers, Bluetooth screens, navigation systems, high speed windstream internet devices; all have now become an integral part of a typical car ride. But, you know what? Your car’s battery was never designed to power everything at the same time. It is only supposed to keep your car running on the road, period! You can charge your phone at home; after all, isn’t that what electric sockets are for?
- Keep the battery clean. The battery functions on a chemical reaction that requires acids. Thus, all the reactions taking place within the battery, make it prone to corrosion. You might even notice the development of zinc or lead crystals on the terminals too. These crystals aren’t the pretty kind. Anything that may hinder the flow of the current to and from your battery would alter its life cycle and may also include dust and mud. Therefore, it is always a good idea to clean the battery and keep it safe from corrosion, rust, and crystallization.
- Nothing causes damage to the battery of your car, worse than the extreme weather. Your car battery is most consumed in the hot season, but this is also when you need to take care of it the most. Therefore, always make sure that the battery is not overused during hotter seasons and not exposed to too much heat for a long period. Why? Well, let’s just keep it limited to this, that you wouldn’t like to find out what chemical reaction concocts when you introduce too much heat to a battery’s insides. Similarly, extreme cold temperature disables the car battery to generate current success. Long story short, weather conditions are a big obstacle in the way of an effortlessly running battery.
- Lastly, keep an eye out if there’s a fluctuation in the current generation of your battery. A typical car battery has 6 lead plates, each generating a current of approximately 2.1 volts. Add it up and that’s approximately 12.7 volts. You can always check this voltage using a standard voltage meter, typically once a month. Whenever you see the voltage drop hitting 12.5 volts, then it is always a good idea to get the battery recharged. Because, driving your car with a battery voltage lower than 12.4 is extremely dangerous for the battery, your car and ultimately, for you as well.
All Things Concluded
Car batteries can last up to 5 years depending on the driving and weather conditions, along with how frequently you run a maintenance check over it. So if you own a car and bottlenecks on your way are the last thing you would ever want, then be sure to follow the aforementioned steps. Because nothing is worse than a broken-down car in the middle of the road.
Author Bio
Baldwin Jackson is a vivacious writer and digital marketing consultant, involved in taking businesses a notch higher. Since I am a part of the digital marketing industry for over 6 years, I know exactly how to use creativity and analytical abilities to assist a variety of online businesses. Also, I can proudly say that I have helped different brands improve their online visibility and create great lucrative opportunities for them. Well, in my spare time when I’m not working which is not often, you will find me engrossed in playing online games– thanks to my stable and steady Internet for giving me a lag-free gaming experience!