Nov 19 2020

5 ways to Maintain your Car Battery

 

As the saying goes: a healthy battery in a healthy car. Or something like that. Here are 5 ways to take care of your car battery to extend its life.

 

1. Be Careful:

The batteries are filled with acids and explosive gases.

1. Never smoke when working near a battery and handle batteries with care and wear safety glasses and gloves.

 

2. Maintain the Battery Enclosure:

Maybe the manufacturer says their battery is maintenance-free, but don't believe everything you're told.

1. Inspect your battery regularly to extend battery life and save yourself the embarrassment of being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
2. Start with the simplest; keep your battery clean. A dirty enclosure can cause power loss. Wipe it with a damp cloth and use a mild detergent if necessary.

Replace the battery if it is cracked or dented.

 

3. Clean the Battery Terminals:

1. Loosen and remove the negative cable first (black or minus sign), then the red positive cable.
2. Use a brass wire battery brush dipped in a paste made from about 45 ml (3 tbsp) of baking soda and a little water.
3. Reinstall the cables starting with the positive, then coat the battery terminals and clamps with a thin film of grease to prevent corrosion.

 

4. Check the Ventilation Covers:

If your battery has vent covers, remove them to check the electrolyte level.

1. The surface of the electrolyte should be approximately 1 cm above the top plate of the battery. If not, pour distilled water to raise it up to 0.5 / 1 cm under the ventilation cover.
2. Do not use tap water, as it contains minerals that can damage the battery.
3. Your mechanic should always check your battery at the time of your regular maintenance appointment, but many don't even bother. Kindly ask him not to neglect this step.

 

5. Be Kind to Your Battery:

If you inadvertently leave your lights on and it drains your battery, take the following precautions to avoid damaging your battery and starter when recharging:

1. Do not risk exploding your battery. With both cars turned off, connect one end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
2. Connect the end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the correct battery.
3. Connect a negative cable to the negative terminal of the correct battery.
4. Connect the remaining negative cable to an unpainted metal surface on the car engine (as far away from the dead battery as possible).
5. Wait a few minutes and try to start the broken down car. If that doesn't work, start the working car and try to start the broken one again.
6. Once the car is running, be sure to disconnect the cables in the reverse order.
7. If the car still does not start, do not keep trying to charge the battery, otherwise you could damage the starter motor. Take the battery to the garage to see if it can be recharged.
8. Even if successful, be sure to recharge your battery properly by plugging it into a charger overnight or driving the car 5-10 miles.