How To Extend The Life Of Your Car Battery?

Timely maintenance of all the elements that make up a car is the best way to avoid mishaps of any kind. It is also a good way to cut down on expenses.

Preventing and correcting in time is almost always better than replacing. In the case of the electrical system, there is a question that is usually on everyone’s lips. And this is none other than: how to extend the life of your car battery.

Start the engine, the battery’s mission number 1

In vehicles with combustion engines, starting is highly dependent on the battery. Without it, the machine just won’t start.

For these reasons, to extend the life of your car battery, the first steps to take into consideration must be taken before starting the car.

If the engine does not start on the first try, you should allow yourself a short rest period before trying again. The most wear and tear on the battery occurs during power-up, so don’t push yourself more than necessary. A 10 second wait does not take much time.

In the case of manual transmission vehicles, it is recommended to always keep the clutch depressed. Even when the gear lever is in neutral. This is because some gears in the case can be pulled by the starter motor.

The result of keeping the clutch depressed longer than necessary, generates a greater demand for energy.

During short trips it is better to walk

Should be avoided if possible, start the vehicle and turn it off again a few minutes later. On the one hand, it has already been mentioned that the greatest wear occurs during engine start-up. On the other hand, the alternator takes several minutes before proceeding to recharge the battery.

To extend the life of your car battery, you must protect it from the cold.  Extreme temperatures in general do not make it easy to extend the life of your car battery.

It is recommended not to subject this electricity generator and accumulator to parameters that are not between 5 ° C and 35 ° C for prolonged periods.

In winter, special precautions must be taken. Especially in cars that “sleep” on the street, outside the “warmth” of a closed garage. Protecting the battery with a blanket or fleece can help it retain some heat.

Caution with long periods with the car stopped

• In general, a vehicle parked for a long time can cause different types of damage. The battery is one of the equipment that “suffers the most” with inactivity.
• People who plan to go on a trip and leave the car at home for a few days, may choose to disconnect the terminals. It is also recommended to have some safety systems checked, such as airbags, once the vehicle is put into operation again.
• Do not overload the system with electronic devices

• Unless they are absolutely necessary, it is always advisable not to overload the car with accessories that require electrical power and are not completely autonomous.
• In case of placing this type of implements, it is necessary to go to a specialist. Sometimes poorly done installations lead to the battery being discharged with the car turned off.
• It is also important to note that any device inside the vehicle that requires electrical power must remain off while the engine is not running. The same principle should apply at power-up.

Check and clean the terminals regularly

It is a simple and fast task. Constant vibration caused by movement can cause the terminals to loosen, causing the battery to malfunction. These intermittencies can affect performance and reduce service life.

On the other hand, these terminals can be sulphated with some frequency, mainly in vehicles with several years of use. This kind of white shell that prevents the constant flow of energy, can be removed with the help of a metal brush and baking soda.

As in the rest of the devices of the vehicle, the battery requires a minimum maintenance and a series of matters to take care of. And all this will result in us not having an unexpected surprise one day, when starting, at any time, in any place.