Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Automotive Battery

The lifespan of an automobile battery is fixed for some valid reasons. The average lifespan of a car battery is between two and five years, although certain drivers may need to replace their batteries more frequently than that.

The life of your car battery might be shortened by variables like extreme temperatures and how often you drive, but you can extend its life by taking care of it.

Although automobile batteries may have a certain lifespan, there are steps you can take to extend their usefulness. To help your car’s battery last longer, consider these nine suggestions.

1. Shorten Your Rides To A Reasonable Length

Your car’s battery won’t be able to charge on short excursions fully. You can extend the life of your automotive battery by driving it more frequently and for longer periods of time. 

To regain the energy expended in starting a car, you’ll need to drive for an average of 20 minutes.

1. Please Check That Your Battery Is Securely Attached

Always use a proper battery terminal and keep the terminals tight. You can use a quality custom tamper tape for this purpose. 

Vibrations, which can create electrical shorts and other problems, are reduced as a result. Keep in mind the importance of checking it frequently. A better option would be to switch to a vibration-proof AGM battery. 

1. Keep Your Idling Accessories To A Minimum

The battery’s primary function is to supply energy for cranking the engine. Turning on the radio, lights, and other electronics while the engine is idling puts a strain on the battery. 

Especially if you have upgraded your electronics and their power requirements surpass the alternator’s output at idle, which is normally just 30% of its output capacity.

1. Use A Voltmeter To Check The Status Of Your Car’s Battery

The digital battery terminal volt meter or a plug-n-play 12v socket converter made with custom injection molding can be used to monitor the system voltage and, thus, the battery’s health. 

The voltage of a healthy battery should be at least 12.7 volts. You should recharge the battery if the readings decrease below the minimum safe level.

1. Keep Your Car From Sitting For Extended Periods Of Time

The charge on regular Wet Cell Lead-acid batteries will inevitably drain over time. Self-discharge is the term for this phenomenon. Plugging in a smart charger can reduce the risk of self-discharge if your car is left parked for more than a week. 

Wet, Gel, or AGM, ensure it’s set to the right battery type. You should not utilize a slow charger if you have a modern device. If you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time, you should use a smart charger or maintainer or, at the absolute least, check that the battery is fully charged before disconnecting the negative terminal to lessen the likelihood of parasitic drain.

1. Keep Your Car’s Battery Safe From The Cold And The Heat

The weather’s extreme temperature swings can compromise your car’s battery’s health. Use insulation kits to keep your battery toasty through the winter. Lithium batteries include a metal casing that insulates them from temperature changes and extremely high internal density.

1. Watch The Water Levels In Your Car’s Battery

Wet cell automobile batteries need to have their water levels checked at least once every three months after purchase. Check your battery once a week if it’s more than 1.5 years old. 

Low water (electrolyte) levels can be brought on by extreme heat. It’s especially important to check the water level in your car’s battery during the warm summer months. 

Distilled water is the only acceptable alternative for recharging a battery. Ions in tap water shorten the life of car batteries significantly. Sealed and maintenance-free batteries can help you avoid this problem altogether.

1. Weekly Inspections

Keeping the terminals and connectors in your car clean is important as part of routine maintenance. Corrosion causes the car battery cable to deteriorate over time. Building up can be avoided with routine checkups. 

Corrosion can be dissolved with the use of alkaline or acidic substances. Stinger’s ring terminals have shock-chrome plating, preventing corrosion and extending your vehicle’s battery life. 

The batteries are completely sealed, making them resistant to corrosion. In contrast to their wet and gel cell counterparts, sealed designs prevent the corrosive components from evaporating and clinging to the battery terminals.

1. Keep Your Battery Clean

If your automobile battery is covered with grime, dirt, or moisture, it could leak across the casing and cause a short circuit, draining the battery quickly. This dirt sits on the surface, so a quick wipe-down with a sponge and dry towel will do the trick. To prevent buildup, do this at least once a month.

The terminals and lead clamps of batteries are prone to corrosion. Cleaning the terminals and lead clamps of any corrosion or buildup is essential to extending the life and performance of your battery. Inquire about having the terminals cleaned when getting serviced.

Conclusion

There are many things you can do to extend the life of your battery. Regularly having your car’s battery checked by a professional will help ensure it won’t give out on you when you need it to. 

During your next auto service appointment, have your mechanic double-check your battery’s health and charging capabilities.