How To Extend The Life Of The Car Battery?

Good battery maintenance is essential to extend its useful life. As with most items, if they are not taken care of correctly, they are more likely to fail sooner. So that your car does not have problems with the battery before it is due, you should pay attention to the following tips:

• It is important to choose the right battery. To do this, follow the specifications in the car’s maintenance book. If one is chosen that does not correspond, it could not supply enough for the electrical system and, therefore, trigger the risk of breakdowns in electro-mechanical components. In addition, it could also affect other factors such as increased fuel consumption.
• Consider battery life. In general, a starter battery usually lasts between 3 and 5 years, so if these years have already passed, it should be checked annually along with the rest of the elements. This way you can anticipate changing it before it fails. If you check your charge yourself with a voltmeter, you should bear in mind that if it indicates 12.6 volts, it indicates a 100% charge, while 12.4 indicates a limited charge (<50%), and below that level, it will be necessary recharge it.
• Do not expose it to high temperatures. As we mentioned at the beginning, extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, can considerably reduce battery life. Therefore, if your car sleeps in a garage, it will always be a plus in the maintenance of this part.
• Choose the charger well. If when measuring it with the voltmeter you see that the battery needs a charge, it is important to have the appropriate charger to recover it. There are portable batteries on the market that will help with this or, as you know, you can also recharge it with the help of another vehicle and some tweezers.
• Attention to the terminals. It is important that the terminals are in good condition to prevent them from making bad contact and, therefore, not starting. Therefore, they must be cleaned well and remove their impurities. It is advisable to do it with the help of a brush, water, baking soda, and an antistatic cloth, as well as Vaseline or a specific spray for this.
• The alternator must also be taken into account. In the same way that attention should be paid to the terminals, the alternator is another element that influences the battery. If it produces too much power, the battery will be overcharged and therefore wear out prematurely. On the other hand, if it does not generate enough energy, the battery does not recharge as it should and will not be able to meet the needs of the car’s electrical components.
• If you don’t use the car, unplug it. It is important to disconnect the battery if the vehicle is not going to be used for a long period of time. To do this, the battery terminals must be disconnected, first the negative terminal that corresponds to the black cable and then the positive terminal, the one with the red cable.

Finally, be careful not to leave the headlights on for a long time without using the vehicle. Neither should the air conditioning or radio be used with the car stopped as it consumes battery power.

If you need professional car maintenance tips or your car needs to be checked by a professional, consider a trusted San Diego Dent Repair company. Avoid taking matters into your hands if you don’t know what to do.