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How to Maintain a Car Battery: A Beginner’s Guide

Having a working car battery is obviously very important for turning the engine over and powering all your vehicle’s electronics. So paying attention to a few simple maintenance steps will help to extend the life of your car’s battery. To that end, the following will give you a brief idea of the basics. These include checking fluid levels, cleaning terminals, testing voltage, and charging when low.

Check the Battery Fluid

It is important to periodically check the distilled water fluid levels inside your conventional lead-acid car battery. Low fluid levels can cause permanent damage. You’ll need to open each cell and make sure the fluid reaches the indicated full line. If low, top it off with distilled water to avoid mineral buildup.

Clean the Terminals

Battery terminals get covered in corrosion over time. This prevents proper electrical contact. Twice a year, use a wire brush to scrub away corrosion on the metal terminals, but be sure to wear gloves and safety glasses. Clean terminals allow for full charging power to reach the battery. You can apply a thin coat of terminal protector spray when done.

Test the Voltage

The experts over at Clore Automotive recommend using a battery tester to test the battery’s state of charge at least once a month. Just clamp the tester onto the terminals and read the voltage level. A reading around 12.6V means the battery is fully charged. Between 12.3V – 12.6V is good. If it measures below 12.3V, your battery needs to be recharged soon before permanent cell damage.

Recharge When Low

Using battery chargers and tenders help keep your car battery optimized. Hook up your battery to a smart trickle charger when voltage drops too low per a tester reading. It’s best to use an automatic battery charger and leave it overnight versus a manual quick charger. This brings your battery to a full state of charge by replenishing lost energy through slow, safe conditioning.

Watch For Signs of Aging Batteries

As conventional car batteries near the end of service life, usually 3-5 years, you may notice more frequent low voltages, slower cranking, battery swelling or a white powdery discharge around the terminals. Have your battery professionally load tested if you observe these aging signs. Most auto stores offer free checks to determine if replacement is needed.

Maintain Accessories That Drain Battery

Devices plugged into your car’s DC outlets still slowly drain the battery when the car is off. Help avoid fully draining it by unplugging phone chargers, GPS units and other gadgets when not driving for longer than a day. Getting a deep cycle battery disconnected with a marine switch lets you keep accessories plugged in without gradually depleting the starting battery.

Watch For Extreme Temperature Effects

Keep your car battery away from unusually hot or cold conditions when possible. Heat causes car battery water evaporation and chemical changes during charging cycles. This shortens service life. Subfreezing winter temperatures reduce a battery’s cranking amps and ability to accept current. Park stored vehicles with battery tenders in moderate indoor temperatures.

Practice Battery Safety

Working around lead-acid batteries poses some safety risks. Be cautious of explosive hydrogen gas produced when charging batteries. Avoid short circuiting the terminals together or on metal surfaces when checking voltages or jump-starting vehicles. Always remove jewelry and wear proper hand, face and eye protection. If skin or eyes contact sulfuric acid inside a damaged battery, immediately rinse the affected area with cold running water for 15-20 minutes.

Conclusion

Consistently performing simple preventative battery maintenance gives you reliable engine starts while helping maximize your car battery’s service years before replacement becomes necessary. Investing a few minutes each month allows even beginners to easily keep their automotive batteries lasting and performing at peak levels for longer.