Three Practical Ways To Preserve Your Car Battery

Posted on: 30 October 2015

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Keeping your car's battery alive and well is important. Fortunately, there are a number of practical things you can do to help accomplish this goal.

Start Your Car First

Whether it's your smartphone charger or some other electronic device, plugging these objects into your vehicle's charging terminal is an okay practice. However, make sure you're starting your car before you plug these devices in. The battery works hand-in-hand with the alternator. When you first turn your vehicle on, the alternator sends an electrical charge to the battery.

Once this happens, the battery is able to pull electricity from the alternator to power your devices. When you have these devices plugged in as soon as you start your car, this pulls some of the voltage from the battery and prevents it from fully relying on the alternator to help power these devices.

Chamber Inspection

Make it a point to inspect your battery terminal periodically. It's never a good thing for your battery to shake aggressively or vibrate. When inspecting the chamber, make sure the battery is secure so that it's not moving around when you drive.

When the battery is loose and able to move around, this can damage the battery and cause a short-circuit. This type of damage can drastically reduce the life of your battery or cause it to fail completely. Consider looking at the chamber each time you have the oil changed.

Insulate

In the winter months, it's especially important to make sure your battery is insulated. Extreme drops in the temperature can wreak havoc on a battery. The simplest way to protect a battery is to purchase an insulation kit for auto batteries.

These kits often include a thermal and acid resistant sleeve that you slide over the battery. The sleeve allows the battery to function as normal; however, it helps regulate the temperature around the battery to prevent the harsh weather from affecting it.

Replace When Necessary

Unfortunately, even with great care, your auto battery will have an expiration date. Once you find yourself having to recharge your battery frequently, chances are, this expiration date has come and gone. Trying to hold on to the battery will only cause you to get stranded more often than you would like. Make sure you're replacing your battery when it's time.

When it comes to maintaining your vehicle, it all begins with you. Make sure you are playing an active role in keeping your battery and all the other areas of your vehicle in great condition. For more iformaiton on batteries, talk to a professional like Battery Tree.