5 Ways to Prolong the Life of Your Battery

The car battery is the beating heart of the automobile, which means that you need to know how to look after the battery to prolong its life, while also allowing the vehicle to run smoothly and efficiently at all times. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to preserve the life of the battery which can be highly effective.

Avoid Short Trips

It is a smart idea to avoid short trips where possible because this is good for the battery health. It also reduces fuel costs and is good for the environment. In terms of battery health, the alternator recharges the battery during a journey so short trips make it hard for the battery to regain the amount of power lost.

Keep Battery Clean & Fastened Tightly

Keeping the battery and terminals clean and free from grime is important for prolonging its life and avoiding a mild short circuit, which can flatten the battery. Additionally, you need to make sure that the battery is fastened tightly as vibrations can damage the internal components. Avoid over-tightening as this could also damage the battery.

Minimize Power Usage

Ideally, you will want to keep the battery at 100% as much as possible, which means that you need to minimize power usage as much as possible. Therefore, you should avoid using the interior lights, headlights or any other electrical accessories when the engine is off.

Measure Battery Charge Regularly

You can use a battery charger to help maintain the correct voltage to prolong the life of your battery. A refractometer from somewhere like RS can be used to measure the battery charge on a regular basis.

Minimize Heat Exposure

While it can be hard to start your car during the cold winter months, it is actually the summer heat which can do the most damage to the battery. High temperatures can cause the liquids to evaporate from the cells. It can also corrode the internal components. Therefore, you should minimize heat exposure whenever possible by parking in the shade and storing the car in a garage when not in use.

Follow these easy steps and you can prolong the life of your car battery. The batteries have a limited life span and lose their ability to hold charge over time. Therefore it is vital to know how to prolong the life of the battery to keep the car running for longer and to avoid having to replace the battery.