The primary function of your car battery is to start your vehicle. It's also in charge of supplying power to your vehicle's lighting, audio system, and any other electrically powered components.
What Types Of Car Battery Maintenance Are Necessary?
That depends on the type of battery. The better modern batteries, particularly AGM batteries like the Optima, are sealed and require very little maintenance. If they aren't used regularly, all you need to do is connect them to a suitable voltage maintainer. If you have a more classic flooded cell battery, simply check the water level from time to time to prevent it from drying out and exposing the plates.
The process of car battery maintenance is critical to ensuring that your vehicle functions properly. So, here are some car battery maintenance tips.
Every two years, test your battery
The acid in your battery might slowly evaporate in hot temperatures, reducing the amount of acid in the battery. This prevents it from receiving a full charge and running at maximum capacity. It can also corrode the plates and cables of your battery.
There are several methods for testing your car battery. You may either have it tested by a mechanic or acquire a few tools to do it yourself.
Every four years, change the battery
Each car battery should be replaced every four years, and you must remember to do so to guarantee that your vehicle operates correctly.
Nothing is more frustrating than losing power in the middle of short trips, so don't try to stretch the life of your battery any further than necessary.
Examine the lead-acid level
Your battery's acid level should be checked every six months. Keep an eye out for acid stratification, which occurs when batteries are charged below 80%, don't obtain a full charge, or have shallow discharges.
Electrolytes will concentrate at the bottom of a layered battery, leaving the top hungry. Your battery is especially vulnerable if you travel short distances while using power-sucking devices.
Carefully add water
If the electrolyte levels go low (the plates become exposed), fill them with distilled water.
Use caution and only refill the cells to cover the plates when doing this. When adding water, using a funnel or a sports bottle allows you to manage the flow.
Use a battery charger to recharge the battery after pumping up the water levels.
When the engine is turned off, turn off the headlights and interior lights
When the car isn't driving, these lights draw power directly from the battery, like appliances. Please turn off all the lights in the automobile after you've turned it off. Start them just after you've started the engine.
Before leaving the car, double-check that your headlights are turned off.
Battery maintenance by cleaning
Cleaning the battery prevents dirt and debris from entering the cells. Cleaning the top of the battery and around the terminals is vital because this might promote corrosion on nearby metal.
To remove any "crust," use ammonia-based window cleaners or a mixture of baking soda and water and a wire brush. Remember that the brush should be moist rather than wet. After you've finished cleaning, wipe the battery down to remove any baking soda residue, which might cause corrosion.
When cleaning, make sure no liquid enters through the battery ports.
Do not leave your car unattended for too long
Leaving your car unattended for an extended period might deplete your battery. As a result, driving your vehicle at least once every three days is recommended.
Battery maintenance will help it live much longer, which is essential for maintaining your car in good working order. If your battery has been replaced several times and the condition of your car is deteriorating, it may be time to say goodbye.
Test the battery's capacity
A battery load test should be performed once a month in most cases. This is to check that the gadget is adequately charged. A mechanic can perform this test for you.
Replace your battery with one that is less than a month old
When it's time to replace the battery, make sure you obtain a fresh one. The manufacture date can be seen on the side of the battery. For the best battery performance, look for one that was made within the last month.
Battery replacement is necessary because they degrade over time. A battery that is more than a month old would most likely last less time than one that is fresh new.
Avoid purchasing a used or low-cost battery. These are almost probably going to be short-lived.
Garage parking
Maintaining a consistent charge requires keeping your car battery out of the elements. Extreme cold can make it challenging to start a car; this could signify a failing battery. Battery fluid evaporates when exposed to excessive heat. Overcharging occurs, as a result, dramatically reducing battery life.
If possible, keep your car in an enclosed garage during periods of excessive temperature to create a consistent climate beneficial to battery health.
Keep it safe
Unfortunately, car batteries cannot be thrown away like Duracell or Energizer batteries. They contain several components, including fluid and acid, which can leak if the battery is dropped. Your engine may suffer irreversible damage as a result of this.
Check your battery now and then to verify that it is correctly positioned and not sensitive to being moved around. Keep the battery tray clean and secure it using industrial-strength rubber bungee cords if necessary.
Utilise the Sun
If you don't often drive or know your car will be sitting idle for an extended period, a solar charger can be a good investment. Similar chargers can be used with any wall outlet, but a solar charger is self-contained, renewable, and portable.
The solar panel goes on your dash and charges your vehicle battery as needed once it is fitted. To prevent overcharging, most external chargers on the market will immediately close off and restart based on voltage.
Using an Insulation Blanket, tuck it in
Protecting your car battery with insulation is little-known maintenance advice. The amount of space under the hood of modern vehicles has shrunk in recent years. This is the outcome of improved aerodynamics and fuel efficiency due to design. The issue is that these design elements might limit engine airflow.
Insulating your car battery will keep it safe from cold and hot temperatures. Purchasing a larger battery to sustain a charge for longer is common sense. On the other hand, a larger battery will restrict airflow and increase the rate of failure. The best option is to get a smaller battery with enough space on the tray for insulation material.
Maintain a 12.6-volt battery charge
This is the ideal voltage for charging a battery. The battery's performance and longevity will suffer if it goes below this level. Connect the positive lead (red) to the battery's positive terminal and the negative lead (black) to the negative terminal with a voltmeter. Hold them in place for a few seconds while waiting for the meter to read them.
Deep cycle batteries aren't designed to handle the excess heat and rapid charging of a regular/traditional battery charger.
Connect a battery charger by connecting the negative lead to the negative terminal first, then the positive lead to the positive terminal if the charge is less than 12.6 volts. Replace the battery and charge it to 12.6 volts.
When testing and charging the battery, always wear rubber gloves.
To protect the battery from the cold, wrap it in a battery heater
A battery heater can keep your battery from dying in the cold if you live in a cold climate or if winter is approaching. These are essentially warm jackets that fit over the battery. Purchase a battery warmer from your local auto parts store and follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Battery warmers are divided into two categories. The first is a battery that is wrapped in insulated fabric. These are less expensive, but they are less effective. When you plug it in, a rubber coating inflates. The battery will be better protected as a result.
Brands of Car Batteries in Australia
Batteries are the beating heart of cars; without them, your vehicle would not function. If you try to start your automobile but it won't, give it a kickstart, and it will start. The problem could be with the car battery, which needed to be replaced.
Replace a battery with a long-lasting one to avoid this scenario in the future.
Most buyers desire both affordability and quality when making a purchase. Check out Australia's top three car batteries.
Marshall Battery
Do you remember the advertisement "Hollar for a Marshall" if you reside in Australia?
Marshall has created batteries for nearly 75 years and is Australia's "most widely recognized retail battery brand."
Marshall batteries are known for not just providing batteries but also roadside help. Batteries, fleet battery servicing, and jumpstarts are all examples of roadside services.
Marshall batteries will also come to your location to retrieve dead or near-end batteries. Their primary goal is to help the environment by recycling that old dead battery. Their recycling facility generates around 96,000 metric tons of refined lead and leads alloys per year.
Their product line includes SUVs, 4WDs, caravans, solar, marine, jet skis, motorcycles, mowers, heavy trucks, tractors, and industrial equipment.
Supercharge Battery
Another car battery is well-known for its long lifespan—Ramsar (one of Asia's finest battery providers )'s firm, formed in 1984 in Australia.
They've been offering custom-made designs to their consumers to take the lead in the local market. Because of their long history of good performance, consumers trust this brand with their vehicles, 4WD, trucks, marine, lawn care, deep cycle, and motorcycles with Supercharge batteries.
Since 2007, Supercharge batteries have been collected and recycling Used Lead Acid Batteries to help the environment.
Century Yuasa Car Battery
Century batteries are one of Australia's most dependable and long-lasting battery brands. Founded in 1962, the company has established itself as one of Australia's market leaders.
In addition, they recycle around 3000 tonnes of lead-acid batteries each year to help the environment.
Australia is where Century batteries are made. The reverse capacity, cold cranking ampere (cck), and hot cranking ampere (hck) are all set for Australian conditions.
Batteries for cars, marines, buses, trucks, heavy machinery and other applications are available from Century.
Maintaining your car battery is a straightforward approach to running your vehicle smoothly and avoiding breakdowns. Furthermore, good maintenance will keep your car batteries out of the landfill for a more extended period. It's challenging and time-consuming to eliminate the corrosive and hazardous substances in car batteries. Maintaining the health of your car battery is another method you may contribute to environmental preservation.