Car Battery – The heart of the car
A car battery is essentially a reserve source of energy, and it provides essential electrical power when the prime mover, that is the engine, is not operating. The whole 12-volt electrical system of a car is dependent on the car battery, and it provides electric power to the accessories such as headlamps, power windows, air condition, entertainment systems, etc. Besides providing basic 12-volt energy, the car battery is responsible to start the engine through the starter motor. If your car battery is not in a good shape or health, you won’t be able to start your car, and you will need external assistance such as a battery jump pack or connecting a 12-volt source from another running car. It becomes very essential due to this reason that you take car battery care to ensure that your car battery is in optimum condition and always ready to crank the engine. Here are some tips that can help you prolong the car battery life and maintain it.
Taking care of your battery
First, take care that you get your car serviced according to the periodic service schedule decided by the vehicle manufacturer. During servicing of the vehicle, the mechanic will check all the essential things, which include the car battery, and will warn you if its health has deteriorated. Even between the time frame, when you get your car service, it is a good practice that you check the condition of your car battery once a month to ensure that the water levels are good and there is no corrosion on the terminals. In case you find that the corrosion is present, then clean it with a solution of water and salt and scrub it gently. After cleaning, cover the terminal with some dielectric grease, which will block any further moisture intrusion. In case you find that the water level is low, you must only add distilled water to your car battery. Normal tap water can affect the chemistry of the car battery, making its life shorter.
Alternator of your car
Another thing to draw your focus upon is the alternator of your vehicle. The alternator is responsible for the charging of your car battery and if it is not functioning properly, then it will lead to a shorter life of the car battery. You can check it yourself if you have access to a multimeter. If the alternator is not charging properly, then get it serviced. Also do not install any crazy car accessory that is not suitable for your car’s electrical system or requires some heavy gauge wires. Thus, it can kill your car battery and can even become a source of the fire. It is your responsibility to ensure what is going in your car and whether it is compatible or not. Other small things like turning off all accessories before starting the car, making sure that the battery terminals are tight, disconnecting the car battery for long-term storage, etc can also be handy to prolong the life of the car battery. Maintaining a car can be challenging for some but with the help of these car battery care tips, you can ensure that the life of a car battery is prolonged.
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