How To Make The Most Efficient Use Of Your Car Battery

It's not just electric cars that have batteries inside them. Fuel consuming cars also need them for performing various crucial functions. But they indeed deteriorate in time and need replacements. This article will tell you things that you need to do in order to ensure that the battery in your car lasts for a long duration. Let's get straight into it then.

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Secure the battery

A battery that is not secured in its place underneath the hood will experience heavy vibrations when on bumpy surfaces. This could ultimately damage the components inside, leading to not just a reduced lifetime but in some cases also a complete breakdown. It's hence, important that you tighten the bolts properly and use the right battery clamp to ensure it is held down at all times.

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Clean the battery

Your battery needs to be kept clean and dry in order to ensure that it lives longer. You must especially focus on its top surface where dirt and grime tend to grow. If these deposits get large enough, the battery can discharge on its own and short itself. Keeping the battery clean is also important so that rust does not develop on its terminals.

Avoid short trips

Taking your car out on short trips can eventually lower the life of its battery. That's because, the initial engine start is the most intense use of the battery and when you go on short trips, you do not give it enough time to get fully recharged. You can minimize this risk by driving around for about 10 minutes extra during your short trips, before turning off the car.

Complete shutdown

If your car engine is off, then avoid keeping headlights, taillights and interior light on as it can quickly drain the battery. The same goes for air conditioner and any other accessory in the car that draws its power from the battery. Similarly, when ur locking your car, make sure everything is switched off. Sometimes, interior light or headlights don´t switch off automatically when the car door is shut or when the car is locked, causing your battery to drain overnight.

Don't expose battery to heat

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Getting exposed to extreme heat is bad for car batteries. It leads to an increase in the rate of water evaporation from the cells. And the problem doesn't make itself shown until the winter. The lower temperatures absorb the remaining power from the battery as the engine is already struggling due to the thickened oil that is the result of the cold temperatures. Hence try to park your vehicle in the shade whenever possible.

Drive your car often

If your car is lying unused over long periods of time, this is not good news for your battery. It is imperative that a car battery stays charged 100% at all times to prevent damage over time. And to avoid this from happening, you must keep taking your car out for a spin every now and then.

These few tips will really help you in taking good care of your car's battery and will definitely increase its overall life.