How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Car Battery

  As with any electronic device, there are certain things you can do to prolong the life of your car battery. Take mobile phones and laptops as an example. It’s better to give your gadget a long charge than to frequently plug it in and unplug it. The same goes for your car battery. When you go for a short drive, the battery only gets a brief charge. On a long-enough timeline, this will negatively affect the lifespan of your battery. That’s why it’s best to try and consolidate shorter trips into single, longer outings. Car batteries have their limits, and all will eventually reach a point at which they no longer function properly. But there are several strategies you can employ to prolong their lifespan. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your car battery:

• Perform routine maintenance on your battery. Batteries require ongoing maintenance in order to continue operating at peak efficiency. This begins with regularly checking the water level in the battery and topping it up when necessary. You should also keep an eye out for corrosion. Corrosion results in a white build-up on the battery terminals that needs to be cleaned up. You can address this by mixing baking soda and water at a three-to-one ratio and using this to scrub the terminals with a toothbrush. Just be sure to remove the wires from the battery post – beginning with the negative terminal first.

• Don’t use the car’s accessories when the car isn’t running. All of the accessories in the car – from the horn to the radio – use energy from the battery to operate. Using these devices and gadgets when the car isn’t running (and actively charging the battery) creates a serious drain on the battery. To extend the life of your battery, only use these devices when the engine is engaged.

• Insulate your battery. This is an easy issue to overlook. The life and health of your battery is affected by temperature. In fact, batteries in hotter climates tend to have a shorter lifespan. You can also protect your battery from extreme heat and cold with an insulating sleeve. Just make sure that it fits properly, as a poor-fitting sleeve can actually do more harm than good.

• Fully charge your battery once a week. This is a relatively large task, but it goes a long way toward preserving the life of your battery. When your engine is disengaged, the battery steadily loses its charge. On a long enough timeline, it will even die. This explains why your car might not start after returning from holiday. You can actually purchase a battery charger that will keep yours in peak charged condition even when you’re not driving it. This goes a long way toward extending the life of your car battery.

Every battery has its limits, and there comes a time when the only option is to purchase a new one. If you’re in the market for a new battery, have a look at our selection and let us know if you have any questions.