The car battery is rightfully considered one of the most important parts of the car, since it is thanks to it that the engine is started and the electronics are maintained. The car battery is rightfully considered one of the most important parts of the car, since it is thanks to it that the engine is started and the electronics are maintained.
The content of the article:
- Recommendations for Extending Battery Life
- How to properly charge the battery
It is generally accepted that a car battery can work for about 4-5 years without causing any problems to the owner of the car, however, in the course of improper operation, its service life can be noticeably reduced, which promises unpleasant situations on the road that may appear at the most inopportune moment. To avoid such situations and not only not to shorten, but also to increase the battery life, you need to know and adhere to some operating rules.
Basic rules and tips for extending battery life
To begin with, it should be noted that today car batteries are divided into two groups: low-maintenance and maintenance-free. In the first case, operation is much easier, since it is required from the car owner once every 5-6 months. contact the service center or service station, where the water level and electrolyte density, as well as the current and voltage, will be checked. In the case of a maintenance-free battery, minimal maintenance can be done in your garage, which even a beginner can easily handle. But both in the first and in the second case, it is necessary to know and apply several basic rules that will significantly increase the life of the battery:
- It is highly discouraged to use a discharged battery, especially in the cold season. It is important to remember that in winter the load on the battery increases several times, since more energy is required to warm up the mirrors and seats, the headlights are used much longer, and the engine starts more difficult due to the low air temperature. At the same time, it is worth considering the fact that in most cases the battery does not have time to fully recharge, especially if the car is used exclusively for driving from and to work.
In this case, before leaving the car for "overnight", it is recommended to turn off all sources that consume energy, and also let the engine run for a while so that the battery has time to recharge.
- In winter, you must also try to make it as easy as possible to start the power unit. This can be done without overloading the starter at the moment of starting the car: its continuous operation should not be more than 10-15 seconds. If you did not start the car the first time, you should try again after waiting at least a couple of minutes.
Before starting the engine, it is recommended to slightly "warm up" the car battery, which can be done by turning on the high beam for 20-30 seconds. Moreover, experts recommend that you depress the clutch pedal as much as possible before starting, which allows you to separate the engine and transmission, thereby eliminating the need for the starter to turn the transmission gears in oil frozen in the cold.
- It is worth carefully monitoring the cleanliness of the battery case and battery terminals. If electrolyte drips are detected, you can get rid of them with an ordinary cloth, having previously moistened it in a light solution of ammonia. You can clean the terminals with a brush or cloth.
- Since the battery tolerates vibration extremely poorly, which in most cases is the main reason for its breakdown, it is necessary to control the reliability of its fastening. It is advisable to do this at least once every few months.
- It is important to remember that batteries cannot be left in a discharged state for a long time, as this leads to faster destruction of the plates. It is necessary to recharge them with special chargers, while taking into account that the current strength should not be more than 1/10 of the nominal capacity of the battery. It is recommended to carry out additional charging of the battery in winter once every 2 months, and in summer - once every 3-4 months.
A few words about the correct charging of the battery
Even an inexperienced car owner knows that improper battery charging has a negative effect on battery life. Therefore, it is worth knowing a few rules to avoid mistakes and preserve battery life.
Before you start charging a battery brought in from the cold, you should wait a little until it warms up. Immediately before charging, you need to unscrew the protective plugs and measure the electrolyte level, add distilled water if necessary, and then, without twisting the plugs, put the battery on charge. This will allow harmful substances that may be released by the battery during the recharging process to be unhindered.
It is important to remember that it is necessary to charge the battery in well-ventilated rooms, otherwise there is a high risk of poisoning with alkali vapors released by the battery.
And the last, very important remark, made even by very experienced drivers, is to observe the polarity of connecting the battery to the charger. If the charger is connected incorrectly, the battery may simply fail, after which it will need to be replaced.
After charging, it is recommended to check the density of each battery cell, and if a difference is found in at least one of them within the range of 0.05 g / cm, you must refuse to use such a battery, since it is faulty and can cause irreparable damage to the car.
