The car battery is an important part of the car that usually gets ignored until it develops a problem. A faulty battery means your car won’t start or may end up stalling far away from home. When that happens it ruins your schedule and makes you run the expense of getting a tow truck. You can avoid any of such problems by taking proper care of your car battery. Here are some useful tips.
Get a good Car Battery
Taking care of your car battery begins with buying a good one in the first place. Be sure to go for a quality car battery that would stand the test of time. Know the power needs of your car and get a battery that would be adequate. Your present battery needs to be replaced if you notice signs of wear and tear like leaking, bulging or a crack. Look for where to sell used car batteries and dispose of it, then get yourself a good car battery.
Clean battery terminal and cables
Summer time is when battery problems start to creep up. The high temperature and engine heat cause corrosion to occur on the battery terminals and cables. Heat reduces the strength of the battery and this makes it hard to start your car during cold weather. To prevent this, you need to periodically clean the battery cables and terminal.
Start by cleaning the top of the batteries. Make use of a cup of water and a spoon of baking soda. Use a non-metallic brush to clean the top of the batteries then flush with water. Remove the battery terminals and also use the solution to clean off dirt and corrosion.
Fluid level
Take note that not all car batteries have removable caps that allow you check the level of fluid in the battery. If your battery is one of such, you would need to skip this step. If it has removable caps or plugs, remove them and check the level of battery fluid. If the vertical plates are well covered then the battery is in good condition. If the internal plates are exposed, then you need to carefully add distilled water. Do not overfill it, because heat expands battery fluid. Just put enough to cover the vertical plates.
Charge the battery
The car is designed in a way that the battery gets charged during use. However, if you only drive within the city or only use the car to make short trips, it is possible that your battery isn’t getting enough charge time. You may need to get an automatic battery charger. Simply attach the connecting cables from the charger to the battery, and unplug them when it indicates the battery is fully charged.
Winter Care
During winter, your car requires two times the battery power it needed to start in summer. Your car battery thus has to be fully charged and working optimally so as not to leave you stranded. A properly charged battery will better withstand the cold while a discharged battery will easily freeze during winter. This makes it important to keep your car battery fully charged, corrosion free and protected from the cold elements of winter.
Proper care and maintenance would help your car battery serve you longer. After a while, though, it would have to be replaced. When that time comes, look for where to sell used car batteries, dispose of it and get a new one.
