Car batteries suffer if heavily discharged, damaging the cells as well as failing to start the car. So, if the charge warning light comes on, or if the battery seems very sluggish on starting, get the system checked as soon as possible.
If the battery has removable vents (maintenance-free batteries may be sealed, and low-maintenance batteries may not be easy to open) check the electrolyte level. Top up to cover the plates with distilled or deionised water – de-frost water from the ’fridge is ok provided it’s absolutely clean. With maintenance free or low-maintenance batteries, topping up should only be necessary every year or so: have the charging rate checked if much water is being lost.
Corrosion of the battery terminals can cause starting problems. Before removing either battery lead make sure any radio and security codes are noted as given in the handbook, and the engine must be stopped. Remove the negative lead (Black - ) first, then the positive (Red + ), and just lightly scrape the battery posts and the inside of the terminals. Coat the faces with petroleum jelly and re-attach, tightening firmly but not over-straining the fixings.
A battery has a bunch of lead walls in it and they produce chemical electricity by mixing and moving acid around inside. But when your car bounces around a lot these lead walls loosen up, brake off, and can cause your battery to die quickly, or not operate and leave you stranded. To reduce vibration of your battery make sure that your battery is secury straped down, usually cars have some sort of bracket or tie down to hold it in place. Just make sure to check that it’s still there from time to time or that it hasn’t become loose.
Another way to keep good care of your battery is to keep it properly charged. To keep it charged right run the vehicle for about an hour at least one time a week. If you drive normally then you don’t have to worry about it. By running the car the alternator generates electricity and runs it back to the battery and charges it. Letting your battery die by leaving the key on or the lights and then having to jump start it all the time is bad for your battery, you shouldn’t put your battery in such extreme conditions. It needs to be at a constant voltage.
Now we can talk about inspection for your battery. It’s pretty simple, if you car takes a long time to crank over and feels slow, or it doesn’t crank over at all, chances are your battery is bad. If your battery is bad it can still turn on the car, it just may take longer. If you feel your battery may be bad, just take it to your nearest auto shop and have them test it, they usually don’t charge you for it, or charge very little. If it’s bad they are very easy to change the battery, just take off the two battery cables, and then remove the holding bracket. When taking off the battery leads, make sure to take the negative (black) lead off first then take off the positive (red). Then when you reinstall the cables you need to put the red on first then the black last. If you do it backwards there is a chance you could mess up a computer.
Dropping batteries is bad, do not do that, you could break open the case and cause acid to leak out. NEVER TOUCH ANYTHING CONDUCTIVE ON THE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE POST AT THE SAME TIME. You can cause a fire or make a batter go boom, and by boom, I mean explode. Remember if you have a bad battery, then you’re screwed because your car won’t do much after that. Take out your car’s heart(battery) and see what happens.
If you pop open your hood and see a bunch of blue, yellow, or just weird looking powder on your batter post. That is acid, and that is bad. That means acid has leaked from your battery and is eating away at your battery post and cables. You need to clean this right away with water and a wire brush. You can buy special battery acid neautralizer but water usually will do the trick. Be sure not to inhale any of it because it’s not good for you and also it can eat through your clothes after you wash them. If you clean it and the acid comes back, then I recommend replacing your battery and buying battery protectors which sit on your battery post to help keep acid from forming. Acid can build up and go into your battery cables and cause resistance in your electrical systems causing your car to act funny.
When to change car battery? Modern car batteries have a life expectancy of around five to seven years, but it’s pretty much impossible to predict when the end is getting near. So, the options are to soldier on until it fails, or change it at say five years – and the latter is probably the best option. At least this gives you the chance to choose a suitable battery at your convenience. But what to look for?
The basic voltage, current rating and size of battery will be given in the dealer’s catalogues, and these must of course be right for the make and model of car. There will then be the choice of battery make, capacity, grid type and warranty life. These factors will be reflected in the price of car battery, as generally the higher capacity and longer warranties go with the more expensive brands. In most cases they’ll be worth paying for – particularly in the case of a diesel where cold-start current demand will be higher than for the same sized petrol engine.
Maintenance-free batteries will use lead-calcium for both grids, and this is nowadays a widely sold type of battery. An alternative, sometimes cheaper type is the “hybrid” lead-calcium/lead-antimony low maintenance batteries, or the older style plain lead-antimony battery. There are good and bad examples of each type, but in our tests the lead-calcium/lead-antimony battery performed better overall than the others.
Having selected a make and type, look for the date of manufacture, or ask the dealer to check it, if it’s not shown. Batteries don’t improve in storage. If a calcium battery is more than a year old, or for other types say six months, look for a newer one, or at least check that it has been recharged within the last three months. And weigh the warranties. A three or four years’ warranty indicates a greater degree of confidence on the part of the manufacturer.
Your headlights look dim at idle and then brighten when you rev the engine.
The starter turns slowly, barely starting the car. But you may have alternator wiring problems that prevent the battery from fully charging. If that’s the case, schedule a service appointment. Check your fan belt. If it’s loose, frayed, cracked or glazed, have it serviced or replaced.
A low battery can also be caused by:
Frequent short trips.
Too many accessories left on or added.
Look for a purchase date chart on the battery (it may be handwritten). The battery case will also have a decal stating its expected life, such as 60 or 84 months. If it’s near the end of this expected service life, replace it.
Many times the first hint of a battery problem shows up during the starting process. The starter is a small but powerful electric motor which depends on the car’s battery for its energy. Once the key has been turned in the ignition, a circuit between the battery and the starter is completed through a solenoid switch. In an ideal world, the starter motor’s shaft spins a small gear at the tip called a bendix, which in turn connects with the main engine’s flywheel. If the bendix fails to meet the flywheel, the engine simply won’t start. The result is a spinning shaft with nowhere to go.
If the car battery is too weak to provide a sufficient charge to the starter, the solenoid switch will not function correctly. It will make a distinctive clicking sound. This clicking should indicate to the driver that the battery is not fully charged. It will need to be recharged with professional equipment or jumpstarted. But a simple procedure called a load test can be performed to determine if the battery is ready to be replaced. A serviceman will attach a voltmeter to the battery’s terminals while the car is running. A switch on the voltmeter will then change the power load from the alternator to the battery alone. Sometimes a weak alternator will be the culprit, but other times the test will reveal a weak battery not capable of holding a charge. This means the battery must be replaced.
Thats all how to take care of your car battery. If you found out your battery is weak, go to nearest workshop and replace with the new one. Hope this info helps you a lot. If you have some experience regarding car batteries, please share in the comment area.
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