New Tips to keep your batteries in Good Health to maximize their lifespan (save $$$)
In many places in North America, winter is very harsh. This harsh winter always affect our car batteries. We all want our cars to start when we needed. Car batteries typically last between 3 and 5 years.
How to maximize your car battery Life in 2013? Here are some new ways to prolong a car's battery.
1. Avoid parasitic drain
It's a good idea to be aware of how your car batteries operate. People tend to think that the larger the battery the better, but that isn't necessarily the case. It's best to determine how much amperage your car requires, and choose a battery of that size. If you choose one that has larger amperage than your car needs, it might not last as long. A car's battery will drain naturally over time. Certain accessories, like the clock and alarm, require constant power. This is called a “parasitic drain” and it is normal, in moderation. “Add-on” accessories, like heavy-duty speakers, can cause excessive drain and lead to a dead battery. Leaving a car's headlights on overnight or a door ajar for a few hours can have a similar effect.
In fact, car accessories may be one of the main reasons why batteries drain in extreme weather. If you're stuck in stop and go traffic, try to turn off as many accessories as you can, while still feeling comfortable. You don’t want to leave your heater, seat warmers and rear-view defrosters on all the time.
2. Using Trickle Charger
A trickle charger works by charging your battery at a rate similar to the rate at which it discharges. However, it is possible to cause damage to your battery by leaving it on the charger for too long. While a trickle charger works at a much slower rate than a regular battery charger, they are not designed to be left on a battery indefinitely. Depending on how depleted your battery's charge is, you may need to leave it on the trickle charger for a few hours or for a day or two. It is important to monitor the battery while it is on the charger and remove it immediately upon receiving a full charge. Otherwise, the battery could be ruined or even catch fire.
3. Check for battery corrosion
Corrosion can prevent a car from starting, and it's caused by a faulty connection between the battery case and post. It can be aggravated by loose battery terminals, cracks in the battery casing, debris, and extreme heat and cold, as well as over-charging. Regular battery inspection and cleaning can help prevent this.
4. Disconnection
Disconnect your battery if you're parking your car for the winter. If you plan on keeping your car in the garage during the colder months, disconnect your battery. This will prevent erroneous drain.
5. Less use of air conditioners
Car accessories should be minimized all year round. Dead batteries don't just happen during the winter. In addition to the corrosion that can arise from extreme summer heat, air conditioners are a huge source of battery drain.
6. Car Accessories (radio, heater)
Turn your accessories off before you turn off your car. Starting a car with the heater and radio set to full power can drastically reduce a battery's life.
7. Using Float Charger
A float charger works much in the same way as a trickle charger--by delivering a slow charge to the battery. However, the float charger is designed to prevent over-charging of a battery. It can sense when the battery has received a full charge and thus ceases charging until the battery begins to lose its charge. When it senses a loss in charge it will automatically resume charging. Due to this feature, the float charger can be left on a battery indefinitely.
How to Use Trickle and Float Chargers
A good use for a trickle battery charger is for a battery that has not been in use for several months as it is better for a battery to be recharged at a slow rate. A good use for a float charger is for a vehicle that is rarely driven, but that the owner wants to be able to access at any time without having to recharge the battery.
It is important to know how to connect a charger to a battery to prevent damage and injury. There should be a black clip and a red clip on the charger. These are what you use to connect to the battery. The red goes on the positive terminal, usually marked with a plus (+) sign and the black goes on the negative terminal, usually marked with a minus (-) sign. It is recommended to connect the back first and then the red. Once the wires have been connected to the battery, plug in the charger then turn it on.
And remember - the better you take care of your car's battery, the longer it will last. “I've seen car batteries last as long as 7 years, with proper care, while this isn't typical, it's certainly possible
