Car battery maintenance - tips and schedule
When it comes to car maintenance, you probably think of the obvious things like getting oil changes, tire rotations, and checking your brake pads. However, is your car battery on the list of maintenance to do?
Well, the car battery is an essential part of a car, which assists from starting the engine to comfortable cooling. For that reason, it is very important to take good care of your car battery.
Maintenance and periodic check-ups of car battery are very essential as it helps in improving the performance of the battery and thus helps in smooth functioning of your car. Autocar-inspection has some simple tips to keep your car battery in top shape for the best performance possible.
Regular testing and inspection will help to maximise battery life. A routine inspection at least once a month is recommended to maintain optimum performance. Here they are several things to do when inspecting and maintain the battery every months.
For more detail on how to check your battery's voltage, you can read on how to test a car battery with multimeter post that i wrote before. If you are using a hydrometer, a fully charged battery will have an specific gravity reading above 1.240.
Clean the battery terminals as soon as possible, you can use use a wire brush and a pace made from baking soda and water to clean the terminals, just make sure you rinse thoroughly before putting the connectors back in place. (Read: How to clean battery corrosion)
The last, apply a thin coating of high temperature grease to each terminal and cable connections, this will help prevent rusting and corrosion of the battery terminals.
Another physical damage or warpage on the battery case may indicates the battery has been overheated or has been overcharged. You need to check the car charging system entirely (alternator, fuse, belt, etc) and also, its a sign that you need to replace the battery soon.
Ensure the electrolyte level is in between the maximum and minimum level. If topping up is required, do not over fill as the fluid levels will rise when the battery is fully charged and may overflow. Top up using distilled or demineralised water and never fill with sulphuric acid.
If you see the electrolyte color looks black, its a sign that you need a battery replacement soon. Electrolyte color changing (to be blackish) may indicates the battery plates has been overheated and damage. Read: Car battery leaking ? Here's what to do
To maximise battery life, its recommend to recharge batteries with an appropriate battery charger every 3 months to maintain peak performance.
Even if your battery is fully charged, using a proper battery charger will still be beneficial to your battery's overall state of health. And also, complete the battery maintenance by doing a regular monthly inspection again after you charge the battery. (Read : How to charge car battery at home)
For batteries used in seasonal applications and stored long term, fully recharge the battery prior to storing. Check the state of charge or voltage regularly. If the battery voltage drop below 12.5V then recharge the battery. It is important to check the battery completely before reconnecting to the car.
Well, the car battery is an essential part of a car, which assists from starting the engine to comfortable cooling. For that reason, it is very important to take good care of your car battery.
Maintenance and periodic check-ups of car battery are very essential as it helps in improving the performance of the battery and thus helps in smooth functioning of your car. Autocar-inspection has some simple tips to keep your car battery in top shape for the best performance possible.
I. Regular monthly inspection and maintenance (once a month)
Regular testing and inspection will help to maximise battery life. A routine inspection at least once a month is recommended to maintain optimum performance. Here they are several things to do when inspecting and maintain the battery every months.
1. Check the battery's state of charge
The best reliable way to check the battery's state of charge is using a voltmeter to determine the stabilised voltage, or you can use a hydrometer to determine the spesific gravity of the electrolyte. Here is a table of battery's state of charge that you can use to| Battery condition | Voltage range |
|---|---|
| Fully charge (Good) | ⩾12.6 Volt |
| Fair to use | 12-12.5 Volt |
| Low voltage | 11.8-12 Volt |
| Discharge | ⩽11.8 Volt |
2. Inspect the terminals
Inspect the terminals, screws, clamps, and cables for breakage, damage or loose connections. These items should be clean, tight, and free corrosion. If the terminals are corroded, they may loosing its connection and its not good for the electric flow.Clean the battery terminals as soon as possible, you can use use a wire brush and a pace made from baking soda and water to clean the terminals, just make sure you rinse thoroughly before putting the connectors back in place. (Read: How to clean battery corrosion)
The last, apply a thin coating of high temperature grease to each terminal and cable connections, this will help prevent rusting and corrosion of the battery terminals.
3. Inspect the battery case
You should look for signs of swelling bulges cracks leaks or rusting when inspect the battery case. Ensure the battery top case is clean, dry, free of dirt and grime. A dirty battery can discharge across the grime on top of the battery casing.Another physical damage or warpage on the battery case may indicates the battery has been overheated or has been overcharged. You need to check the car charging system entirely (alternator, fuse, belt, etc) and also, its a sign that you need to replace the battery soon.
4. Inspect the electrolyte level and conditions
If you have a maintainable battery such as a flooded cell battery (some called wet battery), it is important to check if the battery has sufficient electrolyte covering the battery plates.Ensure the electrolyte level is in between the maximum and minimum level. If topping up is required, do not over fill as the fluid levels will rise when the battery is fully charged and may overflow. Top up using distilled or demineralised water and never fill with sulphuric acid.
If you see the electrolyte color looks black, its a sign that you need a battery replacement soon. Electrolyte color changing (to be blackish) may indicates the battery plates has been overheated and damage. Read: Car battery leaking ? Here's what to do
II. Recharge the battery (every 3 months)
To maximise battery life, its recommend to recharge batteries with an appropriate battery charger every 3 months to maintain peak performance.
Even if your battery is fully charged, using a proper battery charger will still be beneficial to your battery's overall state of health. And also, complete the battery maintenance by doing a regular monthly inspection again after you charge the battery. (Read : How to charge car battery at home)
For batteries used in seasonal applications and stored long term, fully recharge the battery prior to storing. Check the state of charge or voltage regularly. If the battery voltage drop below 12.5V then recharge the battery. It is important to check the battery completely before reconnecting to the car.