As a car owner, you know how important your car battery is. But have you given a serious thought to your car battery? I mean have you ever tried to find out why you have to change your battery every year or alternate year, when it is supposed to last for around 3 to 5 years? And is there anything with which you can extend your battery life? If you take a look at car battery prices in Melbourne from Roadside Response, you will come to know how much you can save by prolonging your battery life. Here’s useful information on how people kill battery before their set lifespan and how you can avoid that.
1. Monthly Inspection of Battery Terminals
Corrosion of battery terminals is one of the first and foremost problems occurring with car batteries. Because of corrosion, the connection between the battery and the car is destroyed and most batteries have to be replaced because of too much corrosion. However, this can be easily avoided.
- Apply a small quantity of Cola or a homemade anti-corrosion paste made with water and baking soda mixed together in 1:3 proportion over the corroded spots.
- The alkaline properties of the paste or the acid in the Cola eats up the corrosion.
- After the corrosion is cleaned up, clean up the remaining moisture and residue with a clean damp sponge or rag.
- Let it dry out completely and then apply some petroleum jelly on the terminals and it will prevent further corrosion.
2. Avoid Operating Car Accessories Before Turning Ignition On or Driving the Car
When the ignition is on, electricity is generated by the car alternator and the car battery is charged after it has a voltage drop.
But if you start car accessories like radio, other electronics or lights while the car is not on, your car battery is used to power them. Your car battery is not meant for this and so, this is detrimental for the battery. So, if it’s used for powering the electronics, its lifespan will be quickly shortened.
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3. Ensure the Security of the Battery and Quality of Battery Cables
Your car battery should always be secure. If it is bumping around, it will be damaged and can cause a short circuit. This is a safety risk and can damage even your car.
The same is true about your battery cables. If they are not secure or are not connected properly, they can be damaged. Therefore, check them and ensure that they are secure.
4. Insulate the Battery
Extreme changes in temperatures may shorten the car battery’s lifespan. Therefore, insulating the battery to protect it from such changes will increase its lifespan.
- You can use an insulation kit for this.
- Normally newer models of cars have these kits already installed. However, if your car doesn’t have one, don’t worry; you can install one yourself easily.
- You just have to make sure if the kit fits your battery compartment. You can check this by going to the company’s website where you will have to fill out a form in which you should enter your car’s model and year and they can tell you if their kit will fit your battery or not.
- The protective battery sleeves are typically made of plastic or a material that is thermal resistant and acid resistant.
- The insulation kit will insulate your battery to protect it from sudden severe temperature changes while still providing the desired ventilation.
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Check the affordable car battery prices Melbourne from Roadside Response to get an idea of the cost of battery assistance you may need. Roadside Response is a leading roadside assistance provider company operating all over Australia.