The industry average life span for a vehicle battery is three years. Here at Performance Transmission and A/C Auto Repair the oldest battery we have encountered was seven years old.
In Florida, vehicle batteries work even harder than in most areas of the country. This is due to our long, hot summers. In this article, we will give you some simple tips on how to get the most life out of your battery.
The easiest way to care for a battery is to care for your vehicle as a whole. Find a trustworthy, honest and reliable auto repair center, like our Gainesville auto repair shop. Make sure to have all your vehicle’s scheduled preventative maintenance completed when necessary. With that said here are our other tips.
1 Turn everything off when idling
Your vehicle’s battery doesn’t have enough electricity in it to power all your lights and electronics when the vehicle is not moving. The battery gets charged from the alternator. Door lights, headlights and dome lights all take a toll on a battery. Extended time idling can wear down a battery.
When your vehicle is turned off, make sure your lights and radio are also turned off. Also, don’t leave any electronics charging. Charging your devices while your vehicle is not running will drastically affect the life of your battery. It simply was not designed for that type of use.
2 Limit short rides
A vehicle battery is designed to provide a sudden burst of power for ignition. The alternator generates electricity and charges the battery.
Rides under 20 minutes don’t give the alternator enough time to give the battery a good full charge. Too many short rides in a row will shorten the life of the battery.
Long car rides give the alternator ample time to fully charge the battery allowing it optimum life to power all your vehicle’s accessories.
3 Keep connections clean
Corrosion on battery terminals is a common issue. Sometimes corrosion could be from leaking acid. If the battery is leaking, then it is likely getting close to needing to be replaced. Corrosion interferes with the alternator’s ability to charge the battery.
You can control corrosion build-up by cleaning the battery every couple of months.
- Start by wiping down the top of the battery with a moist cloth.
- Next scrub the terminals with a toothbrush dipped in a water and baking soda mixture. Use one part water to three parts baking soda.
It is normal to have some bubbles form on the terminals with this mixture.
4 Check for tightness
Many roads in our area are littered with potholes, bumps and speed humps. We also have lots of bumpy lime rock dirt roads.
If you drive over bumpy roads every day you should check your battery connections regularly to ensure they are secure. A loose battery connection could vibrate and cause internal damage and a short circuit.
If you would prefer, feel free to stop by the shop and we can check the connections for you.
5 Avoid jump starts
We have all done it. We turned on the interior dome light then forgot to turn it off. When you finally return to your car (after work or the next morning) it won’t start.
When a car is turned off the only thing powering the lights or charge ports is the battery. As we have already mentioned, the battery doesn’t have much charge if the vehicle is not moving, so it dries quickly and easily.
Unfortunately, every time your battery dies and you jump-start the vehicle, you shorten battery life.
If you live alone or in a rural area, it may be hard to find someone to jump-start your vehicle. There is a better solution, however, that won’t cause the damage that jump-starting can. This is a portable battery charger.
These devices allow you to charge your battery enough to start it without needing another vehicle. They are sold at local auto parts stores or available on internet retailers, such as Amazon.
6 Use it or lose it
When a vehicle isn’t used on a regular basis — say, every couple of days — even a newer battery can die. Batteries are simply not capable of holding a charge for weeks without the vehicle they are in being used.
If you will not be using a vehicle for an extended period of time, disconnect the battery. Otherwise, start the vehicle every couple of days and allow it to run for at least 20 minutes.
Let us help
We hope these tips have helped you better understand how your battery works and how to extend its life. You are always welcome to stop by our Gainesville auto repair shop and have us perform electrical system analysis.
This analysis tests the battery, alternator and starter. It is only $19.95 and will give you peace of mind that your car will start every time.