Audrey's Automotive Blog

Two Ways to Prevent Your Car Battery From Failing Prematurely

12 July 2017

Penny Roberts

Replacing a car battery can be very expensive. Given this, it's sensible to do what you can to prevent your vehicle's battery from failing prematurely. Here are two ways to do this.

Pay attention to your road journeys

The length and frequency of your road journeys can affect the condition of your car battery. If for example, you only use your vehicle occasionally, and it is, therefore, left unused for several days (or even weeks) at a time, this can drain the battery and shorten its overall lifespan.

Only using your car for short road journeys (i.e., ones which are no more than about 20 minutes long) will also affect the battery's ability to recharge.

As such, it's important to pay attention to how often you drive your car and the average distances you travel across, and you should then make adjustments if necessary. Whilst it might seem wasteful to use your vehicle for a long journey when it's not absolutely necessary, doing so could spare you the expense and the hassle of having to replace your battery in a few months' time.

Take extra precautions during the winter

The cold weather can wreak havoc on a car battery. Lower temperatures reduce a battery's ability to accept and hold an electrical charge. Furthermore, driving during the winter months tends to involve placing additional pressure on the battery (most car owners find themselves using the heating system, windshield wipers, and lights a lot more frequently throughout the colder seasons).

This is why, if you live in an area which is prone to particularly harsh winters, it is important to take extra precautions to protect your car (and its battery) from the elements.

Firstly, try to reduce the frequency with which you use the electrical features of your vehicle; for example, don't leave the music system playing when you're popping out of the car to pay for fuel. Likewise, make sure to check that all the lights have been switched off before you park your car for the night.

Secondly, try to avoid leaving your car parked outside overnight, as this is when the temperatures are at their lowest. Instead, park it in your garage.

If you don't have a garage, consider investing in a battery thermal wrap. This product essentially acts as an insulating blanket which ensures that the battery retains the correct operating temperature at all times, irrespective of the temperature of the environment in which it is located.

These thermal wraps also help to protect car batteries from the corrosive effects of acid and oil; this can help to prevent their internal components from deteriorating prematurely.

To learn more about car batteries, check out websites like http://www.wollongongmechanical.com.au.

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