Three Tips To Extend The Lifespan Of Your Automotive Battery

If you have just installed a new battery in your vehicle, you may want to do everything you can to ensure the battery lasts. There are many factors that affect the lifespan of automotive batteries, including how frequently the car is used, the weather elements the car is stored in, and the type of battery and car that you own. While different batteries have different lifespans, there are a few universal tips that can help to extend the lifespan of any automotive battery. Here are three of those tips. 

Ensure Your Battery Is Properly Installed

One of the ways that you can extend the lifespan of your car's battery is to ensure the battery is properly installed. This includes ensuring the bolts holding the battery cables are properly tightened around the battery terminal. It is also recommended that you routinely check the cables and retighten them, as the vibration that occurs while driving can loosen the bolts. If the cables begin to loosen from the terminals, your battery may not charge properly or may short out due to the poor connection. 

Clean the Battery to Limit Corrosion

Another tip to help your auto battery last is to clean the battery frequently to limit corrosion. The best way to clean corrosion away from a car battery is to mix equal parts water and baking soda to form a paste. Use a toothbrush to scrub the paste into your battery terminals once they have completely cooled. Continue scrubbing the mixture onto the terminals until any corrosion present has been removed. Once the corrosion has been removed, you can use a water-dampened soft cloth to remove residue and then completely dry the terminals before connecting the cables once again. 

Drive Your Car Frequently and For Prolonged Periods

The last tip to help you extend the lifespan of your battery is to drive your car frequently and for a prolonged period of time. Most experts recommend driving your car at least once every four days for around 30 minutes to ensure the battery properly charges. Idling your car will not charge the battery, nor will only driving a mile here or a mile there. Your car's security system and electronics can drain the battery, so routinely driving your car and recharging the battery helps to keep it charged to fully charged. 

Ensuring an automotive battery is properly installed and remains properly in place, limiting the corrosion present on the battery, and driving your car frequently and for a prolonged period of time can help to extend the lifespan of your new battery. This can help it to have a full and long lifespan.  



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Navigating the Automotive Parts World If you've had to purchase parts for your car recently, then you've undoubtedly noticed that there is no shortage of manufacturers or options. Whether you do the work yourself or pay a mechanic, selecting the right replacement parts is an essential ingredient for any long-lasting repair. Since we all face the same challenges when it comes to picking reliable and cost-effective parts, we wanted to share our insights and knowledge on this topic with the broader world. The articles you find here will give you the information that you need to make informed parts purchasing decisions. While you may still choose to rely on your mechanic's advice, we hope our tips will provide the confidence you need to understand and evaluate their suggestions fully.

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