 car battery life:
Dirt is an excellent conductor of current, so if you have a dirty battery you can expect it to drain faster. Even worse, dirt causes corrosion and will make your battery useless sooner. As you clean under the bonnet of your car take some time to get the battery clean.
Your car battery may eventually need to be replaced because on any given day your car is driven only for short distances. In many cities around the world the average car is driven for about 20 minutes a day. This means that there isn’t enough time for your alternator to recharge your battery which leads to a process called sulferization. That process renders your battery useless. If you want a long car battery life schedule a trip out of town every other weekend.
Additional devices in your car
Today, many people have additional devices in their cars all of which rely on the car battery for charging. Whether you are talking auxiliary audio jacks, phone charging ports, GPS systems, fancy car radios, portable DVD players or any other devices always keep in mind that they are draining your battery and shortening its life.
Leaving your lights on
If you’re anything like me, there has been a time in your life when you’ve arrived home in the dark, parked your car and rushed inside. It’s only in the morning when your car won’t start that you realise you left the overhead console light on by mistake when you got out the previous evening. Draining your battery like this too many times will also shorten your battery’s lifespan.
How can you make your car battery last longer?
3 keys to a longer car battery life:
- Make sure that all terminals are clean at all times – sometimes a car will refuse to start because the batteries are clogged.
- Make sure that the battery fluid is always at least 5 mm above the plates.
- Make sure to take your car for maintenance as scheduled.
It is important to pay close attention to your car battery – the last thing you want is to get stranded somewhere far away from everyone else with a dead car battery. The average car battery will last for about 4 years, 5 if you take excellent care of it. If you don’t install a new one after this period you can expect to get stuck at some point and need assistance.
If you are having battery problems or think you are in need of a new battery, visit one of our outlets or give us a call on 03 9793 6655 and we’ll help diagnose your problem and find the best replacement battery for your vehicle.