How to maintain your car battery
You try to start your car, but it's slow to crank and the lights flicker or maybe they're dimmer than normal.
In the best-case scenario, the car roars to life and you go on with your day.
In the scenario you dread, usually when you're running behind and have too much to do, the car won't start, prompting a search for battery jumper cables or maybe a new car battery purchase that wasn't in the budget.
Car batteries don't last forever (AAA puts the average life at three to five years), so it's not unusual for drivers to occasionally deal with the unexpected dead battery.
But there are ways to make sure you're getting the most out of the battery for your internal combustion engine vehicle and to reduce the chance you'll be dealing with a dead battery at the least convenient time.
Maintaining your car's battery starts with a few simple bits of advice, courtesy of Claude Townsend, program coordinator and master instructor in automotive service at Oakland Community College.
Let's start with the easiest.
Perform a visual inspection
Look for cracked or frayed cables or other obvious signs of damage. If the tie-down mechanism or bracket for the battery is loose or broken, that can lead to battery damage as the battery shifts or moves as you drive.
Make any necessary repairs or take your car to a mechanic you trust.
More maintenance advice for your ride: How to check and refill your car's fluid levels
Keep it clean
'With today's cars, it's essential that we have good clean power,' Townsend said.
Dirt, corrosion and crud affect car battery performance, keeping the full voltage needed from reaching important accessories and the starter.
White powder around the battery terminals or elsewhere on the battery is a good indicator that some cleaning is warranted.
How to clean
Put on a pair of gloves and protective eyewear before you get to work.
Remove the cables (AAA recommends taking off the negative cable and then the positive cable and reversing the order, positive first, when you reattach them). A bristle brush or battery terminal cleaner brush can help with the cleaning.
The best cleaning agent is as simple as baking soda and water, although Townsend said Coca-Cola, which you might have heard your father mention, can actually work in a pinch. Baking soda and water is cheaper.
Townsend recommends using a tablespoon of baking soda with a gallon of water then shaking it up to dissolve before pouring over the battery. Foaming would indicate acid is present, so keep pouring until the foaming stops. You can use a garden hose to rinse off any remaining crud and to keep it from leaving a stain on a driveway, according to Townsend.
Before you reattach the cables, put some petroleum jelly on the terminals.
What about refilling the battery?
Many of us have maintenance-free batteries, so refilling fluid isn't necessary. But some batteries have caps that can be popped off and may need to have water added if the level is low. Your battery should clearly indicate which kind it is so there's no guesswork.
Townsend has a couple of rules: Don't overfill and only use distilled water.
Although there are how-to guides online, Townsend said don't add acid to a battery.
Misjudging can lead to trouble and a dangerous acid bath, he said.
Take it easy on your battery
Townsend said 68-70 degrees represents perfect conditions for batteries. Cold temperatures can reduce capacity; warmer weather can affect battery longevity.
Leaving a vehicle sit for extended periods or mostly short trips can also sap your battery.
One option is to purchase a battery maintainer/maintenance charger to keep the battery sufficiently charged when your car isn't in use.
Also, using the radio or other accessories when the car isn't running can reduce the available charge so avoid that if possible. Townsend noted that some vehicles use additional batteries to handle extra electric demand.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
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