Car battery maintenance: How to keep your battery in good condition

1. Change your car battery every four years

It's recommended that each car battery is replaced after four years and to ensure your vehicle runs properly it's important that you don't forget to do this.

There's nothing worse than losing power mid-journey, so don't try to extend the life of your car battery for longer than you should.

Here’s some useful advice on how to replace your car battery

2. Check the acid level of your car battery

As part of your car battery maintenance you should check the acid level of your battery around every six months.

Be on the lookout for acid stratification, which happens when batteries dwell at a charge below 80 per cent, never receive a full charge or have shallow discharges.

If you have a stratified car battery, electrolytes will concentrate at the bottom and leave the top starved.

Your battery is particularly at risk if your car is primarily driven short distances with power-robbing accessories in use.

3. Add water carefully

If you notice that electrolyte levels are low (the plates will be exposed), top them up with distilled water.

Be careful when doing this and only fill the cells to cover the plates. A funnel or sports bottle is often best for adding water as they allow you to control the flow.

Once you've topped up the water levels, use a battery charger to recharge the battery.

4. Conduct a battery load test

For comprehensive car battery maintenance, every month you'll want to conduct a battery load test, which can be done by a mechanic.

This car battery service is to ensure that the device can charge properly, even in freezing temperatures.

5. Clean the battery

Dirt and debris can be bad news for your car battery if it gets into the cells. It can also cause corrosion on nearby metal, so it's important as part of your car battery maintenance, to clean the top of the battery and around the terminals.

Cleaning the car battery

Ammonia-based window cleaners are often recommended but a combination of baking soda and water will help to get rid of any 'crust' from your car battery when applied via a wire brush. Baking soda and water is particularly useful for cleaning corrosion. However, as a rule of thumb you want to think of the brush as damp, as opposed to wet.

You also need to make sure you fully wipe the battery down so no baking soda residue is left, as this can cause corrosion.

It's important that when cleaning your car battery, no fluid is let in through the battery ports.

6. Keep cables tied

It's important that your cables don't move, so be sure to keep them tied tightly. This will help to keep everything properly secure.

7. Don't leave your car for too long

If you leave your car too long without driving it, your battery will drain down.

It's recommended that you drive your vehicle at least every three days.

That said, it’s not always possible to drive your car this often so how do you look after your car battery when your car is not in use?...

How do I keep my car battery good when not in use? 

If you are not going to be driving your car for a while, it’s advisable to unplug accessories such as dash cams, which may cause your battery to drain.

Don’t be misled into thinking that if you are not using your car, that running your engine for a few minutes every day will help to keep your battery charged. In fact, turning your car on and then off again consumes a lot of electricity from your battery, and the battery wears down much faster when it's often discharged and recharged again.

Instead, to insure your car battery remains charged you might consider investing in a trickle charger or battery conditioner. These devices provide a slow charge to your car battery, providing a good solution for preserving your battery if you’re not using your car.

When selecting a battery maintainer or trickle charger, choose one that has the same voltage as your car battery.

Maintaining battery life of an EV when not is use

If you drive an EV, it is important to be aware of the need to maintain the charge of the 12 volt battery. EVs rely upon this normal 12-volt battery to operate systems such as opening the doors, wipers, lights, dashboard, and crucially the initial start-up of the vehicle.

 Some vehicles will only charge the 12v battery when it is being driven, while others will stop charging when the state of charge of the main battery falls below 20%.

8. Don't over-charge

If you use a battery charger to charge your car battery manually, it's important not to over-charge it as this can lead to damage.

Check on the battery every half an hour to see how it's progressing.

9. Keep the battery warm

The cold weather is bad news for your car battery so it's important to try to keep it warm during winter.

An engine or battery heater is often advised to help cars stay up and running in the cold. They not only make it easier to start the battery but help to minimise power consumed.

Breakdown Cover from Start Rescue

A flat or faulty car battery is one of the three main reasons people call upon their breakdown recovery service provider for assistance.

Maintaining your car battery will help reduce the likelihood of breaking down due to a fault with the battery, however arranging breakdown cover with Start Rescue will ensure you’re covered should the unfortunate happen.