How to Care For Your Car Battery
09-12-2007, 08:26 AM
#1
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How to Care For Your Car Battery
Hi Everybody,
Car battery maintenance is an easy task and one that should be performed on an annual basis. If you keep your battery properly maintained, you will extend its life and greatly reduce the chance that your battery will fail you at an inopportune time.
Not only Winter season that can be hard on your car battery, Summer is also a difficult time for your car battery. Excessive heat can cause the battery fluid to evaporate and lead to battery failure. Also Excessive heat can reduce battery life at a greater rate than extreme cold weather.
Battery maintenance isn’t difficult to do, so let’s take a look at what you can do to keep your car running.
* Keep your engine well maintained. A well-tuned engine is easier to start and drains less power from the battery.
* Do not let your battery run low or run out of water as the battery’s cells can be ruined. Check the water level every couple of months. It should be just touching the bottom of the refill hole. Refill the battery, when needed, with distilled water.
* Metallic objects should not be placed on top of the battery as this may cause the battery to short. Flames and sparks should be kept at distance. Automotive batteries discharge hydrogen gas, which is easily ignited when, mixed with oxygen.
* If you're concerned about the 'health' of your battery have a battery load test performed. This will help to determine if you need to get a new battery. It's better to find out before it's too late.
* From time to time Disconnect the cables from the battery and clean them with a wire brush and clean off the top of the battery; use a small and clean paint brush to apply the solution where needed.
Please make sure that your battery is, in fact, the sealed type. Check its age when you are purchasing – we are calling for all car batteries to be marked with the date of manufacture, and preferably a "sell-by" date and keep in mind that Batteries have two main ratings: Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity (RC). When replacing your battery make sure you buy a battery with at least the same CCA and RC ratings as the original battery. The ratings can be found in your owner’s manual and/or on the side of the battery.
Sleepingbeauty
Car battery maintenance is an easy task and one that should be performed on an annual basis. If you keep your battery properly maintained, you will extend its life and greatly reduce the chance that your battery will fail you at an inopportune time.
Not only Winter season that can be hard on your car battery, Summer is also a difficult time for your car battery. Excessive heat can cause the battery fluid to evaporate and lead to battery failure. Also Excessive heat can reduce battery life at a greater rate than extreme cold weather.
Battery maintenance isn’t difficult to do, so let’s take a look at what you can do to keep your car running.
* Keep your engine well maintained. A well-tuned engine is easier to start and drains less power from the battery.
* Do not let your battery run low or run out of water as the battery’s cells can be ruined. Check the water level every couple of months. It should be just touching the bottom of the refill hole. Refill the battery, when needed, with distilled water.
* Metallic objects should not be placed on top of the battery as this may cause the battery to short. Flames and sparks should be kept at distance. Automotive batteries discharge hydrogen gas, which is easily ignited when, mixed with oxygen.
* If you're concerned about the 'health' of your battery have a battery load test performed. This will help to determine if you need to get a new battery. It's better to find out before it's too late.
* From time to time Disconnect the cables from the battery and clean them with a wire brush and clean off the top of the battery; use a small and clean paint brush to apply the solution where needed.
Please make sure that your battery is, in fact, the sealed type. Check its age when you are purchasing – we are calling for all car batteries to be marked with the date of manufacture, and preferably a "sell-by" date and keep in mind that Batteries have two main ratings: Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity (RC). When replacing your battery make sure you buy a battery with at least the same CCA and RC ratings as the original battery. The ratings can be found in your owner’s manual and/or on the side of the battery.
Sleepingbeauty
09-12-2007, 12:12 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
I have great luck with the Battery Tender. It really prolongs the life of my batteries especially in my cars that rarely get driven over winter.
09-12-2007, 02:19 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
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Cleaning the Battery:
Spray the battery terminals with a sodium bicarbonate spray; wait for a minute or so and the corrosion will be naturalized. Use a stiff nylon brush to remove the flaky green-white crystal debris. Read your owner's manual before disconnecting your battery to ensure that computer or radio memories are not lost. Remove battery cables and retaining strap and soak them in a baking soda solution to clean them
Apply an anti-corrosion sealant on the terminals. Install a set of the anti-corrosion washers (coloured red and green) they contain an acid neutralizer that prevents future corrosion on the terminals. It is also a good idea to buy a hydrometer to check the gravity of the batteries.
At 1275 the battery is fully charged. When the gravity is 1100 to 1200 the battery is completely discharged and a replacement is required Always be sure when you check your battery to check the brackets that hold your battery in place.
Loose brackets will cause a battery to vibrate which in turn will shorten its life. Brackets can be easily tightened and should be checked often. If battery acid has corroded the brackets, they can be cleaned with a wire brush and sprayed with penetrating oil such as WD40™
Spray the battery terminals with a sodium bicarbonate spray; wait for a minute or so and the corrosion will be naturalized. Use a stiff nylon brush to remove the flaky green-white crystal debris. Read your owner's manual before disconnecting your battery to ensure that computer or radio memories are not lost. Remove battery cables and retaining strap and soak them in a baking soda solution to clean them
Apply an anti-corrosion sealant on the terminals. Install a set of the anti-corrosion washers (coloured red and green) they contain an acid neutralizer that prevents future corrosion on the terminals. It is also a good idea to buy a hydrometer to check the gravity of the batteries.
At 1275 the battery is fully charged. When the gravity is 1100 to 1200 the battery is completely discharged and a replacement is required Always be sure when you check your battery to check the brackets that hold your battery in place.
Loose brackets will cause a battery to vibrate which in turn will shorten its life. Brackets can be easily tightened and should be checked often. If battery acid has corroded the brackets, they can be cleaned with a wire brush and sprayed with penetrating oil such as WD40™
09-12-2007, 02:56 PM
#5
Racer
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09-13-2007, 01:00 AM
#6
Safety Car
some good advice - thank you for the post 
I agree : whether you use Battery Tender, or any other brand, use something -- just letting your battery sit over the winter will progressively drain it, and that does permanent damage. Better to have some kind of trickle charger.
I have two battery tenders, and one charger made by Yuasa.
I agree : whether you use Battery Tender, or any other brand, use something -- just letting your battery sit over the winter will progressively drain it, and that does permanent damage. Better to have some kind of trickle charger.
I have two battery tenders, and one charger made by Yuasa.
09-13-2007, 02:57 AM
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I agree 
for sure battery tender is the best thing as all Battery Tender battery chargers are designed to fully charge and maintain a wide range of styles of lead acid batteries in ways that avoid the potential damaging effects that can be caused by most trickle chargers.
I will do my best to prepare atopic about battery tenders
for sure battery tender is the best thing as all Battery Tender battery chargers are designed to fully charge and maintain a wide range of styles of lead acid batteries in ways that avoid the potential damaging effects that can be caused by most trickle chargers.
I will do my best to prepare atopic about battery tenders
Last edited by sleepingbeauty; 09-13-2007 at 03:06 AM.
