Increase your car battery’s life

Running a business means you are often running around from meeting to meeting and it can sometimes mean long car journeys to meet with clients.  This is why it is important that your vehicle is in working order, the last thing you want is a break down on the motorway! Service4Service have offered some top tips to ensure that your journey runs as smoothly as possible this summer.

We do have some scorcher days here in England and whilst they are often short lived, when the heat is around it is important to look after your car battery. This is because according to some reports, the temperatures seen in the summer often have a worse effect on battery life than temperatures experienced during the winter. Two of the biggest reasons for battery replacement are excessive heat and overcharging.  This is because if the battery gets too hot the battery fluid evaporates which causes damage internally.  As mentioned an overcharged battery can be just as fatal as the heat.  This usually occurs because of a part that isn’t functioning correctly and the usual suspect is the voltage regulator.

The confusion with the winter temperatures is that the cold means the battery has to work harder.  This is because the engine oil becomes thicker in the cold which means the engine has a harder job turning over and therefore causing more work for the battery. It is a good idea to have a quick service or maintenance check carried out on your vehicle during the summer and winter to ensure these issues don’t arise.

You should ask for the electrical system to be checked to make sure that it is charging the battery in the correct way.  If it does turn out that you need a new battery ensure that it is replaced with one that is rated at least has high, if not higher, than the one you currently have.  Also, when you take your twice monthly trip to fill your tyres with air and replace the washer fluid, take a quick look at the top of the battery.  If it is covered in dirt it is conducting unnecessary power. On the other hand, check for any corrosion too.

Corrosion acts as an insulator for your battery which means the flow won’t be as efficient.  With this in mind it is important to add the battery to the list of quick DIY maintenance checks that you carry out yourself.   There are of course other habits that will lead to you needing a battery replacement and eventually, no matter how careful you are, you will need to replace the battery.  By regularly checking your battery then you shouldn’t be caught out with battery failure next time you are off to a client meeting!