In the following text, we will offer advice in a few points on what to pay attention to during everyday battery use.

How to Look After a Battery?

At first glance, a battery is a device with a simple design. A new battery matched to the car model does not require special maintenance. However, it is worth looking after it by following a few simple rules that affect its service life.

First, let us avoid situations in which the battery is constantly discharged and does not have time to recharge fully. This happens when we use the car for very short journeys. In such cases, the battery is regularly and slowly discharged, while the alternator does not have enough time to recharge it. Bearing this in mind, it is worth regularly taking longer trips.

Second, let us not allow the battery to discharge completely. This may happen if, for example, we leave the lights on overnight. This can lead to permanent battery damage.

Third, which is particularly useful in somewhat older cars, it is worth keeping the battery terminals clean. Cleaning them yourself once should not cause any harm, but it is better to entrust this task to service personnel.

A Battery in a Used Car

When buying a new car, in the vast majority of cases the battery will serve us trouble-free for 4–5 years. After that time, it is worth having it checked at a service centre. The matter of the battery should be approached quite differently when buying a used car. One of the first questions to ask the seller should concern the battery’s age. If it is several years old, buying a new one is highly advisable. No one would want to find themselves in a situation where the car refuses to start at the least expected moment. Fortunately, compared with the price of a car, a battery is relatively inexpensive. Therefore, there is no reason to delay buying a new one if the current battery is showing signs of wear. Click here to learn more about batteries and their use.

Which Battery Should You Buy?

If, despite looking after the battery, the time comes to replace it, it is worth doing so calmly and without rushing. The range of batteries is huge, and most of them look almost identical. So what should you pay attention to?

  1. Battery capacity. It is expressed in ampere-hours. Generally speaking, the higher it is, the better. Every car manufacturer specifies precise requirements for its parameters. It is worth buying a battery with a slightly higher capacity, but no more than 10% above the recommended value. Let us remember that modern cars need electricity not only for starting, but also to operate the air conditioning and radio and to charge mobile phones.
  2. Battery design, specifically the arrangement of the “L+” (left) and “P+” (right) terminals. This is crucial for fitting it in the car. Cables supplied with the battery that are too short may even make it impossible to install it correctly under the car’s bonnet.
  3. Battery filling. Whenever possible, choose gel batteries instead of electrolyte batteries. The former are resistant to tilting, making them much safer both during use and when they are removed for charging independently.

Summary

As the text above shows, although seemingly simple, the battery performs a very important function in the everyday use of a car. As long as we remember the basic principles of proper use and servicing, it will serve us for several years. It is not worth delaying its replacement until the very end. If one day it lets us down and, for example, we are late for a train, it can ruin the entire day and cost us a great deal of stress and additional expense. We hope that the text above will prove helpful to all four-wheel users.