All About Car Batteries

Corroded Bosch S5 car battery

1.    What Can I Do As A Car Owner? Maintenance-free car batteries (most common these days) do not require any special maintenance.  There is no need to top up distilled water and a general visual inspection once a month should be sufficient.  If you find corrosion on the battery terminal heads, you can brush it away using a metal brush with mixture of baking-soda and water (1″5). This happens sometimes in our hot, humid climate due to imperfect sealing and is not uncommon and certainly not unique to Amaron. 2.    What About DVRs and Other Gadgets in Cars? Please consider a different power source. With the popularity of DVR (digital video recorders) and other electronic gadgets installed in cars, the battery is very often made to work overtime (and continuously) even when the car engine is turned off. This forces the car battery to continually discharge even when the car is parked. If you have DVRs or items like that, it is recommended that you either power them using another source of power or to adjust the power setting so that they do not drain your car battery below a certain threshold (recommended 12v). 3.    Is it True That Car Batteries Must be Kept Fully Charged All The TIme?  Yes, ideally. Car batteries are not designed for deep cycle discharge and their voltage should ideally be maintained in the “Green Zone” in chart below (ie. >12.4v). They should never be allowed to go to “Red Zone” (ie. 11.9v and below) because the lifespan of the battery will be severely shortened. 4.    Why is My Battery Terminal Head Corroded? What is the Bluish Substance? Battery terminal head corrosion happens when the electrolyte (sulphuric acid) in the battery makes it way out of the battery due to leaks or joints over extended time (years). This is not something uncommon and affects car batteries from all brands.  Luckily it can be easily fixed (before battery fails). To clean up the substance, spray a baking soda mix (1 part baking soda, 5 parts water) on the terminal head. The copper sulphate will dissolve and you can brush it away with a metal brush. The bluish substance is actually copper sulphate which is formed when sulphuric acid comes in contact with lower grade copper battery terminal rings that are not alloy plated