I like to call the car battery the “most useless” part of the car. And yet, without the car battery providing the initial current to crank the engine, your car will just remain stationery. So, in a sense, it is not really the “most useless”, rather – it is the most critical component!
So, given that it is such a critical component, how do you care for it? These are the 5 Ideas to care for your car battery (car battery maintenanc) to ensure that it is always ready to start your car when you crank the engine.
Car Battery Maintenance Tips & Tricks:
Keep the Battery Clean.
We recommend that you inspect the physical condition of your car battery at least once a month.
If the surface is greasy, wipe it with a wet cloth to remove the grease.
If you find the terminal heads corroded with white/blue crystals – just pour hot water over it and scrub gently with an old toothbrush to remove the crystals. Thoroughly rinse off with a substantial amount of water.
Just to share that this crystal is chemically “Copper Sulphate” and is formed when vapors of your car battery escapes and react with the terminal heads.
When this blue powdery crystal forms, it means your battery acid is seeping out and then drying up to become this powder. This powder is can cause corrosion when wetted again, as it is acidic.
If the corrosion is very serious, consider replacing a new car battery for peace of mind.
Reduce Parasites.
Do not connect many electronic items (most common is car dashcam / video camera) to your car’s power socket (or directly wired) to the car starter battery.
Because these (24hr recording cameras without their own lithium power packs) sucks power from your car battery even when you are parked.
When the power from your car battery gets too low, it won’t have enough power to start your car – and a jumpstart is needed!
Plus constant low voltage damages your car starter battery.
Hint: They last the best when fully charged
Check Your Alternator.
The alternator (also called “charger”) is the part of the car that generates and provide electricity to your car when your car is moving. It also charges your car battery.
Whenever you send your car for servicing, ask for the alternator output reading. Especially if your car is above 5 years old and never had an alternator replacement. This is about the time you start to keep an eye on it.
A healthy car alternator should produce a current of voltage 13.4v to 14.2v – so that it can effectively charge your car battery.
Too low an alternator voltage means the battery does not charge properly and goes into a state of low charge, resulting in a process called sulphation – very bad for the battery.
There is no point to “tong” as long as possible to inconvenience yourself, and pay extra parking or towing charges when the car cannot start.
Imagine, if you change at every two years, then you only make 4 replacements in the life of the COE of your car. And you enjoy peace of mind.
Imagine you “tong” and when car is 9 years 3 months old, need new battery. Did you save anything? Might still be 4 replacements, with no peace of mind.
Be Proactive – Change Car Battery every 24mths (before it dies!).
Car batteries are an expendable item.
And here in Singapore, because of our hot humid weather, they usually lasts about 18 to 24 months (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Proton, Ford, VW, Volvo).
Batteries installed in the boots of Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar lasts a little longer – about 36 months (because the car battery is located in the boot – far away from heat, and usually of a larger capacity). That said, some BMW and Mercedes have batteries in the engine bay as well.
Be proactive – ask for a car battery change before your car battery dies and you can avoid sudden downtime (Car Cant’ Start) when your car battery dies suddenly on you.
Keep Contact of a Reliable Mobile Car Battery Service Provider.
There are many Mobile Car Battery Replacement Services in Singapore, choose one that is friendly, well experienced and gives value for their service.
How do you know if the service provider is giving you what you pay for? Take a look at some not so nice tricks that unscrupulous car battery sellers can play, that can put you in a situation where your car cannot start, even with a relatively new battery!
Also note the brands of the car battery they supply.
The market leader in Singapore is Amaron (for Japanese cars) and Hoppecke (for Conti cars).
Avoid unknown brands with dubious quality – check our car battery brand’s reputation on car forums.
And of all things, make sure that the service provider gives you a formal quote and when the job is done – issues an invoice (that sometimes also act as a warranty card).
Hope these tips are useful for your car battery maintenance regime!
FastFix Car Battery Service is proud to have helped ‘000s of Singaporean drivers with their car battery problems. We are friendly, experienced and uses the most reliable car battery and our price is excellent. You can reach us at 81145500.
Related: 3 obvious signals that is time to change your car battery
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