Vehicle batteries are an essential part of the electrical system. It stores all the power to start your engine, power your phone charger, and keep your car rolling. That’s why it’s so important to know when to replace your battery and how to extend its life.

On average, car batteries last between 3 and 5 years. Depending on the climate you operate your vehicle in, your battery may die sooner or later. To be specific, batteries are prone to drain quicker in the heat. The warmth causes the chemicals in your battery to evaporate quicker, which can ultimately damage the entire battery. For instance, drivers in Florida or Georgia may need to change their car battery sooner than those in Alaska.  

Regardless of temperature, let’s take a look at some things that all drivers can do to extend the wear on their vehicle battery:

1) Limit Short Trips

Too many frequent trips of short duration drives can do more harm to your car battery than you think. Short drives don’t give the alternator enough time to recharge the battery. Therefore, we recommend taking your vehicle for a long drive every once in a while.

2) Make Sure The Battery Is Secured

Your car battery should always be fastened and its cables should be tucked to avoid internal damage and short circuits. This makes battery inspections so important, especially if you often drive on bumpy roads.

3) Control the Corrosion

Speaking of inspections, make sure you assess the terminals. These connection points should be kept clean and free of corrosion. If substances are present, you can remove the material by scrubbing the terminals with a toothbrush and a baking soda/water solution.

4) Don’t Use Electronics While Idling

Overloading your battery with too many functions, like your lights, charging outlets, radio, A/C, when your engine isn’t running can drain your battery. In general, we don’t recommend idling.

5) Test Your Battery

Knowing the condition of your vehicle’s battery is the first and best step in maximizing your battery life. At Gowen’s Automotive Repairs, we can test your battery’s to determine its output voltage level. We can then gauge whether or not your battery is due for a replacement soon.

For all your battery and electrical system services, please look no further than Gowen’s Automotive Repairs.