Unless you have a thousand-watt audio/video system in your car with a stock electrical system, driving your car 3-4 times a week is usually enough to keep your battery topped up and charged enough to start your engine again when you need your car. A Car battery is usually an installed and forgotten item that is remembered only when it fails to work. A little preventive maintenance goes a long way toward ensuring your battery works every time you expect it to and doesn't suddenly quit.
Any battery discharges gradually over time and it is the function of the car's electrical charging system to keep the battery topped up while it is being used. The problems begin when a car is kept in storage for a long time, or used so sparingly that the battery discharges to the point that the car won't start. Although disconnecting the battery is an excellent practice to slow down a car battery's discharge, many car owners don't bother to do so because of the inconvenience of doing so and because today's electronics-laden cars lose their presets when the battery is disconnected. The best procedure to use in this case is to connect a trickle charger to your battery while your car is unused. Trickle chargers are different from standard battery chargers and are very cheap to purchase and operate. They are intended to be connected for long periods and keep the battery topped up.
But having a trickle charge top up your battery is a futile exercise if you abuse that storage device by continually discharging it or neglecting a few simple maintenance procedures. Firstly, standard batteries displace water and in hot climates vent even faster than normal so if your battery has removable caps, make sure that the water levels are correct. Distilled water is all you need to top up your battery. Secondly, evaluate your car's electrical use if you notice that your battery has an increased tendency of being discharged. You may have installed powerful amps or video monitors that are drawing more current than the car's electrical system can replace when in use.
Or, in an older car, the carbon brushes in the alternator might be going south, and need to be serviced. Thirdly, keep your battery terminals clean. Over time, corrosion builds up between the terminals and the battery posts, resulting in reduced contact that affects the current flow into and out of the battery. Sometimes, this corrosion gets to the point where the car won't start solely for that reason. Lastly, make sure that your engine's drive belts are not slipping, because then, the alternator will not be working properly and it will not charge your battery as it should. When you notice slow cranking when you first start up your car in the morning, it could be a sign that the battery is on its last legs and replacing it should be in your list of things to do in the near future.
Maintaining a car battery is simple and cheap.
Any battery discharges gradually over time and it is the function of the car's electrical charging system to keep the battery topped up while it is being used. The problems begin when a car is kept in storage for a long time, or used so sparingly that the battery discharges to the point that the car won't start. Although disconnecting the battery is an excellent practice to slow down a car battery's discharge, many car owners don't bother to do so because of the inconvenience of doing so and because today's electronics-laden cars lose their presets when the battery is disconnected. The best procedure to use in this case is to connect a trickle charger to your battery while your car is unused. Trickle chargers are different from standard battery chargers and are very cheap to purchase and operate. They are intended to be connected for long periods and keep the battery topped up.
But having a trickle charge top up your battery is a futile exercise if you abuse that storage device by continually discharging it or neglecting a few simple maintenance procedures. Firstly, standard batteries displace water and in hot climates vent even faster than normal so if your battery has removable caps, make sure that the water levels are correct. Distilled water is all you need to top up your battery. Secondly, evaluate your car's electrical use if you notice that your battery has an increased tendency of being discharged. You may have installed powerful amps or video monitors that are drawing more current than the car's electrical system can replace when in use.
Or, in an older car, the carbon brushes in the alternator might be going south, and need to be serviced. Thirdly, keep your battery terminals clean. Over time, corrosion builds up between the terminals and the battery posts, resulting in reduced contact that affects the current flow into and out of the battery. Sometimes, this corrosion gets to the point where the car won't start solely for that reason. Lastly, make sure that your engine's drive belts are not slipping, because then, the alternator will not be working properly and it will not charge your battery as it should. When you notice slow cranking when you first start up your car in the morning, it could be a sign that the battery is on its last legs and replacing it should be in your list of things to do in the near future.
Maintaining a car battery is simple and cheap.
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