DIY Car Battery Maintenance Tips
One of the best ways to keep your vehicle up and running is having a well-maintained battery. If you don’t want your car to be stranded and avoid mechanical car charges, get your tools ready to perform regular DIY battery maintenance. The objective is to get as much life out of your batteries as possible and decrease the number of batteries you are going to need in the future. Car batteries are full of toxic chemicals and should be dealt with utmost care. Here are some tips that will help you maintain your car battery and extend its service life:
Clean the cables
You can start with clearing all the accumulated corrosion and debris from your battery. A non-metallic brush, a cup of water, and a tablespoon of baking soda are all you need to perform cleaning. You can wash the unit with cool water before detaching the cables. Once cables are safely removed, use the corrosion remover to remove corrosion all over the terminal. Make sure you use cable puller if the cables are stuck and don’t twist battery posts. Corrosive elements can deteriorate batteries rapidly. So, it is important to keep the battery clean.
Check battery water level (if applicable)
Add the distilled water to fill the holes whenever needed. Do not overfill the holes as it can cause over spilling on the cell. Be careful while twisting off the cap of battery cells. Whenever you add water, let it combine with the electrolyte for a few hours. Before you do anything else, it is recommended to inspect the battery for cracks. It is advisable to replace the battery if you find any cracks.
You can inspect the electrolyte of every cell by hydrometer; press the ball of the hydrometer and insert the solution into the controller. After writing down the readings, put the solution back to the same cell. Repeat the process for other cells to examine whether or not the readings of the cells are the same. If readings are different, it’s probably time to change the battery.
Related: How To Jump Start Your Vehicle
Replace the battery if necessary
If you are looking to replace the battery without any professional assistance, make sure you follow safety guidelines. While removing the old battery, avoid contact with the acid and never drop a battery. Clean the tray or replace it if it is deteriorated. When installing the new battery, link the cable to the positive terminal first. Putting a small amount of petroleum jelly to the terminal can help reduce the buildup of corrosive elements.
Who we are
At Action Towing, we have been providing roadside assistance and towing services in Edmonton for many years. Whether your car battery is dead or you need heavy duty towing service, we will be happy to help. Contact us for more information!
