If you are going away for the winter or if you live in Florida, then you know how important it is to have a functioning car battery when the power goes out. It is very difficult to start a vehicle with no power!
Car batteries are designed to be charged while they are being used. When they are being used, the charge is maintained. This is why it is important to have one when the power goes out.
Most models come with a quick charge option that keeps the car running with no worries of losing gas or accidentally rolling down the window in an emergency.
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Hot weather affects car battery life
You may be aware that car batteries lose capacity when overheated. This is a good tip to remember, especially in hot weather!
If your battery needs to be charged during the summer, take notice of its temperature as soon as you get home. If it is not up to par with the rest of your batteries, then purchase new ones.
Many companies now offer early product launch offers which include a shipment of new batteries for you to install and start using. These are highly recommended as new technology does not always stick around for long!
The last point to make is to keep your battery life statistics. Doing this will help you know how much capacity was lost and help you figure out if it was necessary or not. Many people track their battery life via the car app or through the website www.batteriesdirectinfo.com.
Car batteries and the cold
Every year, tens of thousands of cars are sold in the United States. This is impressive because the car has a low cost and can get you where you need to be on time.
The good news is that the car is safe to drive after you charge it! After a few months of use, your charge will be sufficient to take you anywhere you need to go.
Unfortunately, this means that more people have vehicles on the road than necessary. Many cars are used only once and then discarded.
This is a big problem because many people will end up somewhere late or not at all if they cannot reach destination in safety! We lost a series of tweets from someone who was checking out their new car after a rough day at work just because of this. It was heartbreaking!
Thankfully, Florida is in winter most years and car dealerships do business outside of those times.
Car batteries and the hot
If you’re driving in a hot car for a long time, you should be aware of the potential effects on your battery. Your car’s cooling system can work against your battery by heated up air coming in contact with the batteries.
This is not recommended, as this can lead to overcharging and eventual failure. A good resource to know is the American Automexpert Association’s (AAMA) website.
What you can do about it
If you live in a warm climate, you should keep your car running as long as possible after the battery is charged. This includes using the air-conditioning and sunroof features, even if they are not working.
A few minutes every few days will help keep the battery healthy, and make a difference on how quickly you can drive off the car after parking. After several days, the battery will continue to hold its charge better than if you kept going with daily charges.
Daily charges can be done by connecting the car charge cable to a household power charger or by using an iPhone or Android app that monitors the battery life.
Use a battery tender
Many people charge their batteries with a hormone called a battery tender. The battery tender was created to help prevent the battery from dying while in contact with the rechargeable power source.
The benefit of having a battery tender is that it prevents the batteries from becoming fully charged while being charged. When this happens, the remaining charge time is decreased meaning it will last longer when doing an extension cord or recharging.
Another benefit is that when you do need to replace a battery, you can just take out the tender and replace it! This saves you from having to wait for someone to charge and install it.
Using a battery tender is worth giving up some initial power savings for as they save you from having to constantly top up the batteries.
Have your battery tested
If you have a newer car, your car may have a newer battery. Old batteries can have a hard time holding a charge.
Old style batteries tend to have a wider top part of the cell and less of a ring around it. This is because the company that produces the battery has downsized the battery from its previous model.
This change in size can make a difference in how long your car will hold its charge on road trip days. If you are running low on energy while driving, then it is time to get a new battery.
A new battery can cost more than an old one, but it will last much longer. A new battery will also test higher when charged, which shows that it is functioning properly. Check with your car dealer if you do not know where the new bac…
Replace your battery with a new one
If you do not need your car for a month or more, it is time to replace the battery. The best time to replace a battery is during the winter months, when temperatures are down and people are keeping the car warm to drive.
When looking at a new battery, there are a few things to watch for. The length of time the battery has been working can be counted on two hands!
A long-lived battery will have two or three small cells that fit together well. This is what gives it life. A new battery will have one large cell with lots of smaller cells surrounding it. This new large cell will most likely be poorly constructed and may not last as long as a good one from an authorized dealer.
Change your oil more frequently
Keeping your car’s oil changed regularly is a good practice. Car owners can see the effects of oil change timing and size on the car when they take it in for a tune up.
When the timing is done, then the oil must be changed, the car gets a new one! This is because after someone uses their car and owns it for a while, they may store their car in its original oil, which may not be the most effective or up to date oil.
When you own a car, you also use it to go places! That’s why having your car properly taken care of can be such a big deal.