When you take the best care possible of your car’s battery, it will take care of your car, too. There are lots of little ways that you can make sure that your car’s battery has what it needs to keep you running for a long time. Padron Automotive lists four tips below that help keep your automobile’s battery in great shape so you get the most life out of it.
1. Drive Your Car
This is a no-brainer if you already love to drive or you have a lot of places where you need to go, and driving your car is great for your battery. When the car sits, that very slowly drains the battery over months and even years. If the car in question is one that you only drive once in a while, make it a point to get some time in behind the wheel. Head out for an enjoyable Sunday drive each week.
2. Avoid Lots of Short Trips
One caveat to driving your car is that the trips need to count. That means that if you’re driving short distances, of maybe less than 10 minutes, those could be doing more harm than good. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the alternator to kick back plenty of power to the battery, so, if you are able to drive around for at least 15 minutes or longer, that helps to keep your battery going with the charge it needs.
3. Look at the Battery Periodically
Hopefully, you’re already in the habit of checking things like your oil and other fluids on a monthly basis. While you’re under the hood, make sure you take a quick look at the battery. You don’t have to do anything, because you’re just looking to make sure all is still well. The battery terminals shouldn’t have any corrosion or discharge on them and the case should be even with no bulging or cracking.
4. Avoid Running Accessories When the Car Isn’t Running
Your car’s manufacturer included an option to run accessories while the car itself is turned off. That’s helpful once in a while, but it’s something that you want to avoid in general as much as possible. When you run anything in the car, like the radio, while the car is off, that means you’re pulling directly from the battery and that won’t last long, especially if you forget to unplug an accessory later.
Concerned about your car’s battery? Stop by Patron Automotive in Topeka, KS, and we can test it and your alternator for you. We work hard to make sure we’re the best auto shop in Topeka.
