Car battery Tips
Car battery Tips
Many car owners these days tend to neglect their oil and water levels, and this includes the car battery. Like anything else in life, things will work better if they are looked after.
Being a garage owner myself, I see the amount of neglect on the cars that come into the garage for minor things, such as topping up the car’s washer bottles or checking their oil level.
When we lift the bonnet (hood), you can see that the battery terminals are all corroded with the white powdery coating.
Many car batteries are generally filthy and dirty. This is a sure sign that the battery has not been checked in ages.
Car battery tips: Car battery Tips
The ratio of sealed batteries to open-ended types with a screw top is about 60/40 these days. This means that about 40% of cars Should have the tops removed.
So having the batteries water and acid levels checked
and topped up if required 60% of batteries are sealed lead-acid batteries. Hence, they cannot have their water or acid levels checked. Because obviously they are sealed, and you cannot gain access to the cells.
The sealed ones have a different type of material. So, to make the cell plates out of The plates are made of lead alloys. Thus, do not gas as much as the screw-top type of battery. Naturally, those are made of lead antimony. This will tend to give off more gases.
Electrolyte is very important-Car battery Tips
Thus reducing the amount of liquid in the battery. The acid-water mix is known as an electrolyte. Which should be just covering the tops of the plates inside each battery cell.
It is not a good idea to top up your battery with tap water.
As it may contain other chemicals. You can buy electrolyte from a motor accessory store or if you have a condenser-type spin dryer. Then the water that it produces in the plastic reservoir is, in fact, distilled water and can be used to top up the battery.
Your cart battery will need more checking in hot weather because of the higher rate of evaporation. Also, if you have to constantly top one particular cell up, then the cell could be shorting out and boiling up the acid. If this is the case, then a cheap new car battery is the answer.
Car battery tips: car battery terminals
The white powder is caused by a mixture of hydrogen crystals and sulphuric acid.
This comes from the escaping hydrogen gases from the battery vents mixing with the acid and forming crystals on the steel bolts that fasten the terminals to the battery and also the battery terminal wire, which is usually made of copper.
This can eventually cover the entire terminal and look like a real mess; eventually, it will completely corrode the terminal wire and break the batteries’ circuit.
This mess needs cleaning off, as it does no good at all.
The best way to do this is to pore some hot water onto the terminal slowly. Remember, this is acid, and you should not let it touch your body, eyes, or clothes.
Some people use a mixture of water and baking powder, which neutralises the acid, and you can then give the whole terminal a rubdown with a cloth and a wire brush.
The terminal should then be protected by coating it with a good smothering of petroleum jelly. Here in the UK, we use a brand name called Vaseline.
Car battery Tips-Keep a car battery charger handy
In the winter time when the days are short and the nights long and cold it is always a good idea to charge your battery every now and then.
If you keep your car in a garage then it would be easy to hook the car battery up to a charger, from say your work bench, but if you leave the car outside you should probably remove the battery and charge it indoors.
This sounds like a bit of a chore but it will keep your battery in good condition much longer, than if you just neglected it.
Battery chargers are now very cheap to buy.
You can now buy what they call smart chargers, and all you do is connect them up and leave them. Your charger will take care of your battery without you touching it again.
Before you charge the battery up, make sure that you unscrew the tops. This allows for the gases to escape.
Consequently, while the battery is being charged up due to the acid heating up and evaporating, then top the battery up to the correct level after the charging has finished.
Car battery Tips-Checking the specific gravity of your car battery
If you want to take testing your battery a little further. I suggest that you invest in a hydrometer. They are not very expensive and will determine the state of charge of your lead acid battery.
The hydrometer measures the specific gravity of the electrolyte in your battery. If you place the rubber tube into the battery then squeeze and then let go. Then the electrolyte will enter the glass bowl. In the glass bowl is a float similar to a fishing float.
This float has markings on it to determine the state of the battery.
If the marking that is level with the liquid reads 1.27 or higher. Then the battery is in good condition. If the reading is below 1.13 then the battery is flat. You then squeeze the liquid back into the cell. Then check the other cells. Simple?
You can also use a simple voltmeter set at 20 volts or above. The reading for a fully charged Varta car battery should be 13.5 volts or above. If it is below 11 volts then the battery will need replacing.
Disclaimer
So we are now in 2022 and car batteries are changes their role. Important changes redeem the change to AGM car batteries. These are primarily used on most stop-start vehicles. Also the “Hybrid cars” are fitted with a small AGN hybrid battery.
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Please note these are the words and opinion of the author (Eric Roberts) only.
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