When was the last time you checked your car battery? Do you know that last time you purchased a new battery for your vehicle? Chances are, if you’re like most drivers you don’t give your battery a lot of thought.
In fact, the only time most people think about their car battery is when their vehicle won’t start. You know that helpless feeling. You need to be somewhere right now, or you’re away from home and you need to get back. You turn the key but your car doesn’t respond. It’s a bad position to be in.
Hopefully, you carry jumper cables in your vehicle, or someone nearby has a set you can borrow. If not, then you have to figure something else out. You might even have to pay for an expensive tow. But if you want to avoid this type of situation altogether, then you need to pay closer attention to your battery. And there are some things you can do to help keep it healthy for longer.
Car Battery Maintenance Tips
So what can you do to maintain your car battery and keep it in top shape? First off, check your battery’s health regularly and look for signs of trouble. Keep track of when you purchase a battery, so you know when it could be getting ready to die. Most batteries usually have a life of about five to seven years. So here are some steps to maintain and care for your car battery.
Start by cleaning the battery cables. If you notice any signs of corrosion use a nonmetallic brush and scrub the corrosion with a baking soda and water solution. You can clean off the baking soda solution with cold water. Next up you disconnect the cables, starting with the negative side. Once removed, clean the posts and the cable connections of any corrosion.
Next up, check the electrolyte levels, and the condition and charge level of the battery. If the water and acid mixture is not sufficient then add more. Look for any cracks or leaks and if you find one then replace the battery. You can check the charge level by taking it to any auto repair shop or auto parts store.
If your battery is showing signs of wear and a low power level, then you should replace it with a new one. You can do this by removing the cables from the old battery and pulling it out of your vehicle. Then place the new battery in the proper location.
Make sure you handle the old battery with care when removing it. It does contain battery acid so you don’t want to drop it. When the new battery is in place, connect the clamp that’s used to hold it in place, and then re connect the cables.
Get the Right Battery From Hoesly
Any time is a good time to make sure your car battery is healthy. The last thing any Vancouver driver wants is to get stuck with a dead battery. So make sure you avoid this kind of situation by checking your battery’s health regularly. And if it’s been a while since you installed a new battery, then you should really consider buying a new one soon.
Not sure which battery is right? You can trust Hoesly to get the right battery for your vehicle, for the right price. So come see us for a new battery in Vancouver today.
And if your car, truck, crossover, or SUV needs any other type of auto repair or maintenance in Vancouver WA, You can trust Hoesly to help you with that too. Just give us a call at 360-695-5871 or click here to set up an appointment online, if you need any kind of auto repair in Vancouver.
We are your trusted auto repair shop for numerous makes and models, including:
Mazda auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Subaru auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Toyota auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Nissan auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Hybrid auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Chevy auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Ford auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Honda auto repair in Vancouver, WA
Chrysler auto repair in Vancouver, WA