Basics of how to Maintain a Healthy Car Battery: Chapter One

In the first part of the series we are going to walk through and deep dive into the car’s battery and the essentials for performing battery maintenance ourselves.

The battery is where the entire electric energy of the vehicle is stored and is necessary for the ignition and keeping the car running. It is just like the Arc Reactor of Tony Stark, who popularly is known as Iron Man. The Arc Reactor kept him alive and the car battery will do the same thing for your vehicle. I guess, now you got a little idea of how important the car battery is right?

And it is pretty natural now that you would want to avoid getting stuck because of a dead battery. So, here we are telling you a few steps to keep your car running and your battery in good working conditions. Cleaning the battery regularly, tightening the hold-down, using insulation to protect the battery from cold, and maintaining its fluid levels are some major checklists. We will first talk about performing battery maintenance ourselves. And later on, we will deep dive into how to maintain the battery.

Performing Battery Maintenance:

• Clean the battery terminals with baking soda and water. You have to first identify the positive side of the battery by recognizing the red cap and keep in mind to always disconnect the negative side first. Counter-clockwise turn the bolt connecting the wires to the negative terminal and lift the wire up. While making sure that you don't touch these 2 wires with any metal parts of the car, do the same process for the positive side as well. Then make a 1:1 mixture of baking soda and water. Dip a hard-bristle brush and scrub both the terminals.

• After this process, wipe the terminals down with a wet rag when you’re done. Reconnect the battery properly when you’re finished and remember to connect the positive terminal first. This entire process is done so that we can avoid rust and corrosion. This increases the lifespan and performance of the battery.

• After you’ve cleaned the battery terminals properly, add a protection layer with terminal spray from further corrosion. Hold the can at least 10cm from the terminals and spray until the connection is coated. Always spray after the battery is reconnected to protect the terminal and connection point both from corrosion. You’ll find the terminal sprays from auto parts stores.

Note: Only use products that are specifically designed for use on battery terminals.

• Tighten the hold-down to protect the battery from rattling around. Excessive vibrations usually damage the battery over time and the hold-down bar keeps the battery stable and prevents vibration damage. To test your battery hold-down, open the hood and shake the battery, and if the battery moves, the hold-down is loose. Now, you will have to locate the bolts connecting the hold-down to the battery. Usually, they are along the top of the battery, where the hold-down bar stretches across. Finally, using a socket wrench turn the bolts clockwise to tighten them.

There are varieties of hold-downs on different cars. The most common is a bar stretching across the top of the battery. This is fairly easy to locate. Some cars use a hold-down pad instead. These are along the base of the battery.

Note: If a hold-down is broken, do replace it as soon as possible. They are easily available at any auto parts store.

• Wrap the battery in a battery heater to prevent damage from the cold. This would specifically be for owners who live in a cold climatic condition or for people on the way to such cold places. They are basically just like jackets that fit over the battery and keep it warm. Do get a battery warmer from the auto parts store and do follow the instructions as mentioned.

There are two major kinds of battery warmers available. The first is insulated fabric that wraps around the battery which is not that much efficient in properly maintaining the battery heat. The second is rubber wrapping that inflates when plugged in. This battery warmer does provide better insulation to the battery. There are even some warmer wraps that can be used while the battery is still installed.

- Check for fluid levels and if low, add distilled water. Unscrew the vent caps on top of the battery and look inside each cell with a flashlight. The fluid should cover the battery plates and if not so then the fluid level is low. Immediately pour in distilled water until the water covers the battery plates and reaches the bottom of cell refill holes.

- Buy a battery that is less than a month old when you replace yours. When it's finally time to change the battery, always buy a new one. Look on the sides for battery manufacturing dates and pick the one that was manufactured within the last month for the best battery performance.