When your car's battery dies, it can be a real nuisance, especially when you're in the middle of a long drive or about to head to work. Batteries are more prone to power outages during the winter months as the lower temperatures can alter the chemistry within the battery and affect how it functions.
Dead batteries are the number one reason for calling roadside assistance, but there are ways you can take care of your battery so it performs longer. We share our top tips on how to avoid a dead car battery.
Pay attention to the warning signs
There are certain signals that indicate a low battery, including:
- Cracking noises when switching on the ignition
- Dimming the dashboard lights
- Slow cranking of the engine
Try to take long trips
While you may think short trips would save a car battery, it can actually have the opposite effect, as the engine and alternator don't have enough time to charge. Taking longer trips when you can allows the car to charge its battery.
Turn off unnecessary devices
There are many functions in today's cars that rely on battery power - heating and lights, for example - and if you don't turn them off, they can severely impact your battery life. In addition, neglecting to unplug portable devices from the USB or cigarette lighter ports will affect the performance of the battery while driving.
When getting out of the car, make sure the interior lights are off before locking the car to avoid a costly mistake.
Conduct occasional checks
It is worth having the battery, alternator, starting and charging system checked by a specialist from time to time or if a defect is suspected. If any of these are not working properly, it can cause the battery to overcharge, undercharge, or completely fail to charge, all of which can affect the lifespan of your battery.
Likewise, it's important to have your entire vehicle serviced to ensure nothing is interfering with the battery's performance, such as: B. under-inflated tires. With a monitoring device you can keep an eye on the tire pressure. Here at Snooper we have easy-to-use tire pressure monitoring systems, browse here in our selection.
You should check the battery yourself every time you open the hood to look for corrosion.
Give him a jump start
When you break down due to a dead battery, an effective solution can be to start the car.