How to Prolong the Life of Your Car Battery

Car batteries don’t last forever, and with general wear and tear, they will eventually need to be replaced. However, there are some steps you can take to prolong the life of your car battery and save the cost of a replacement for now. In this post, our mechanics in Telford share their tips for boosting the lifespan of your car battery to make sure you get the most out of it.

Protect it from the cold

A flat battery is a common fault, and we tend to see more of them during the colder months. Cold temperatures affect the power output of a car battery and decrease its ability to accept charge while the car is running.

Cars also go through more wear and tear in the cold weather – you use your wipers more, the headlights are on more often, etc. – which means the battery is under more strain.

If there’s a storm coming or a drop in temperature, it’s time to keep the car in the garage. Although there’s only a few degrees difference in the temperature, it makes all the difference.

Drive Regularly

If you don’t use your car every few days, the battery may not have enough charge stored to charge itself the next time you start the engine. There’s nothing worse than coming back to your car after a few days to find a flat battery, so if you don’t plan on driving for a while, take the car out for a spin to give the battery chance to power up.

If you mostly go on short journeys (less than 15-20 miles), your battery won’t be able to fully charge. This will start impacting its ability to hold charge, so plan on going on longer trips every once and a while to give it a chance to fully top up.

Turn off non-essential appliances

Our car batteries are put under a lot of strain, especially with modern appliances in the car. From sat navs and kids’ iPads to heated seats and DVD players, there are a lot of electricity demands in modern cars.

Make sure everything electrical is turned off when leaving your car, and double-check all the doors are closed to stop those pesky door lights from running down your battery.

If you’re not using appliances on a trip, turn them off to give your battery a break – it may not seem like much, but it will help prolong its life.

Get a Battery Health Check in Telford

If you’re concerned about the health of your car battery, it might be time to bring it in for a health check. There really is nothing worse than getting in your car to find a flat battery, so make sure yours is in the best health before that happens.

If we find an issue with your battery, we can replace it with an OEM quality part at a fantastic price. Call us today to speak to our mechanics and arrange an appointment:  01952 242175