How to Make Your Auto Battery Last – video

How long a battery lasts depends on many factors. One of the biggest factors is the temperature where you live. Batteries in very cold climates have a life expectancy of 51 months as opposed to 30 months in very warm climates.

Watch this video for more details:

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Key points to remember:

A car battery will actually start to discharge on its own within 24 hours in hot weather. It takes several days in cold weather. When batteries are left too long in a state of partial discharge, the discharged portion of the battery plates actually, for the lack of a better word, ‘die’. Recharging the battery will not restore the dead part of the battery plate.

Experts say we can extend our battery life by topping off the charge periodically using a good quality battery charger. You may’ve heard these chargers referred to as ‘trickle chargers’. They’re attached to the battery and plugged into a wall outlet to slowly bring the battery up to full charge.

The suggestion is to charge once a month in warm weather and once every three months in cold weather.

Avoid is deeply discharging your battery. Something like running the headlights and stereo with the engine turned off. That’ll take months off the battery life every time you do it.

A dirty, greasy battery holds more heat. You can wipe off excess dirt with a paper towel or ask your service advisor at D&H Enterprises to clean it for you.

If you have a dead battery, be careful to inspect it before you jump start it. If the case is bulging, cracked or leaking, do not jump start it. Damaged batteries can explode or catch fire. And deeply discharged batteries can freeze. Do not jump start a frozen battery.