Trickle Charger or Battery Conditioner
Car batteries can lose charge over time, especially if someone does not drive his or her vehicle that often. It is in this respect that trickle chargers and battery conditioners can be lifesavers in maintaining the health of any given battery. How They Work:- Trickle Chargers: These are devices that provide a low, steady charge to the battery, keeping it fully charged without actually overcharging it. They are useful in those vehicles that stay out for extended periods of time.
- Battery Conditioners: These go a step ahead of the trickle chargers in maintaining your battery in mint condition. They avoid sulfation, which is one of the most common causes of battery deterioration, by partially discharging and recharging the battery periodically.
- Compatibility: It has to be compatible with the type of battery, like lead-acid or AGM.
- Features: The models with automatic shut-off in order to avoid overcharging, as well as models with several modes of charging, are more welcome because they can allow versatility.
- Quality: Get one from a reputed brand for reliability since you would not want to do any damage to your battery.
Avoid Short Trips
Taking a lot of short trips can prematurely wear out your battery. Each time you turn your car on, that's energy the battery uses to get things started. If you turn your car off before the alternator gets a good chance to recharge your battery, though, then the battery stays partially discharged. If this keeps happening, your battery can easily weaken with time. Long drives are very beneficial for the battery because it gives time for the alternator to charge it fully. Ideally, including a longer drive in your routine about once a week can help in keeping the battery fully functional. This might be just a scenic drive or simply an extra errand. Here are some tips for incorporating longer drives:- Plan a weekend outing: Short trips are always more fun as mini road trips that have a positive effect on your car battery.
- Combine several errands: Instead of making different short trips in a week, try to combine them into one longer drive.
- Try new routes: Make your daily commute interesting by taking a different route which may be more scenic and could add those extra miles that does your battery a world of good.
