Replace car battery? I’m sure most of us recall the feeling of the mighty starting power of a new battery. Unfortunately, over time, the ability diminishes with the heavy demands of peak city stop-start driving conditions, cold-weather starting, auxiliary car accessory power draws and heat degradation. Remember, a battery is not a “Fit and Forget” item; it still requires maintenance and cleaning in the surroundings it lives.
Most of us believe that a car battery’s primary function is to start your vehicle. It can’t be further from the truth because in “this day and age”, modern cars’ sophisticated electronic and computer management systems place heavy loads on a battery. However, battery technology has advanced with the ever-changing automotive technology to withstand these extra heavy demands.
Regular inspection should be a monthly habit of checking and cleaning the battery terminals, casing and tray areas. You should also inspect the Built-In State of Charge Indicator to diagnose the battery’s condition quickly, whether it is healthy, needs charging or replacing.
Telltale Signs when it’s time to replace a car battery
Modern-day automotive batteries are manufactured with Sealed Maintenance Free Technology. In addition, they are engineered with advanced internal design and engineering to withstand modern vehicles’ heavy demands and the ever-increasing peak traffic conditions. With these improvements, the battery life increases to about 3.5 to 4.5 years instead of 1 to 2 years for the old technology.
Despite this, even advanced batteries are still perishable items. Their starting and auxiliary power will diminish as time advances as their internal components break down. As soon as you detect some hesitation in the starting power, we advise you to take it to your preferred mechanic or battery outlet to get it analysed and decide whether you need a new car battery replacement.
As a general “Rule of Thumb”, get it checked when it reaches about three years of age. By this stage, it had reached about 50 to 60% of its original capacity from when it was new. A Midtronics Digital test will identify if it needs replacing, “Better To Be Safe Than Sorry”.
One crucial factor affecting a battery’s longevity is whether you drive your car often enough. The most common and least known in the general public is the effect of Battery Acid Stratification. The longer you leave your car parked or drive short distances, the more rapid the battery becomes discharged as the alternator has insufficient time to keep it fully charged.
It promotes plate corrosion because the acid is denser than water and settles at the solution’s bottom. This leaves the upper areas of the plates exposed to diluted electrolytes and the bottom areas of the plates exposed to concentrated acid/electrolyte leading to corrosion. In addition, once the plates sulphate considerably, they cannot hold the charge and will need replacing.
Key Note:
Replace car battery when? Keep all the above points in mind to keep you fully aware of any changes in your vehicle’s battery behaviour. Please don’t wait till it dies and leaves you stranded; change it before the inevitable happens.
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