The average car battery is only designed to last for between two and five years, according to Nationwide. But if you take good care of your battery and avoid putting too much of a strain on it when you drive, you could get more life out of it and avoid having to replace it sooner than you should have to. Check out a few tips for extending the overall life of your car battery below.
Limit the number of short car rides you take.
When you hop into your car and drive it for a few blocks and then shut it off, you prevent your car battery from fully charging during your trip. Therefore, instead of taking a short trip, try walking or riding a bike as an alternative. You should limit driving to longer trips that will allow your car battery to charge completely. This will result in longer battery life over the years.
Make sure your battery is fastened tightly under your hood.
If your car battery isn’t tightened under your hood, it can rattle around and vibrate. It can also disconnect from the battery cables and potentially cause damage to your battery terminals. This can cut down on how long your battery will last. As such, inspect it regularly to ensure that it’s fastened down and that all of the cables and terminals are in good shape.
Shut off lights when you get out of your car.
One of the worst things you can do to your car battery is accidentally leave on the interior or exterior lights when you get out of your vehicle. This puts a gigantic strain on your battery and will drain it quickly. The battery might be dead when you go to start your car again, even if the lights were only left on for a relatively short amount of time. Set a reminder for yourself so that you don’t leave your lights on when you step out of your car.
These are just a few of the ways you can improve your car’s battery life. Caring for your car as a whole is another way to prevent your battery from dying sooner than it should. AV Bumper to Bumper can help you with this by providing you with total car care. Call us at 661-949-1999 today to schedule a maintenance appointment.
