Why Do Car Batteries Last So Long?
If you have seen someone’s car never breaking down anywhere, that’s because they leave no mechanical or electrical fault in the car. And how do they do that? By getting their car inspected after every month.
But still, batteries are something that can cause problems no matter how much you take care of them.
This is because they’re the electrical components and water, moisture, and extra heat are their enemy. So why do car batteries last so long as some other people? Well, it’s because of so many reasons. Please stick to the article to get to know about increasing your car battery’s lifespan in detail.
Why do car batteries last so long?
Car batteries fall in the electrical parts category of a car and that’s why they are prone to be damaged often as compared to the mechanical parts. Although the average lifespan of a car battery ranges between 2-6 years.
But this is not the exact figure as it always depends on how you treat your car. If you hear somebody saying my car battery has lasted even over 6 years, just know that he might have done something for it.
And what is that? Or why do car batteries last so long?
So below we’re going to tell you all about why do car batteries last longer than they should and what special things you can do for them to make them last longer.
Car batteries last so long when you –
Avoid using the electrical parts of the car when it’s not running
When the car engine is turned on, even though the car battery keeps powering up the system but still the engine intervenes and lessens the power usage from the battery. And when you use the electronics like the headlights, charger, or the lighter of the car, it doesn’t put too much load on the car battery.
In fact, if the car is running for a long distance then the battery gets into even better condition because of that.
On the contrary, if you use the car’s electronics while the car’s engine is not on and only the electrical parts are on, then it can be a problem. It is because then you are only taking the power output directly from the battery. It drains the power from the battery very quickly and eventually, the battery becomes dead.
Remember to turn off the lights exiting the car
Leaving any kind of car lights that are powered by your car battery on, will make a significant amount of effect on the battery. Your battery will become weak especially if you leave the headlights or the hazard or tail lights on.
Some people usually leave their roof bulbs on and don’t bother to turn them off. Any such sort of action will cause the battery to become weak or even go dead in some severe cases. The batteries are not so weak usually when they’re new. But if you have a bad habit of doing so, and you keep doing it permanently every time, it will definitely have a toll on the battery.
When the battery becomes weak or dead straight off, it doesn’t even power up the engine to turn the car on. Although you may know that if your battery is weak, you can charge it by running the car for a certain number of miles. But how will it be possible if the car is not even turning on? So just think about it.
Go for long tours in your car
Keeping the battery fully charged and healthy requires some precautions from the driver. You should avoid going for short drives until you really need to.
Always try to go for long tours in your car to keep your car battery fully charged and healthy. That’s because short tours don’t let your battery get charged fully.
Also, if you don’t want to go for longer tours, then it is advisable to you that you should take a portable car battery charger with you. This battery charger becomes a helping hand whenever your car breaks down and there’s no one around.
Usually what you do is wait for someone to help you with their car battery to charge your battery. But this charger doesn’t need it because it jump-starts the battery on its own and you don’t need to wait for somebody on an empty road.
Keep checking for electrical drains
Sometimes you leave your car completely turned off in the garage and when you try to turn it on in the morning, it doesn’t start. This is a strange moment and people usually don’t know what to look after this time. But fortunately enough, our experts have faced this problem quite a few times in the winter with different cars.
And they know how to counter this situation. So when you face this problem with your car, make sure there’s no electrical leakage. This electrical leakage can be identified by some automobile electricians or you can do it yourself if the leakage is at the external parts.
Find that leakage and save power in the battery so that it doesn’t leave you helpless on an empty road.
Check for dirt and corrosion on the car battery every 4-6 months
The battery terminals play a vital role in completing the circuit and passing all the power supply. But over time, they get corroded and rusty and there may be white specks of certain chemical reactions appearing on the terminals.
Therefore, make sure to keep the battery terminals safe from such problems as these very little problems cause the circuit to break. The dirt, mud, and such white, brown, or green chemical starch stop the battery from providing power and getting charged.
Normally when you get your car fully inspected by professionals, they will clean it off professionally. But if you want to do it on your own, then make sure to check for this problem after every 4-6 months as takes time to come back after it’s cleaned off.
To clean this starch from the terminals, you need to take the baking soda and the water mixture and dip the toothbrush in it and rub it on the terminals. Make sure to clean it off properly so that no such matter is left on the terminals or the connectors.
After that, spray the cold water with a spray bottle on the terminals and rinse it off with a dry cloth. When there’s no wetness left on the terminals and connectors, connect them after waiting and letting them dry for good 10 minutes.
Conclusion
Why do car batteries last so long? Well, car batteries always last at least 2-6 years depending upon their usage. If the batteries are kept clean and well maintained, then they can last even longer than this lifespan as this is what the average lifespan is. We’ve listed some of the most important reasons why they last so long.
So if you also want your car battery to last long enough, you need to consider these tips for sure. Also, make sure to do thorough research on what else can you do to make it last longer.
We hope that you liked this article and if you did, please make sure to share it with others. Also, if you have any questions regarding the topic, make sure to ask in the comment section below. Please don’t forget to visit this website regularly for more related updates.
FAQs – Why do car batteries last so long?
How long do car batteries last on average?
To keep it simple and cover most of the cars’ battery lifespan for you, we would say that a car battery lasts at least 2-6 years. This is the average lifespan of the car batteries depending upon their usage and care taken during the usage.
But you can even make your car battery last longer than that by following the above tips on why do car batteries last so long.
What makes a car battery last longer?
All the above tips that we shared, if followed properly, can make your car battery last longer. But most importantly, you should consider the driving distance of your car’s battery to be fully charged and healthy.
We recommend going for long drives because the amount of energy consumed from a single ignition to turn the car on recovers from at least a 20-minute long continuous drive.
Why don t car batteries last as long as they used to?
This is basically because of the simple supply and demand gap in the power system of today’s cars. Old cars didn’t really have to power up too many parts as there were only the headlights, radio, and heating system that required power.
On the contrary, these days, there are too many parts that require power. In fact, cars that are fully electric and completely run on power have also joined in.
