How To Maintain Your Chevrolet’s Battery

Checking your car’s battery and taking care of its maintenance seems easier said than done, but that’s not true. All ll you need is basic tools and guidelines to ensure your battery is in good condition. Let’s be real: being stranded in the middle of nowhere because your battery’s given up is a car owner’s nightmare.

Additionally, a faulty alternator will make it seem like no battery in your car can hold its charge – not because the battery is faulty, but because the alternator is. Hence, getting a defective alternator repaired is as important as any other battery issue; you should get it fixed before addressing other battery problems.

If your battery or alternator is acting up, don’t worry – we at Auffenberg Chevrolet Buick GMC team have got you covered. With the following tips from experienced professionals at our service center, you’ll be able to monitor your battery condition.

Overview

You can make your battery work for longer while performing optimally with good and regular check-ups. However, remember that certain situations cause excessive battery wear, and you should be wary of causing any of them.

These include infrequent or short-distance driving, leaving things plugged in when the vehicle is not active and storing the vehicle in harsh temperatures. Try your best to avoid such circumstances to maximize your battery’s life.

Additionally, with the following guidelines, you’ll get insight into inspecting your battery and cleaning its terminals, along with other tips for general battery care.

Note: These tips do not apply to hybrid or electric battery systems.

Inspect The Battery

The baseline of all battery care is ensuring you’re inspecting and testing your battery now and then. This procedure is simple; you can take your car to an automotive dealership and get the battery inspected by a service technician for cracks, corrosion, and leaks. The technician will also run it through a conductance test to check the battery’s health.

Getting your battery inspected is crucial for battery maintenance, as corrosion on your battery can create a multitude of problems. If built up on your battery terminals, it can create resistance in the circuit and prevent your car from starting properly.

You can always conduct a visual inspection at home. Carefully examine your car’s battery for any indicators of cracks or leaks. If you notice a white or blue-tinted powder on your battery terminals, you need to clean them. Ensure that you don’t remove the battery case cap or add fluid; the original equipment battery is always maintenance-free. It only needs care once it is damaged.

Clean The Terminals

Battery terminals can corrode when chemicals and vapors escape the battery. Due to cracks and leaks in the battery casing, these substances escape and are activated in hot temperatures. To avoid this, you need a wrench, petroleum jelly, battery cleaner spray, a wire brush, and protective gloves.

First, turn off your vehicle, then locate and inspect your battery. If the case is leaking or bloated, don’t bother cleaning it yourself – instead, head to your dealership’s service center as soon as possible since your battery probably needs replacing.

If your battery case looks fine, proceed by undoing the negative and then the positive cables attached to the battery. If your battery terminal clamp is difficult to loosen, apply cleaner or penetrating oil to it, so it gets lubricated. Do not force the clamp loose, as this could break the terminal.

Once your battery terminals are open, apply battery cleaner and the wire brush to scrub corrosion from the terminal posts. Once done, dry the terminals thoroughly and apply a good amount of petroleum jelly. The jelly will prevent corrosion while strengthening the connection with the cables.

Lastly, replace and fasten the battery cables again, this time in the opposite order: first positive, then negative. Make sure you don’t over-tighten the cables.

Battery Maintenance on a Sitting Car

If you own a car that is seldom driven, the battery can die from being unused for too long. This is because your car has an alternator that uses power from your engine to recharge your battery. The alternator is activated every time you drive your car, so it constantly recharges the battery if you drive regularly. However, the battery may discharge during inactivity if your car sits for extended periods.

Your battery will still be fine in such cases, but you’ll need to recharge it before starting your engine up. If your vehicle isn’t used much, try investing in a battery tender. It will keep your battery charged even if your car is sitting, ensuring that it starts up every time you need to take it for a drive.

Fix Your Draining Battery

When your battery is draining faster than it should, there’s probably an electronic component that is short-circuiting,. This results in your battery running out very quickly. Luckily, you can test how much current is being drawn from your battery using a multimeter, i.e., an electrical current measurement device.

First, check your car’s owner’s manual to determine how much battery draw is regular for your car. Then check the battery draw of your car using the multimeter or voltmeter. Using the voltmeter, you can also check your battery health, the current level of its charge along with how efficiently your alternator is recharging it.

If you don’t have access to the device or are unsure how to use it, look no further. Instead, drop by our service center at Auffenberg Chevrolet Buick GMC, and we will test your battery draw. We’ll help you find and fix the shorting component if the draw is too high, measure the charge from the alternator to the battery and tell you if it is also sufficient.

Conclusion

Maintaining your car’s battery seems difficult in practice when it is pretty straightforward. But we also understand that it may seem like a lot of unnecessary hassle – especially when you always have the option to visit our Auffenberg Chevrolet Buick GMC, Farmington, MO service center if your battery is acting up.

We guarantee to earn your trust with our team of professionals, efficient service, expert installation, and a wide range of certified Chevrolet parts. Yes, that includes replacement batteries! So what are you waiting for? Head onto our website and book a service appointment now.