Average Life of a Car Battery and How to Make it Live Longer

The average life of a standard car battery is usually 2-5 years with a flawless engine. Multiple factors may affect the average life of your car battery, such as driving habits, weather conditions, and vehicle type. If your vehicle has some mechanical or electrical problems, there are high chances that your battery may get flat in less than 1 year.

The weather can also reduce battery life. If you live in hot climatic areas, your car battery will have a smaller life. If everything is fine with your car, then the standard battery of a reasonable brand can easily last for 2-5 years.

Nothing can be said more than the average life of a car battery. However, we can do a lot when it comes to increasing the life of your car battery. We have done considerable research on this topic, and by acting on the following suggestions, you can increase the average battery life of your car.

See more: How to recondition batteries

How to Increase the Average Battery life of Your Car

Keep the Connections and Battery Tight:

Make sure that all the terminals of your battery are tight, and there is no looseness. Your battery should fit in the battery box without any spaces and must not have any movements or vibrations when your car passes from bumpy roads.

Keep your Battery Clean:

Make sure that your battery and terminals are free from corrosion. Corrosion can reduce battery life significantly. You must clean the terminals weekly to enhance the working and life of your battery.

Keep the Electrolyte Full:

Make sure that there is adequate electrolyte solution in your car battery always. It would be best if you made a habit of checking it every week and before leaving for long road trips.

Check the Generator:

If you have installed a new battery recently and you are still facing battery problems, you must check the generator of your car. Sometimes, battery problems are due to generators in old cars.

Testing the Battery:

Make a habit of testing your battery at least once a month. You can use a voltmeter to test the batter. A reading above 12.6 indicates that your battery is working fine.

Park under Shade:

Heat can impact the cells of your battery. Avoid parking your car in direct sunlight to have a long life of your battery.

How to Change Your Driving Habits to Enhance Battery Life

The tips mentioned above are for all the car owners, irrespective of their driving habits. Now we will discuss how some of the changes your driving habits can enhance battery life.

Reduce Short Rides:

Short rides can eat up the charged battery and prevent it from getting charged fully. By reducing the number of short trips, you make sure that your battery gets fully charged when your car is on a long ride.

Switch off the Lights:

Some people have a habit of leaving the lights on when they park or running lights on battery power. It can drain the battery and also reduce its life. Remember to switch off your car lights before turning off the engine and always switch them on after ignition.

No Electronics on Battery:

Using the sound system, car charger, or door lights on your battery may seem a fascinating thing, but in reality, it consumes a lot of power from your battery. It can significantly drain its juice and impact its average life as well.

Drive your Car:

When we say drive your car, we mean you must not leave your car un-driven or unattended for a very long time. You must drive your car for at least a couple of hours in one week for battery recharging and proper functioning of all the other mechanical and electrical parts.

Care for your Car:

Your car needs care, love, and affection from you. Please do not leave it unattended and at the mercy of auto mechanics. Give it some time, take care of everything. Keep it clean, keep it oiled, keep it shining and love your car. Your car will return all the love by not making trouble for you.

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