Car All about Car Battery

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All about Car Battery

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Testing Car Battery
common scene: you are leaving for work or an important date and your car is refuses to start; you turn the ignition several times in vain. Do not despair! It isn’t a car servicing call – this is probably just a low battery. But, you might wonder how you landed up with reduced battery power without any fault of yours. There are several causes for bad battery in your car and your role is an important factor here. Afterall statistically, driving habits rather than battery defects are often the reason for battery failure. A car company reveals that out of every 400 battery operations they undertake 200 are just fine! Other causes of failure include low charge, cold weather, car alternator problems, sulfation and acid stratification. A car battery is an electrochemical device that creates energy using an alternator that stores electric power and reloads itself when it is charged. Regular testing and maintenance of a car battery is essential to enhance its life and performance. Read this article to know how to take care of your car battery.

How To Test Car

•To know that your battery is dead, try turning on the ignition or switching on the headlights. If neither of this works, then you are in for some repairing work! The battery can also be low and the lights may flicker or the radio might produce minimized sounds. The only way to test a battery’s performance is to examine the voltage output it is offering. The output that it provides with and without load can give you an idea about its health.


•Sometimes, it might just be the cold weather that causes damage to the battery and all you need to do is visit the repair shop and warm the battery! When bringing the battery indoor, always set it safely to prevent acid damage.

Steps In Testing

•If you seriously have a problem, get ready with a voltmeter, set the dials on 0-50V range.


•Disconnect the battery from the car connections, by following the instructions given in the car manual. Don’t attempt this without the manual or else you might end up irreversibly damaging some cables.


•Attach a 9V alkaline battery to the car PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). This ensures that the car retains its programmed settings.


•Connect the red lead of the voltmeter to the positive of the battery terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal. By checking the voltage level, you will understand what your car requires. If the range is between 12.6–12.8, then your battery is doing fine. If it is anything below, it needs charging!


•Next, reconnect the battery and try starting the car. Keep checking the voltage reading between the same points. If the power still doesn’t cross about 10V, then there are some other problems causing the decline.


•At the same time, check fluid levels in the battery. To do this, you must disconnect the battery again. To begin, open the battery cover and look into the contents. The electrode plates must be drowned in the electrolytic fluid (if you don’t know how to do this, consult a mechanic!).


•Add distilled water until the fluid level rises to about one fourth of an inch above the plate. Thus, you’ve checked the car battery and now you need to reconnect everything and restart the car.


This method of testing your car battery is easy and gives you a good amount of experience with the car for use in case of any future problems.
Continued......................

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Cleaning Car Battery Terminals
A car that refuses to start due to problems like a failed starter can often be a pricey affair. However, at times, the problem with a hiccupping car can be quite simple - like a battery with corroded materials and gunk around the terminals. Now, if you open the hood of your car and examine the batteries, you can see the gooey substance, which is actually battery corrosion formed by acid condensation. In case such corrosion is impeding your car’s performance, it is time to clean your car battery terminals. Check out these tips on cleaning car battery terminals and get rid of the gunk around them.

How to Clean Car Battery Terminals

Things Required

•Rubber Gloves

•Stiff-bristled Brush

•Screw Driver

•Razor Blade

•Electrical tape

•Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) or Cola

Instructions

•First, wear good quality rubber gloves to prevent any form of acid injury. Open the car hood and detach the battery terminals from the battery.

•Now, with the help of a bristled brush, rub off the battery terminals. Make sure to clean the ring terminal, both inside out. Carefully scratch the inside of the ring terminal, with the help of a screwdriver or a pointed tool.

•Once you clean the terminals to a clean and shiny state, examine the wires leading into the battery terminals.

•In case you notice any form of greenish or whitish powder under the sheathing of the copper wire strands, cut open the wire housing, approximately ½ inch from the top, with a razor blade.

•Keep cutting until you see shiny copper. Now, carefully cut any corroded wire you notice. Check that you leave enough length so that the wire easily reaches the terminal.

•Next, use an electrical tape to stick down the wire. In case you fail to do so, you may need to get hold of a new cable.

•Finally, make a solution of baking soda and water, and pour it over the terminals. You can also use a can of soda for the same. It will clean the gunk around the terminals and help them secure a better connection with the battery.

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When To Replace Car Battery
Battery forms one of the most important components of a car's engine. Without a battery, your car will not even start; forget about taking you to your destined destination. It has been estimated that if you indulge in proper care and maintenance, your car will run for at least 100,000 miles, if not more. However, by this time, your car battery will not be the one that came along with the automobile, at the time of purchase. The reason for this is the fact that battery has a much lower shelf life, as compared to a car, and needs to be replaced at some point in every car's lifetime. In case you want to know when to replace car battery, the information provided in the following lines will come handy.

Signs That Car Battery Needs Replacement
Extreme Weather Conditions

Weather conditions have a major effect on the life of you battery. If you are planning to shift from a place with temperate climate to the one that is subject to extreme weather conditions, it is advisable to change you car battery and buy a battery more suitable to the future weather conditions. Majority of the batteries are rated by a measurement called 'cold amperage'. In normal conditions, a battery with a low number of 'cold cranking amps' will ensure that your car starts at the first go. However, as you go to a place where winters are extremely cold, you would require a battery with a minimum rating of 600 'cold cranking amps'.

Excessive Wear and Tear

After a certain point of time, even the human body breaks down, as in - gets affected by diseases. So, you can understand that a battery won't last the entire lifetime of a car. Though a dead battery can often be charged by a power boost from jumper cables, there is a limit to the recharging as well. After a long time of abuse and excessive wear and tear, the battery needs to be changed. When your battery becomes dead on a frequent basis, needing a power boost, or does not hold a charge, it means that it has become extremely weak and it is better to replace it as soon as possible.

Damage To Battery Casing

Accident is a term that a large proportion of car drivers experience at least once in their lifetime. An accident, in quite a few cases, has an affect on the battery life as well. In case your battery has been damaged, or otherwise compromised, in an accident, it is advisable to replace it almost immediately. If you notice any cracks in the body of the battery, get a new one. This is because cracks can cause dangerous leaking of sulphuric acid or other chemicals from the battery, which can prove to be very harmful for the car as well as its users.

End Of Warranty Period

Almost all the new car batteries come with a warranty period, the time within which you can get it replaced, or at least repaired, by the manufacturer, if any defect or damage occurs. After the end of the warranty period, the onus as well as expenditure for repairs falls on the buyer i.e. you. So, if you battery has started showing signs of being worn out and has also gone past its warranty period, it is better to replace it. It makes financial sense to invest in a new battery, rather than paying for repairs on an old one, every now and then.

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How To Know When Car Battery Is Dead
Battery is the life of a car. No matter whether your car gives the best mileage or reaches the highest top-speed, if its battery is not in proper working condition, you cannot enjoy riding in it. So, how do you know whether the battery is alive or needs to be replaced? There are a number of tell-tale signs associated with the car, which can indicate that the battery is dead. If you want to know how to tell when a car battery is dead, go through the article. After reading the article, you will come to know whether the battery needs to be replaced or not.

Signs Of A Dead Car Battery

It Makes A Ticking Sound

If you find that your car is making a ticking sound instead of the usual sounds that are heard when the key is turned on, probably the battery is dead.

It Drags When Started

If the battery is dead, the use of extra power will make the car drag when started. For instance, if the car refuses to start after the headlights are turned on for a while; it is an indication that the battery is dead and needs to be replaced.

It Doesn’t Start At All

The car won’t start at all, in case its battery is dead. Faulty battery connections may also lead to this problem. You can test the working condition of the battery by installing it in a different car. In that case, if the vehicle starts and runs for a while, probably the connections to the battery got loose.

How To Make Sure

Check The Alternator

One of the most appropriate methods to check whether the car’s battery is dead or not is to check the alternator. In case you find that the car doesn’t start when the ground cable is removed from the battery, the alternator is not in the working condition. It is the alternator that needs to be replaced, not the car’s battery.

Tips
•The car’s battery needs to be checked on a regular basis. It needs a lot of care and maintenance.Also keep a check on its water content, every now and then.

•The battery cables should be connected properly, as loose connections may be one of the reasons why your car is dead and doesn’t start immediately when its key is turned on.

•Clean the battery posts, located on its top side, regularly, as it may get corroded if left unclean, leading to incomplete charging.

•Get your battery tested from a professional, in case you find problems in kick-starting the vehicle.

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Cleaning Car Battery Terminals

car that refuses to start due to problems like a failed starter can often be a pricey affair. However, at times, the problem with a hiccupping car can be quite simple - like a battery with corroded materials and gunk around the terminals. Now, if you open the hood of your car and examine the batteries, you can see the gooey substance, which is actually battery corrosion formed by acid condensation. In case such corrosion is impeding your car’s performance, it is time to clean your car battery terminals. Check out these tips on cleaning car battery terminals and get rid of the gunk around them.

How to Clean Car Battery Terminals


Things Required
•Rubber Gloves
•Stiff-bristled Brush
•Screw Driver
•Razor Blade
•Electrical tape
•Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) or Cola

Instructions
•First, wear good quality rubber gloves to prevent any form of acid injury. Open the car hood and detach the battery terminals from the battery.
•Now, with the help of a bristled brush, rub off the battery terminals. Make sure to clean the ring terminal, both inside out. Carefully scratch the inside of the ring terminal, with the help of a screwdriver or a pointed tool.
•Once you clean the terminals to a clean and shiny state, examine the wires leading into the battery terminals.
•In case you notice any form of greenish or whitish powder under the sheathing of the copper wire strands, cut open the wire housing, approximately ½ inch from the top, with a razor blade.

•Keep cutting until you see shiny copper. Now, carefully cut any corroded wire you notice. Check that you leave enough length so that the wire easily reaches the terminal.

•Next, use an electrical tape to stick down the wire. In case you fail to do so, you may need to get hold of a new cable.

•Finally, make a solution of baking soda and water, and pour it over the terminals. You can also use a can of soda for the same. It will clean the gunk around the terminals and help them secure a better connection with the battery.

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How To Charge A Car Battery

The days of your car battery suddenly going dead, without any warning, are long gone. However, it is always better to stay prepared for any eventuality. It is also much easier and safer, considering the other option of being left stranded on a lonely highway. Normally, car batteries are charged by the alternator in the car, so the best thing to avoid the problem is to make sure that is always running. Along with that, you need to keep the entire circuit in top shape. Service and clean the car regularly. Never forget to clean the terminals of the battery. Otherwise, someday, it may remind you of itself by going dead in the middle of nowhere.

Then, the only options left for you would be to either charge them on your own or pine and regret. While handling car batteries, protection is a must. The battery works on acids and also produces the harmful and explosive hydrogen gas. So, while working on one, charging or otherwise, take care to protect your hands and face. Also, leave enough ventilation to let the gas away. To help you more about how to change a car battery, we have listed useful instructions in the lines below.

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Charging Your Car Battery

Using Your Car
•When the car is running, it should be able to charge the battery on its own. This is beacuse an alternator in the car produces electricity when it is running.
•Usuallu, a thirty-minute drive can effectively charge the battery.
•Turn off the radio, AC, and lights to conserve electricity. In this way, the battery will receive more power and get charger earlier.

Jump Start
•In automatic transmission, jump-starting is the best option to charge your battery.
•Position a running car near the car with the dead battery, so that you can attach the cables comfortably.
•In both the cars, the ignition must be turned off.
•Now, connect the jumper cables of both the cars, by attaching the positive (red) clamp to the positive terminal of the dead car and the working car.
•Attach the negative (black) clamp to the negative terminal of the working car and the unpainted metal surface of the dead car.
•Start the working car and leave it on for several minutes, so that the dead battery gets charged.
•Once the battery is charged, remove the cables in the opposite order to that which was earlier undertaken.

Battery Charger
•Plug the battery charger into a normal 110-volt household outlet.
•They are very efficient and can do a quick charge, slow charge or a trickle charge.

Solar Car Battery Charger
•A solar powered car charger is an excellent way to maintain the car battery, if it is to be left unattended for a long time, in the sun.

Additional Tip
•Sometimes, due to corrosion, a white build up can form on the terminal, which prevents the electricity from transferring between the terminal and the clamp. As a result, the battery appears dead. Scraping the terminal with a wire brush or an acidic liquid can remove this corrosion.

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How To Install A Car Battery
How many of us have tried to be a grease monkey, while changing our car batteries but ended up being just a monkey who had grease all over him? Many of us for sure! It seems like a daunting task to most of us. And it may seem herculean of a task to those who had all hell broken lose on themselves when they were learning how to drive a car. “If driving is this tough, learning to install a car battery is not at all on my cards would soon popped the response”.

However, learning to install the battery isn’t as tough as it sounds in your head. Agreed that working with the mechanics of any vehicle is a tricky business; it’s either a thing you have or you don’t; but what would you do if you’re left stranded in the middle of nowhere because your car battery gave up on you and are left with no other option but to change it by yourself? Call for help? You’ll only attract flesh-hungry scavengers! So stop finicking around and stop hitting your car. Read this article about how to install a car battery, and roll up your sleeves to install one. Here:

Installing a Car Battery
•Start thinking about the time when you last replaced your car battery or got it replaced via mechanic. If your battery is over 4-5 years old, it may be time to let it go and install a new one.

•Before taking out your old battery, try the ignition one last time. If there’s a definite audible noise, there might be some problem other than a dead battery. Don’t replace it yet and look for what you can do. But if it doesn’t make any noise, it’s definite that your car battery has died up and it’s time to let it pass on to the afterlife.

•Make sure you have with you a combination wrench, wire brush or steel wool, and of course, a new battery.

•First you need to disconnect your old battery’s wires with a combination wrench. Look for two wires, one black and one red, connected to the nuts. Using the wrench, unscrew the nuts and take both the wires out from under them. Then remove the battery clamp that holds the battery in place.

•Using both your hands and putting all your strength into it, pull up the battery out of your car. Remember that the battery will be heavy and weigh around 40 pounds. Don’t end up falling inside the hood of your car.

•Now that your battery is out of the battery tray, it’s probably a good time to clean it up using a wire brush or steel wool. Now place a cardboard or some old newspaper in the tray area so as not to get the below of your new battery dirty and scuffed up.

•Now again using both your hands and putting all your strength into it, pull up the new battery and place it in that tray you just cleaned, on top of the cardboard or newspaper.

•Reattach the battery - while the red cable belongs to the positive terminal, the black one belongs to the negative terminal. Attach the positive end (red) first, and then the negative end (black) later. Now using the wrench, tighten the nuts to perfection to avoid further stoppages if you’re stuck in a God forsaken place.

•Your car is now ready to burn rubber. Put the key into ignition as quickly as possible, start it, and accelerate away as fast as you can, lest you get mugged.

Installing a car battery is not like asking a carpenter to perform a surgery over a patient. You can do it and do it right, that to without being a grease monkey!