Rechargeable lead-acid starter batteries should last for years. Especially if they are valve-regulated sealed ones which need almost no maintenance. After all, they have a simple design comprising little more than lead plates and diluted sulfuric acid inside a plastic case. So why is there a need to make an auto battery last for longer in the first place?
The Answer Lies in a Weak Point in the Design
We asked our battery experts to explain why an auto car battery gradually goes flat when idle, or if it has been in the battery store for a while.
We should always check the manufacturing date of a car battery before paying for it. Because allowing it to go flat without regular charging can damage it.
It works this way: When a battery discharges while in use or standing idle, a layer of sulfur accumulates on the lead plates. Recharging it breaks this down – well almost – as the battery returns to equilibrium on full charge. Eventuality, the minute sulfur traces left behind build to the point where the electric charge can no longer flow. This process is almost inevitable if the battery is standing idle and gradually discharging.
Tips to Make an Auto Battery Last For Longer
If we do nothing about this, we eventually reach the point where the vehicle won’t start. And the auto electrician tells us “you have a dead cell, your battery is finished”.
The best way to make an idle auto battery last for longer is to charge it regularly. But it is a bind loosening the connectors, and removing it to the charger on the workbench.
The longer we ignore the problem, the more the battery gradually discharges, and the thicker the sulfur layer becomes. What we can do instead is let the motor run for fifteen minutes once a week, making sure there is adequate ventilation. Ideally, we should go for a short drive to let the mechanical parts exercise too.
That’s about all there is to make an auto battery last for longer. They cost money to replace and you will be so glad you took precautions to defer the expense.
Related
The Sulfuric Acid in Sealed Batteries
How Auto Lead Acid Batteries Work
Preview Image: Lead Battery Grid and Filler
