Battery Care
Mercedes Porsche Mechanic | Midtown Auto Repair | Services | Sacramento
P. 916.382.7700
The battery is one of the most important components under your car’s hood. A bad battery can lead to things like an expensive service, tow charge, or it might even leave you stranded. To keep your car battery working at peak performance, today we are going to break down things you can do by yourself, at home, to keep your battery performing well.
The easiest thing you can do is clean it. Clean the top of the battery and any corrosion from the cables using a little bit of baking soda, a cup of water, and a nonmetallic brush. You can then disconnect the cables and start cleaning off the corrosion around the auto battery terminals and cables with a post cleaner. Remember to never pry on the auto battery posts.
The next thing you can do is check the electrolyte level. The water and acid mixture in the battery makeup the battery’s electrolytes. Electrolytes should measure about a half inch deep or to the bottom of the fill hole. If you see that the levels are low all it needs is water. Use distilled water and make sure you do not over fill the cells. If you inspect the battery and you find cracks, it needs to be replaced.
Lastly, the best thing you can do to ensure that your battery does not die on you is getting it changed every four to five years. Due to the nature of the chemical cocktail inside any battery, it may give out before you think it is ready. That is why experts say that you have about four years before the battery will theoretically begin its slide from chemical powerhouse to chemical paperweight. At four years keep an eye on it, budget for it, and be prepared to get it swapped out.
For more information on car batteries reach out to us here at Midtown Autoworks. We are your car experts and are here to help!