How to Preserve Your Car’s Battery

The battery in your car is an essential piece of equipment that ensures that your car will be able to run. If used correctly, your car’s battery will run for a long time without needing to replace it. If used improperly, then your car battery could die prematurely. This could require you to jump your battery – giving your battery the necessary charge to get it started again – or worse, replace the battery entirely. The good news is that it is very easy to preserve the life of your battery if you are mindful of how and when you are using your car. Batteries can be expensive and the procedure to have them replaced can be costly as well. Preserving the life of your battery can ultimately save you a lot of money that would go towards battery repair and replacement costs or unnecessary roadside assistance costs. In order to preserve the life of your battery, and save money in the long run, read on to see a couple of tips on how to avoid overburdening your battery, and draining it in the process:

Avoid Aftermarket Products
Car manufacturers understand what goes into their cars, and the choices they make for appliances are very deliberate. These decisions are made to ensure that the power that goes into your car is used primarily to power your car, not just the appliances. But installing aftermarket products, like bigger stereos, can drain your car’s battery even when they aren’t in use. This will cause your battery to die much sooner than if your car only used the factory issued stereo.

Popular Mechanics explains that aftermarket stereos are often plugged directly into the battery and when they are turned off they often go into “stand-by” mode. This means that the stereo is still using some of the battery’s power even while it is not in use, resulting in wasted power and a dead battery. If you are using aftermarket products like stereos then it is important that you monitor your battery’s life. If you start to notice that your car is having trouble getting started or any other mechanical problems, you will want to get your battery checked, as this may be a sign that your battery is dying.

Don’t Leave the Key in the Ignition when the Car isn’t in Use
Many people absentmindedly leave their keys in their cars. This can lead to all sorts of unpleasant scenarios, including locking your keys in your car or misplacing your keys altogether. Sometimes drivers will turn off their car and leave them in the ignition for extended periods of time. Maybe you are waiting to pick up a friend, or maybe there was a song on the radio you wanted to finish. Whatever the reason, leaving your key in the ignition while your car isn’t running is bad for the battery.

Your car’s battery is what is keeping all of your car’s amenities – radio, A/C, etc. – running while the engine isn’t. And by using your car while it isn’t running, you run the risk of killing your battery prematurely. In order to make sure that your battery will last as long as you need it to, it is best to take your key out of the ignition and not use anything in your car while it is not running. In some cars the battery will stay on even if the key is in the off position if it is still in the ignition. So as a best practice always remove the key from your ignition when the car is not in use.

The battery is an essential part of your car. Without it your car won’t be able to take you anywhere. In order to keep your car in good shape keep your battery in good shape and make sure to check it frequently if it is working properly.

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