Two of the most critical components of any car’s electrical system are the alternator and the car battery. The alternator converts part of the engine’s chemical energy into electrical energy to keep your vehicle’s electronics powered while the engine runs. However, it cannot function normally without the car battery.
Your car battery is critical for starting your vehicle and powering its electrical system while the engine is off. Proper car battery maintenance is essential to ensure the battery’s longevity.
When Should I Consider Maintenance On My Car Battery?
Most automotive batteries today are SLI (starter, lighting, ignition) batteries designed to provide three to five years of service before they deteriorate and become unreliable. However, many factors can affect your car battery’s lifespan: driving style, weather, ambient temperature, vibration levels, power draw, and battery chemistry and design.
You can check your car battery and perform preventative maintenance anytime, especially if you haven’t replaced it in three or more years. However, most car batteries today are not designed to be repaired. If you begin experiencing battery-related issues with your vehicle, replacing it is typically the best solution.
Common Types of Car Batteries
Although there is a wide variety of car battery designs and chemistries in today’s market, the most common types are wet-cell lead-acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM), and lithium.
Wet-Cell Lead-Acid Batteries
The wet-cell lead-acid battery is the oldest and most well-known car battery technology. This type of battery is sometimes called a flooded battery because it contains a corrosive liquid electrolyte, or battery acid.
The primary advantage of wet-cell lead-acid batteries is their cost. Because the technologies they use are older and less advanced than AGM or Li-ion batteries, they are cheaper to manufacture and more affordable for a consumer to replace. Wet-cell lead-acid batteries are more widely available than any other car battery type, can tolerate discharging better than different battery chemistries, and are recyclable.
The primary disadvantage of wet-cell lead-acid batteries is their lifespan. Lead-acid batteries typically die faster than batteries with more modern chemistry. They last around three years before you’ll notice a measurable decrease in energy output.
They are also sensitive to vibrations and weather conditions and require upright storage due to liquid electrolytes. A damaged or leaky wet-cell battery also risks spilling corrosive battery acid onto your engine components, making it unsafe.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries
An absorbed glass mat battery is a newer type of car battery containing saturated boron silicate, also known as absorbent glass. This battery chemistry allows it to store electrolytes in a suspended state instead of a liquid, making it spill-proof and highly weather-resistant.
The primary benefit of using an AGM battery in your car is that it is essentially maintenance-free. They are durable, do not need to be stored upright, and won’t spill acid, even if damaged or broken. AGM batteries also have a longer lifespan, lasting up to six or seven years if well maintained. Quality AGM batteries also have more reserve energy capacity than lead-acid equivalents.
However, AGM car batteries are more expensive to replace than wet-cell equivalents. They are also prone to losing maximum charge over the years, and overcharging or high voltages can significantly shorten their lifespan.
Lithium Car Batteries
A lithium car battery uses Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4), an advanced battery chemistry. Although similar in structure to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in smartphones and other mobile devices, they use a different type of battery chemistry to store and cycle power.
The main benefit of lithium car batteries is a longer useful lifespan than any other battery type. Lithium batteries can complete around ten times as many charging cycles as a wet-cell battery; they also retain a higher state of charge and discharge more efficiently than other battery types. This means you can expect an average reliable service life of about ten years. They are also safe, resistant to high temperatures, and environmentally friendly due to the lack of rare, heavy, and toxic metals in their composition.
However, lithium car batteries are expensive, with even higher manufacturing costs than AGM batteries. They also have a relatively low energy density and are unsuitable in cold or freezing environments. For instance, a LiFePO4 car battery will not charge properly under a certain temperature threshold, requiring a battery warmer.
Common Car Battery Problems
If your car battery begins experiencing one of these common issues, you may need to repair the battery, perform battery maintenance, or replace it.
Car Electronics Not Working Correctly
The most common issue related to car batteries is age. The more charging-discharging cycles a battery goes through, the less efficient it becomes. If your battery is old or dying, look for common signs, such as:
- Dimming headlights
- The car radio or onboard infotainment isn’t working correctly
- Flickering, dimming, or failing dashboard lights
- USB ports failing to charge your phone or devices
- Electric windows and sunroof aren’t working correctly
- The heated seats aren’t working
- The “Check Engine” light is on
If you experience any of these signs, schedule a service with the professional mechanics at Hometown Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & Ram.
Slow Start
Certain factors, such as weather and ambient temperature, can affect your battery’s performance and prevent you from starting your vehicle. If you live in an area with cold weather, turn off anything that might draw power from the battery before starting the car. This includes the headlights, car radio, heated seats, and phone chargers.
If your battery doesn’t work even under relatively warm conditions, try jump-starting it. If the engine turns over after a jump-start, you may have a faulty, damaged, or drained battery, meaning it is time to replace it. When the car doesn’t turn on even after a jump-start, other parts, such as the alternator, may be at fault.
Regularly Needs Jump-Starting
As batteries age, they lose the ability to retain an electric charge efficiently and eventually die. At this point, the only way to start the car is to jump-start it.
Check how often you’ve needed to jump-start your battery to turn your car on. If you need to jump-start your car multiple times per week, your battery is likely worn-out and needs to be replaced.
Corrosion
Unmaintained batteries are prone to corrosion, which can hamper your ability to start the car properly. If you have no reason to suspect your battery is past its expiration date, open the hood and check the battery terminals (black minus and red plus) for signs of corrosion.
If one or both of your battery terminals are covered in a white, blue, green, or teal substance, they are corroded. You can clean your battery to remove the corrosion and ensure it runs again.
First, remove your battery’s connecting cables. Always start with black (minus), then red (plus). If you have anti-corrosion cleaning fluid, spray it over your battery’s terminals until you’ve coated all corroded parts.
Don a pair of rubber gloves and scrub the corroded parts with a wire brush until all affected areas are clean, then reattach your cables in reverse order: red (plus) first, then black (minus).
Low Battery Fluid
If your car battery has a standard, unsealed wet-cell lead-acid battery, its design may allow some battery fluid to evaporate over time. Consequently, your car battery may require periodic refilling.
Topping off this type of battery with fluid is essential for car battery maintenance and should be done at least once a month. Failing to keep your battery fluid topped up can prematurely shorten your battery’s lifespan.
Manipulating battery fluid is dangerous. Always ensure you wear eye protection and gloves before refilling your battery. Once you have appropriate personal protective equipment, verify that the battery is fully charged and the engine is turned off and cool.
Then, remove the battery’s cell filler caps or trough cover (depending on the battery’s design) and fill each cell to the mark on the battery case. If your battery doesn’t have a fill mark, observe inside the battery and fill until the electrolytes submerge the battery plates, without overfilling.
Car Battery Maintenance Checklist
Routine preventative maintenance is crucial for car care. Car battery maintenance, including inspecting, cleaning, and adequately charging your car battery at least once a month can help you extend its lifespan.
State of Charge Check
Having your battery’s state of charge checked regularly gives you a good indicator of its health, helping you determine whether it needs replacement soon.
Modern car batteries may have an onboard state of charge indicator or battery health indicators, sometimes known as “battery eyes” due to their circular shape. If your battery has a health indicator, check its color and the instructions associated with each.
On most car batteries, green means OK, red means low distilled water levels, and white with a central dot indicates low charge.
If your battery does not have a state of charge indicator or you want a more precise measurement, you can use a multimeter to measure its state of charge. First, ensure your engine has been off for a few hours to ensure the readings are as accurate as possible. Then, disconnect the car battery from your vehicle, removing the black (minus) connector first and the red (plus) connector last.
Set your multimeter to voltage mode and adjust it to measure DC power, preferably between 15 and 20 V. Put on a pair of safety gloves, then connect your multimeter to the battery’s two terminals. Below is a chart of voltage levels and corresponding states of charge for a standard 12-volt battery:
- 12.6 V or more: 100% charged
- 11.9 to 12.5 V: Partially charged (40% to 90%)
- Less than 11.9 V: Low charge (30% or less)
- Less than 11.6 V: Very low charge (10% or less), may require jump-starting
- 10.5 V or less: Completely discharged, needs jump-starting
Visual Inspection
Inspecting your battery thoroughly at least once a month can help you detect potential issues, defects, and signs your battery may need maintenance. Follow this checklist to ensure your battery is in proper working order:
- Visually inspect the battery’s casing for signs of damage. If your battery is cracked, warped, bulged, or appears otherwise physically damaged, they are possible signs of overcharging or overheating. Replace your battery as soon as possible if you spot these signs.
- Inspect the terminals, clamps, and cables. Check for wear, tear, corrosion, or breakages. Replace any broken or loose parts and apply anti-corrosion fluid to clean corroded parts.
- Inspect the battery casing’s top end and keep it dry and clean. Remove any dirt, dust, or grime that may have accumulated on the battery to prevent it from discharging prematurely.
Routine Charging
If your car battery’s charge is low but allows you to start the vehicle, driving at highway speeds for at least 30 minutes is the best way to charge it. The alternator will gradually resupply your battery back to a healthy charge level.
If your vehicle cannot start normally, you may need a jump-start to bring your engine on. Completely dead batteries (0% charge) may require longer periods to start. Jump-starting will transfer some of the charge from another car’s battery to yours, bringing it up to a sufficiently high level to start your vehicle.
After jump-starting, bring your vehicle to a professional mechanic or use a battery charger to regenerate its charge level fully.
Car Battery Charging Process with a Battery Charger
Adding a car battery charger can help you conduct car battery maintenance at home more efficiently. It is a useful tool in any serious motorist’s garage that can save you from a dead battery, especially if you cannot use another car for a jump-start. Use the following steps to recharge your car battery:
- Power down all car electronics and anything that might draw power from the battery, including the radio, interior lights, or air conditioning.
- Unplug the battery cables from the connectors. If your terminals have caps holding the connectors in place, you may need to pry them free before removing the cables.
- Keep the positive and negative cables far apart to prevent a short circuit.
- If your terminals are heavily corroded, clean them with an anti-corrosion fluid before proceeding.
- Prepare your battery charger. Ensure it is turned off before continuing.
- Hook your battery charger up to your battery by connecting the red (plus) connector first, then the black (minus) connector second.
- Turn on your battery charger and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to begin the charging process.
- Once the charging is complete, turn it off, then unplug it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Reconnect your battery to your car. Connect the red (plus) connector first, then the black (minus) one.
What to Look for in a Car Battery Charger
Car battery chargers today come into two categories: standard chargers and smart chargers.
Standard chargers are less expensive, more basic models with fewer functions but provide excellent value for the money. Smart chargers can perform more functions, such as maintenance charging, automatic charging mode detection, and automatic switching to trickle charging to prevent overcharges.
Besides the type of battery charger, you’ll need to ensure the model you select is compatible with your battery’s chemistry. For example, if you have a standard lead-acid battery, any charger should work. However, if you have an AGM or lithium battery or your car has a start-stop function, you may need to use a smart charger to avoid damaging your battery.
Regardless of type and chemistry compatibility, ensuring your charger is the correct size for your battery is critical. You should select a model within 10-20% of the battery’s Ah rating. For example, if your car battery is 100 Ah, you should pick a charger between 10 and 20 Amps. Choosing a charger too large for your battery risks overcharging it.
Bring Your Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram to Hometown for a Service
Hometown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is a full-service auto dealership in Albion, MI. We are always ready to assist you with your automotive maintenance needs on your Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram cars and trucks.
Looking for professional car battery maintenance, shop genuine Mopar parts, or need advice from our friendly and knowledgeable staff? Schedule an appointment with us today or call us at (517) 459-6023.
