If you’re like most people, you rely on your vehicle for everyday use. Without even thinking about it, you hop in, turn the key or push the start button, and away you go. That is, as long as your car car battery however, you aren’t going anywhere, and it’s time to find out why. Corrosion can eat away at the battery cable parts until there is very little left.
If you were a doctor trying to diagnose a patient’s illness, you’d need to know a lot about body parts and how they function. The same is true when it comes to cars. In order to know what’s working and what isn’t, it’s helpful to have a good working knowledge of a vehicle’s components, even if you’re not a professional auto mechanic.
Although there are many parts, let’s take a look at a few of the key components of a car battery:
In simple terms (we’ll avoid the scientific jargon here), a car battery works by taking chemical energy and converting it into electrical energy – that’s the kind needed to start your vehicle and power electrical components such as lights and the radio. The chemical reaction comes from the interaction between hydrogen, oxygen, lead, and sulfur.
If you remember from chemistry class, chemical reactions often result in the desired action or product. But, they can also lead to the formation of byproducts. In car batteries, we see that in the form of corrosion.
As your vehicle heats and cools, so does the battery. During this process, hydrogen gas is released through the battery’s vents and mixes with particles around the battery itself. This mixture builds up over time and is the corrosion we most often see on battery terminals or cables.
Unfortunately, once corrosion occurs, it’s not going to go away on its own. Instead, it’s going to require some good, old-fashioned WORK! If the buildup is not too severe, the terminals can be cleaned as follows:
For both of these methods, the car’s engine should be off and the battery cables should be disconnected from the vehicle. If you have any questions at all about the process, or whether your terminals can even been cleaned, be sure to ask us!
Sometimes, a corroded battery cannot be sufficiently cleaned. Or, it has other issues that indicate it’s time for a replacement. When inspecting your battery, be sure to note the condition of the case itself. If it’s leaking or bloated (bulging), don’t bother with trying to clean the corroded terminals and cables. Instead, head to your car battery supplier and purchase a replacement. See here: គីរីរម្យ លក់អាគុយ Kirrirum Battery Shop, Phnom Penh.
Beyond excessive corrosion and leaking or swelling of the battery case, here are a few other symptoms that indicate it’s time for a new battery instead of cleaning or repair of the old one:
With many problems in life, the solution is often to prevent the problem in the first place. In the case of car batteries, it’s best to start fresh with a new battery. Then, you can implement the following corrosion prevention procedures:
You’ve learned a little about how a car battery works, how its parts can become corroded, and how to prevent battery corrosion. Let’s wrap up with a few more tips on extending your battery’s life in general:
Follow these tips and you’ll find that a little preventative maintenance will go a long way in helping you get the most use out of your car battery.
Happy driving!