When well-taken care of, your car battery can last as long as four to six years. On the other hand, if it doesn’t get the care and maintenance it deserves, its lifespan is going to be much shorter than that. So how often do you replace your car battery? If it’s every one to two years, that’s too short a time for a car battery to last. You could be guilty of a few bad habits that’s overworking your battery or draining it too fast.
Turn off your lights when not in use
Forgetting to turn off your lights can leave a battery drained overnight. Modern cars have an auto-off function that turns electrical systems off after a few minutes, but if you own an old car, then you need to make sure that all your lights are turned off before parking or leaving your car.
Don’t use electrical systems when the engine is off
You can be tempted to use the fan or car radio to keep yourself comfortable when parked. However, when the engine is shut off, this means that the alternator—the component in your engine responsible for charging your battery—is turned off as well. Since your battery isn’t charging, using any electrical device when the engine is off drains power from the battery, and you could end up with a hard start problem the moment you turn the ignition. For your sake, avoid using any electrical accessory until you have started your car.
Avoid short rides
A car battery must be fully charged to ensure its optimal performance. That said, fully charging your battery can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour depending on its charge level. This means that trips shorter than 30 minutes won’t be enough to fully charge the battery, and this results in shorter battery life. For short trips, forgo using your car and ride public transport instead.
Clean the terminals regularly
Car batteries are prone to corrosion buildup over time, which can hamper electrical flow. Check your battery terminals every now and then, and remove corrosion build-up by spraying the terminals with WD-40 and removing any residue with a stiff, dry brush. Make sure that the clamps are tight after cleaning.