Understanding Basic Car Battery Function

Before you can gain a full understanding of why car batteries are more likely to fail in cold weather than any other type of weather, it is a good idea to gain a basic understanding of how your car batter operates. A typical car battery contains lead plates that are mixed with liquid electrolytes that creates an electric charge. These electrolytes react to both hot and cold temperatures. In higher temperatures the reaction is sped up, meaning the battery is able to produce a higher charge. While this means the battery is able to start more efficiently, the high reaction rate causes more rapid deterioration over time. Meanwhile, a colder temperature will lead to a lower rate of reaction, which is why cars are a little slower to start when temperatures fall below freezing. In some cases, the cold will slow the reaction down so much that the battery will be unable to produce any type of charge, and your car won’t be able to start.

Hot and Cold Effects

The cold temperatures definitely play a major role in causing a batteries to die in winter, but simply being exposed to cold temperatures isn’t the only reason why batteries die. Over the lifespan of a car battery it gets exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures. While the cold is eventually what causes the battery to die, hot temperatures play a major role in that process. When a battery runs in the heat, the internal corrosion occurs at an accelerated rate. The reason why car batteries die in winter rather than summer is because the battery doesn’t require as much power to run the engine when its warm out, so it can run at a lower charge. When the temperature drops, the batter requires a higher charge to function efficiently, which can be difficult if the internal corrosion during the summer months prevents the battery from being fully charged. The lower charged battery is therefore more likely to freeze and die.

Preventative Battery Maintenance for Winter

To avoid issues with your battery during the winter, there are a few precautions you can take. These simple tips will go a long way towards keeping your battery working properly for a longer period of time, even in the dead of winter. You can first take a look at how old your battery is. The age of the battery can be indicated by the date it was manufactured, which is listed on the side of the battery. If  you notice your battery is more than ten years old, it is probably best to replace it all together. You should also check the battery for any signs of corrosion. This can usually be found around the terminal connections. If you notice any discoloration round the connections this can be a sing of internal corrosion.

One other way to make sure you get the most out for your battery’s life span is to avoid using other electrical systems in your car during the winter before you start the engine. Once your engine is on, it will charge the battery, making it easy for you to use things like the radio or heating system. Before the engine is on however, these systems draw energy from the battery alternator, which should otherwise go towards starting the engine and keeping the battery charged.

Locate the Battery

For the most part, powersport vehicle batteries can be located under the seat. This is often the case for motorcycles, dirt bikes and ATVs in particular. Once you have located your battery by consulting the owner’s manual, you can remove the seat and assess exactly how you can go about removing the battery.

Removing the Battery

Some battery terminals are connected to the positive and negative cables with some type of bolt. These bolts are easy to remove using a socket wrench. Be sure to use the exact right size socket to avoid stripping and damaging the terminal bolt. Start the removal process by disconnecting the negative cable first. This will ensure you aren’t exposed to any harmful shock during the removal process. Once the negative cable is removed, move on to the positive cable. You may then move on to the retaining bar that physically holds the battery in place. This bar is also usually secured with some type of bolts which are best removed using some type of socket wrench.

Clean the Battery Compartment

Even if you intend to dispose of the old battery, it is important to make sure there is no battery acid on the terminals. This corrosive acid can be harmful to the environment, and it can be dangerous if it comes into contact with a person’s skin. Simply use a solution of water, vinegar and some baking soda to scrub the terminals and the outside of the old battery. While you’re at it you should use the same cleaning solution to wipe out any acid from the battery compartment before you install the replacement.

Connect the New Battery

When you reconnect a new battery to your cables, be sure to start with the positive terminal. Make sure the connection is completely tight and secure, and that the cable terminal is clean before you move on to the negative connection. You can then bolt the retaining bar into place once the terminals are secure. After that simply replace your seat and give the engine a start to confirm your new battery is charged and ready to go.

And we frequently never pay much thought to them until they stop working. Because that’s the only point where we worry a little about them.

But have you ever wondered, how exactly do they work?

That’s what we’re here for. So, let’s just get into learning a few facts about the most relevant part of any vehicle.

An automotive car battery is a rechargeable battery that is used to start a motor vehicle. The majority of car batteries use a lead-acid chemical reaction, in which each battery has six cells made up of lead & lead-dioxide that delivers 2-volts of energy. The plates are immersed in sulphuric acid that assists in stimulating the response among the two plates.

The acid then produces a reaction on the lead dioxide plate, making it to create ions which then react to the adjacent plate to produce hydrogen and lead sulfate.

This reaction helps in generating electrons that race around the plate to generate electricity.

The electric current generated then slides out of the battery terminals to commence your engine and play the radio.

Now that you have learned a thing or two about car batteries, let’s learn a few facts about them.

Facts about a car battery

Knowledge is power when it comes to knowing your car battery and its electrical system.

The most important thing in any vehicle, in fact, the heart and soul of your car, without which it’s hard to even imagine your ride is a car’s battery.

You’ve been driving your vehicle for a long time now but did you know these basic facts about your car’s battery? Don’t worry, we’ll help you out.

1. Modern Day Batteries

A car battery is deemed to persist for a minimum of six years, but it depends chiefly on how you’re going to take care of it.

Good care of any vehicle and its parts ensures a long life ahead. In contrast, poor or not-so-good supervision of your carrier leads to abbreviating the life of your vehicle, thus making you spend more bucks than required.

Multiple discharge/recharge cycles can shorten any battery’s life. So using electronics in your car while the engine is turned off, is the quickest way to a dead battery.

But don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered.

There are various ways to evade this state. To avoid this recurring nightmare, always turn off your headlights and interior lights once you’re done driving.

Also, don’t forget your electronics like GPS or cell phones plugged into the car charger because that can contribute towards draining the car battery.

2. Not just for power

Were you thinking a car’s battery is only about starting the engine?

Well, not only that.

Batteries are power sources used for keeping the electric current steady & for providing voltage stabilization.

3. Blame the weather

When it comes to choosing a good battery for your car that will last for a long time; one should always go for batteries that are waterproof and can withstand those extreme weather conditions.

Whether you believe it or not, weather changes have a significant impact on your car battery & its life and performance.

This is because most of the car batteries have a liquid electrolyte solution inside them to hold a charge, which can easily get affected by hot & cold weather.

During the chilly season, low temperature freezes your battery’s solution; thus lessening their ability to produce adequate energy.

In contrast to this, during hot weather, the solution evaporates, restricting its capacity to hold a charge.

4. A regular check-up

There are certain parts in your vehicle that can be easily checked once a year, but when it comes to car batteries, it needs to be looked at every six months.

Checking a car battery is quite simple & can be done easily at home. There are just a few simple steps to follow and these are:

• The initial step for a regular battery check-up expects you to determine the battery inside your vehicle. Some carriers have their batteries positioned inside the trunk or back seat. And if you’re not assured about where to find them, you can simply have a look at the users’ manual.
• Clean up your battery if you can discern any greenish-yellow build upon it.
• Tighten all those loose cables
• Lastly, examine the battery with both a voltmeter & a battery tester to know how much power it is putting out.

5. A flat out battery

Almost all of us have spent more time indoors this year rather than going out to enjoy ourselves with our friends.

Coronavirus has made sure to make our stay at home & spend more time with our families.

And it has helped us in many ways but has confirmed to be absolutely miserable for our vehicles, particularly our cars.

Due to Covid-19, we have used our cars a lot less than normal which has resulted in a few issues in our car. The first & most important is a flat out battery. There are many reasons for a flat out battery but this time, there is one that has affected our cars the most & that is “less use”.

Yes, if you’re using your car less than normal or if you’re not driving it regularly, it helps to flat out your car battery. All cars have a natural discharge system & a chemical leakage in their batteries and to keep a battery alive & working, it draws a tiny amount of power.

Thus, when you’re not driving your car regularly or using it less, car batteries become fully discharged. And to avoid such a situation, connect a good maintenance charger to restore proper condition to your battery.

6. Use of Tap Water

Car batteries in new or nearly-new cars are sealed and are maintenance-free; thus they do not require to top it up with water.

In contrast to this, older car batteries require the occasional top-up of water every few months. In such cases, you should always use distilled, deionized or demineralized water.

Never use tap water to top up your car battery because tap water produces mineral & natural content build-up that blocks the pores & coats the plates of the battery; thus corroding the battery.

You should always use bottled water in place of tap water because bottled water is distilled and it does not have any mineral content.

FAQs

1. What to do when your car battery dies?
The most common way to deal with a dead battery is by jump-starting it. Jump-starting a car requires you to have a set of jumper cables & another car with a functional battery.

But the most important thing to keep in mind is to never jump-starting a car if the battery’s cracked or leaking acid.

2. How do I know what car battery to buy?
There are a few things to keep in mind before buying a good battery for your car:

• Check for the group size on your old battery
• Check your owner’s manual
• Search online for the group size
• Look for the label of your battery
• Determine the cell type of your battery
• Select the brand & warranty you want

3. Are car batteries sold fully charged?
Yes, whenever you purchase a new battery for your car, it will come fully charged.

4. How do I know my car battery is running low/ How do you know if your car battery is dying?
There are various signs to know whether your car battery’s dead or about to die:

• Your engine cranks, but it doesn’t start
• Your car’s engine doesn’t start, and the lights don’t come on
• One day your car starts absolutely fine, and the next day it just won’t start at all

5. How to check battery water level in a car?
To check the water level in your battery, you need to look through the battery filler holes & check that the water level covers the top of the battery plates and separators. You can also use a flashlight to clearly see the actual water level inside the battery.

6. Can you jump start a car in reverse?
Yes, it is possible to jump start a car in reverse just the same method as the forward motion gears. Push starting a car in reverse will put more strain on the transmission & clutch and a substantial jolt can be noticed while reversing the clutch.

7. How do I know if I need a new car battery?
Your car gives you various signs that you need a new car battery. These are:

• The engine cranks, but it doesn’t start which could probably be a result of a flat battery.
• You’ve had to jump start your car a lot
• Your car battery is either cracked, swollen, or leaking

8. What do you fill your car battery with?
Distilled water, purified water, or a proprietary topping-up fluid can be used to fill your car battery.

Never overfill your car battery as it causes the electrolyte to leak through the cell-cap vents when the battery is getting charged. Also, do not use a naked flame when you’re checking the battery.

9. Do car batteries lose charge when not in use/ Do batteries recharge themselves?
Batteries generally have a natural self discharge or internal chemical leakage & they use a tiny amount of power when not in use to keep all the electrical systems alive.

10. How to recharge a car battery?
There are a few easy steps involved in recharging your car battery and these are:

• Before charging the car battery, the first step is to make sure that the charger is off.
• Hook-up the positive cable on the charger to the positive terminal on the battery
• Hook-up the negative cable on the charger to the negative terminal on the battery
• Set the charger to the slowest charge rate
• Turn on the charger & set the timer

And Voila! Your car battery is fully recharged.

11. How can you do the car battery replacement at home?
To replacement your car battery at home, follow these few simple steps:

• Remove the battery hold-downs, bars, or fasteners with a socket or a wrench
• Insert the new battery in the hold-down tray
• Secure the battery with its appropriate fasteners
• Replace & tighten the clamps on their posts
• Connect the negative cable followed by the positive cable.

So, these were some amazing facts related to your car’s battery. And with the help of these above-mentioned facts, we now can say that you know a lot about it. Go and share these fun facts with your friends and family. And if you have any other questions, feel free to comment down below and let us know your thoughts on the same.