How to extend the life of a car battery. How to extend the life of a car battery

20.05.2019

Transmission

The life of a modern person is inextricably linked with various mechanisms and gadgets. And to a large extent, the comfort and convenience of using numerous devices is associated with a reliable and smooth operation various batteries. There are simple and not too burdensome rules that allow you to extend the time of their operation, avoiding many unpleasant problems. Let's take a closer look at how to extend battery life.

Taking care of your car battery

The car battery is responsible for starting the engine, provides power when the engine is turned off, secures the generator in moments when there is not enough generated power. Battery life depends to a large extent on its correct operation. Consider the basic rules to extend life car battery.

Basic rules for battery operation

The main rules to extend its durability include:

Do not fully discharge the battery.
When the battery is deeply discharged, charge only with a charger with a current of 0.1 of the battery capacity.
If the level is low, add electrolyte only with distilled, but not tap water.

Avoid full discharge

The optimal operating mode of a car battery provides for a discharge at a level of 20 ... 30%, followed by a full charge.

The most important rule of operation is to maintain strict cleanliness of the battery. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid leakage currents, contact closure, and capacity discharge.

Monitor electrolyte levels

The value of the electrolyte level should be regularly monitored, which may decrease due to the evaporation of the water included in its composition. Many models have a maximum and minimum mark for control. In their absence, one should strive to ensure that the level is one and a half centimeters above the edges of the battery plates.

It is important at a low level to top up the electrolyte only with distilled water, but not with tap water. Do not drain the electrolyte yourself, add new or sulfuric acid.

Check electrolyte density

It is also necessary to check the density of the electrolyte, which should be in temperate climate at 20 degrees 1.28 g / cm3 At a lower value, it is worth recharging the battery. The voltage should not drop below 12.6 V.

The impact of vibrations contributes to the violation of the fastening of the electrode grid, destroys the spreads. Therefore, it is very important to fix the battery securely and firmly.

With proper use of the battery, insufficient and overcharge are equally unacceptable.

Causes and effects of insufficient charge

Reasons for undercharging can be:

generator malfunctions;
insufficient tension of the alternator belt;
excessive load on the power supply network, especially in winter conditions.

The consequence of undercharging can be sulfation of the plates and even a change in the polarity of some cans.

Malfunctions of the relay-regulator and other vehicle electronics can lead to overcharging the battery. In this case, the electrolyte overheats, its level decreases with the danger of destruction of the positive plates.

Work with the battery should be carried out in glasses, gloves, work clothes. Watches, bracelets, rings should be removed due to the danger of capacitive discharge.

The question of how to extend the life of a car battery is largely related to proper operation. Starter cranking time should be limited to ten seconds. The interval between unsuccessful attempts should be at least a minute. In the event of several unsuccessful attempts to start the engine, it is worth checking the ignition and fuel system. High power consumption should be avoided idle engine. Large temperature fluctuations are also undesirable. It would be useful to use a modern insulating coating in the engine compartment.

How to extend the life of your smartphone battery

Newer smartphones use lithium-polymer or lithium-ion batteries. The recommendation to fully discharge and then charge was for older batteries.

Modern smartphones are undesirable to discharge more than half of the battery capacity. Longest life is achieved at a charge level between 40% and 80% of full capacity. When storing the battery for a long time, a charge level of about 50% is required. Keep the battery in the shade, maintaining the temperature at room temperature.

For a battery, both extremely low and elevated temperatures. But overheating is more dangerous. It should be understood that the battery heats up during the charging process and it is undesirable to immediately go out into the heat after that. Also, when charging, it is better to remove the case. Avoid sudden temperature changes.

The rapid discharge of the battery can be caused by dust on the Micro-USB contacts. In this case, it is worth cleaning the contacts with a toothbrush.

Operating rules

Compliance simple rules help reduce smartphone power consumption, stay connected longer and improve battery life.

For gadgets with Android, the following recommendations should be followed:

Keep the screen brightness as low as possible for comfortable viewing.
Disable the ability to automatically sync data.
If there is no need to use it, then you should turn off GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, vibrating alert.
Although live wallpapers are beautiful, they quickly drain the battery, and you should refuse them.
After working with the program, close it.
Activating the “Use only 2G networks” mode will significantly reduce the load on the battery.

It is important not to keep the smartphone under the sun, overheating it.

Let's see how to extend the life of the iPhone battery. The same recommendations apply to them. Additionally, you can recommend:

use of power saving mode;
enabling an ad blocker in the browser;
disable the unused AirDrop function;
prohibit applications from using location services;
prohibition of the option to improve Apple products;
disable content refresh.

We provide mobility for laptops and tablets

Tablets and laptops are equipped mainly with lithium-ion batteries, and macbooks with lithium-polymer type.

Key measures to ensure durable operation of these batteries include:

support for battery charge in the range from 0.4 to 0.8 of its full capacity;
operation of the gadget in the temperature range from 15 to 25 degrees;
operating temperature limits from 5 to 45 degrees;
exclusion of direct sunlight, overheating when charging;
use only a native and serviceable charger;
storage of a battery with a charge level of about 50%.

When using a laptop from the mains, it is better to remove the battery, but periodically it is necessary to work from it at least once every five days. Ensure that the laptop is cool enough, do not block the ventilation holes. Large amount of RAM will allow you to use less HDD, which also reduces the degree of heating.

It is advisable not to use the standby mode, disable unused services and programs, adjust the brightness towards the minimum necessary. The switched off laptop should be disconnected from the network.

Keeping the tool working

The cordless electric tool provides mobility and convenience in work. Consider how to extend the life of the battery of a power tool. The rules for longevity of a battery depend on the type of battery.

Classical nickel cadmium battery must be stored unloaded. For its durability, due to the memory effect, charging should be carried out after a full discharge and reach 100%. It is necessary to beware of overheating during operation, use a regular charger.

The nickel-metal hydride battery does not need to be fully discharged. It can be stored in a charged state at low, but positive temperatures. The operating temperature range is from -10 to 40 degrees. Overcharging, full discharge and excessive heat should be avoided to extend the life of the battery.

New Li-Ion batteries store better at half charge at temperatures above 0 degrees but below ten degrees. During operation, avoid high temperatures, do not charge at negative temperatures, make sure that the charge is within 20 ... 90%, use branded, serviceable charging.

Modern batteries usually last less time than basic equipment. However, knowledge and compliance with easy rules can significantly increase their service life. Moreover, an almost twofold increase in durability is possible.

The life of a car battery can last 4 years or more if properly cared for. There are many rules for caring for batteries, if they are not followed, batteries can only work for 2-3 years.

The battery case and terminals must be kept clean at all times to avoid stress, loss of capacity, and accidental short circuits. Their characteristic dirt is removed ammonia. Whitened, that is, oxidized, the terminals are treated with a soda solution (used only after complete drying) or sandpaper.

The main cause of battery failure is vibration. If the battery "walks", then there is a possibility of capsizing and hitting the body and terminals. Reliable fastening The battery reduces vibration, but sways in a few months, so it needs to be tightened.

Because in a broken state internal elements battery are destroyed, it cannot be in it for a long time, especially in winter. Only the battery charger can be used for recharging. The supplied current is not more than 10% of nominal capacity battery. In cold weather, you need to charge 1 time in 2 months, in warm weather - 1 time in 3-4 months.

How to properly charge the battery:

1. Unscrew the protective plugs.
2. Check the electrolyte level and, if necessary, top up with distilled water. A sufficient level of liquid (10-15 mm above the plates) prevents the battery plates from oxidizing and breaking down earlier than expected.
3. Connect the charger, observing the polarity of the connection. This is important, otherwise the battery can be safely thrown away.

The troubles that electrolyte can bring, namely its evaporation in heat and low density, are sulfation of battery plates and freezing. If you do not neglect the maintenance of the battery, you can not think about these problems.

A serious blow to the battery is faulty wiring in the car. Oxidized wires and loose contacts increase resistance, the battery heats up more and becomes unusable faster.

How to extend the life of the battery in the cold season

Here's how to extend battery life in winter:
1. In winter, the battery is used more actively and does not have time to charge while driving, so it turns out to be discharged at the moment the engine is started. The problem is solved as follows: after stopping the car, it remains to work so that the battery has time to charge.
2. Only a dry and warm battery is suitable for recharging from a charger, that is, one that has stood warm for 2-3 hours, depending on the temperature outside.
3. To make it easier to start the battery, you can warm it up by turning on high beam for 20-30 seconds.
4. The clutch pedal pressed into the floor before turning the key helps. So the battery does not need to “wake up” the transmission with viscous oil.
5. It is better to refuse short trips, since more often the battery is not allowed to warm up, and for a trip to the store it will not have time to stir.

When the car has to stand idle for a long time, it is better to remove the battery and put it in a dry room fully charged.

Tell your friends about the article: after all, it can be useful not only for you

What should be done to extend the life of the car battery?

Every time a battery fails, its owners think that it would be nice to extend the life of the battery. After all, no one likes the constant spending on the purchase of a battery. Recently, there are often cases when car owners throw away a used battery after 2-3 years of operation. Of course, in general, the quality of products on the market leaves much to be desired, but with proper care, the life of an average battery should be about 5-7 years. How to achieve this result and increase the life of the car battery.

Everyone understands perfectly well that for a long and normal operation any device requires regular maintenance. This applies not only to batteries, but also to any other equipment. Manufacturers modern batteries often claim that their models are maintenance-free for the life of the battery. They are called ─ unattended.

But in order not to change the battery every two years, you still need to monitor it and service it as needed. It is also important to know the causes that reduce battery life and avoid them during operation.

It really depends on how regularly it is serviced. Below are the operations that it is desirable to carry out on a regular basis.

What most often shortens the life of a car battery?

electrolyte evaporation. When operating a car, especially in summer time when it is especially hot under the hood, water evaporates from the electrolyte. As a result, the electrolyte level drops, and the battery plates are exposed. This very quickly leads to their sulfation;
The battery is not constantly charged. This situation is observed with a short nature of trips and a large number of current consumers in the car;
Low electrolyte density. With a low electrolyte density, it can simply freeze in frost. This threatens that the plates in the banks will be warped. In this case, the battery is immediately sent to a landfill;
Faulty wiring in the car. Malfunctions in the on-board network of the car significantly reduce the life of the car's battery;
Careless operation. Using the battery loose or poorly secured may result in shock, tipping over, etc. As a result, the case, terminals, or a short circuit may be damaged.

How to increase battery life?

The problems listed above can be avoided by regularly inspecting the battery and taking preventive measures. As a rule, this does not take much time.

So, what you need to do to extend the life of your car battery:

The frequency and process of charging. Experts believe that charging the battery dramatically affects the life of the battery. It is strictly not recommended to keep the battery in a discharged state. Periodically, you need to do a control-training cycle (this procedure is described below). Be sure to charge the battery after a deep discharge (left headlights, glass heating, etc.). Read also about;
Car electrical wiring. Onboard network The vehicle must be in good working order and kept in in perfect order. Particular attention should be paid to the generator and the voltage regulator in the network. There should also be no damaged wiring, oxidized or loose contacts, etc. All these problems lead to an increase in resistance. As a result, the energy of the battery is spent on overcoming it and is spent on heat generation. As a result, the battery life is reduced;
electrolyte level. It should be checked regularly and adjusted if necessary. Under the hood of the car, the temperature rises during operation. As a result, the distilled water evaporates and the electrolyte level drops. If you start this process, the battery plates may be exposed. In this case, their rapid oxidation and subsequent destruction occurs. The coating from the gratings crumbles and sludge forms at the bottom, which sometimes causes the electrodes to short circuit. All this significantly reduces the life of the battery. Therefore, regularly check the electrolyte level and top up with distilled water. The level should be 10-15 millimeters higher lead plates;
trips to winter time. In winter, starting the engine is difficult due to thickened oil and frozen spark plugs. The starter turns longer and draws more charge from the battery. At the same time, we turn on much more current consumers in winter than in summer. These are glass and mirror heaters, a stove, steering wheel and seat heating. This is a plus to the usual navigation and music. Under such conditions, the battery can only be recharged after long trip. Otherwise, it will be constantly not charged, which will shorten the life of the battery. Therefore, short trips are not recommended in winter (wound up, drove 5 minutes to the store, wound up again and drove back a little);
Terminal corrosion prevention. Check the condition of the battery terminals. They should not be raided. white color(oxides). If there are signs of oxidation, then remove the battery, wash the terminals with a solution of baking soda and dry. If the traces of corrosion are strong, then you can process them with sandpaper. The terminals must be well tightened, it is advisable to cover them special composition for contacts. It is sold in automotive stores and is inexpensive;
electrolyte density. The density of a fully charged battery is 1.27 g/cu. see We recommend checking this value some time after full charge battery. Low electrolyte density can lead to serious problems in winter. The electrolyte will just freeze. You can see the table of electrolyte density and related characteristics;
Battery cleanliness. It may seem strange to some, but dirt also shortens battery life. Dirt, dust, electrolyte smudges on the surface of the battery turn into a conductive layer, which causes the battery to discharge and reduce capacity. Therefore, at least the upper plane of the battery must be clean and dry. If it allows engine compartment, you can make some kind of battery cover so that moisture, dust, oil do not get on the surface and terminals;
Periodic inspection. To extend the service life, it is advisable to do periodic visual inspection battery. For example, when checking the engine oil and coolant levels in expansion tank at the same time inspect the battery. This will allow timely detection of damage to the case, traces of oxidation on the terminals, battery contamination;
When the vehicle is idle. If you leave the car for long-term storage, then it is better to remove the battery from it, fully charge it and store it separately. This will extend the life of the battery.

Assume that these conditions are met:

The generator and the relay-regulator work properly all the time, the charging circuit does not generate high voltage.
Strong battery discharge is not allowed (forgotten light, heating, multimedia).
We exclude "poking" when trying to start the engine.

As a rule, if these simple rules are observed, a high-quality standard battery will last up to 7 years. Let's now take a closer look at each of the battery longevity factors. Which of these factors is the most dangerous? How to extend the life of a car battery?

The most dangerous is excessive voltage in the charging circuit or constant recharging of the battery. Due to a malfunction of the relay, an “extra” charge or increased voltage causes the inevitable overheating of the battery and the shedding of the active substance on the cells of the plates, the evaporation of electrolyte and the sulfation of the lead plates themselves. In a word, during the period of recharging or applying increased voltage, the battery is operated with a double consumption of resources. It is logical that the service life is reduced from 7 years to 2-3.

What to do?

There are two ways. If you suspect an increased voltage, measure with a conventional multimeter. Almost everyone has it or you can buy it in a building supermarket. Supplied to charge the battery should not exceed the value of one tenth of the battery capacity. For example: if your battery has a capacity of 50 amps, then the charging current should be no more than 5 amps. At the same time, keep in mind that the use of a battery in a car with a capacity lower than recommended by the manufacturer will automatically cause it. increased wear- the current supplied to charge the battery and is designed for a battery of standard capacity.

It is necessary to measure the current strength after a certain period of time after the start. So that the generator re-winds the spent battery charge. You need to measure with the engine running. You also need to measure at 2-3 thousand revolutions. Increased voltage is often characteristic of high speed mode.

Do I need to change the battery after a complete discharge? If the battery has worked for a couple of years, then deep discharge can lead to irreversible consequences, and if you use it for less than a year, then it will restore all its properties. In any case, we recommend contacting a service where a specialist can carry out a full battery recovery cycle.

Does it make sense to periodically recharge the battery for preventive purposes?

It makes sense, especially in winter. Preferably 1-2 times per winter season. Even if all the electronics of the equipment are working, the charge often goes away due to increased consumption in winter period. Plus, because in winter it takes twice as much energy to start the engine. In addition to this, we include heating for windows, seats, etc. As a result, this leads to a large voltage drop. The most optimal course of action in winter is not to turn on all electrical consumers at once after starting. Give the generator a few minutes to recover the charge spent when starting.

Is it possible to connect the charger without disconnecting the terminals?

Can. Moreover, such a connection scheme is often used for charging and starting devices. Unlike conventional chargers, which are small currents during long period(4-8 hours) restore battery charge, chargers have the ability to switch the supply of currents great strength. Short-term exposure to such currents is not dangerous for the battery, while there is fast charging within 10-15 minutes. (Note: Be sure to read the instruction manual for your charger!) This time is enough for the battery to be able to perform a one-time start of the car together with a working charging and starting battery. After starting the engine, the current is reduced to a nominal 4-5 amperes.

Article info:

Many car owners have faced the problem of replacing the battery every 2-3 years. In this article, we will try to tell in detail how to extend the life of a car battery.

car battery

Publication date: 01/07/2016

Sooner or later every owner vehicle wondering how to prolong battery life. and all auxiliary devices of the machine, thus ensuring comfortable ride. This means that a situation may occur with you in which you simply cannot start your car. Usually this happens at the most inopportune moment, when you urgently need to go somewhere.

Don't be discouraged, another driver can come to the rescue by allowing you to recharge the battery from his battery. This situation can happen to anyone, today he will help you, and tomorrow another motorist will come to his aid.

For charging, you must use the so-called "crocodiles". You should always have such a device with you, so you should buy it immediately when purchasing a car. Some terminals need to be connected to your battery, and others to your "savior". Be very careful to connect plus to plus and minus to minus. During this time, the engine should never be running. If your battery is very low (this can be seen from the light on the shield, which is barely lit), you can turn on the motor of your assistant for 10 minutes. When starting your engine, the second must be turned off, otherwise both yours and its electrical equipment will fail.

This procedure will help you solve your problems during the day, and at night you need to put the battery on charge from the mains using a special device.

What to do to increase battery life

Why is the battery draining

To know how to prolong the life of your battery, you need to consider the main causes of its discharge and methods to eliminate them:

Due to the ingress of electrolyte vapors, oxidation of the outputs of the terminals and pins can occur. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to clean the terminals with sandpaper and lubricate them with a small layer of grease.
In case of violation of the integrity of the housing, electrolyte leakage may occur. To solve the problem, you can pour out the remaining liquid, seal the crack epoxy glue or solder with a similar material. Then you need to pour the electrolyte back.
If you do not keep your battery clean, you may experience increased self-discharge. To prevent this from happening, wipe down your battery regularly. To do this, you can use water with the addition of a small amount of soda.
When the device is completely discharged, it may happen short circuit plates. If the battery has been rarely used or has not worked at all, repair is not possible.
sulfation process. This is the most common reason for battery failure. Lead sulfate crystals cover the entire surface of the battery plates. Work disrupted due to white plaque, which prevents the penetration of the electrolyte and an increase in its temperature, as well as active gas evolution and voltage increase. The battery begins to discharge very quickly, as a result of which it becomes unusable. To slightly reduce the sulfation process, several charge-discharge stages can be carried out. In this case, you first need to apply a charge to a density of 1.285 g/cm 2 . To reduce it, you need to add water, and to increase it, fill in the electrolyte. Next, you need to apply a discharge with a current of 4–5 amperes up to 10.2 V at the terminals. With this method, sulfation will decrease, but not much, and the battery can be used a little more.

We independently eliminate the causes of problems

Battery life with normal care is 4-5 years. At the same time, it is important to detect and eliminate the malfunctions that have arisen in a timely manner. Let's consider the main ones.

leads to a decrease in the density of the electrolyte elevated level self-discharge. This is mainly due to contamination of the battery surface. To remove dirt, you can use a brush dipped in a pre-prepared 10% hot solution of soda in water. With this procedure, you will also remove an unnecessary layer of electrolyte from the surface of the battery.

Then you need to rinse the battery well with water and wipe dry with a clean cloth. At the final stage, you can degrease with gasoline, and also apply a couple of layers of epoxy glue on top of the mastic. The resulting film will protect your battery from the damaging effects of dirt and electrolyte. Battery parts must be cleaned of traces of oxidation and painted. The frame of the device can be covered with tape.

Increased self-discharge can also occur due to contaminated electrolyte. To prevent this from happening, you need to drain all the liquid and wash the battery well with distilled or boiled water. It is necessary to wash until the release of a dark precipitate stops. Next, pour distilled water again and wait an hour, then connect the battery to charger and charge with a current of 0.5–1 A throughout the day.

After that, it is necessary to drain all the liquid and fill the battery with electrolyte with a density of 1.27 g / m 2. At the end, you need to charge the battery and make sure that the density in all elements is normal. With the help of this procedure, the operational life of the device is extended. It should be noted that it is necessary to fill new electrolyte, and the old one must be neutralized with soda and poured into a specially designated place.

Increased self-discharge can occur due to current leakage when the insulation of any wire or machine device is damaged. To check if this is the case, disconnect all current consumers and touch the terminal with the “+” sign to the attachment point. If a spark appears, you need to find and neutralize the problem.

Remember that the normal self-discharge of the battery is 1-2% per day.

Oxidation of tips and pins leads to an increase in the resistance of the external electrical circuit. Because of this, when starting the engine, the starter does not have enough voltage, and the engine does not start. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to put on the pins a felt or felt washer 2-4 mm thick, which is impregnated with an alkaline substance. This will prevent the oxidation process.

Cracking and delamination of the mastic from the walls of the accumulator may be the result of clogging of the gas outlet holes in the plugs. I need to take them out and check. If necessary, clean with a wooden stick. If you find defects in outside batteries, you need to warm up the mastic, add plasticine and fill in all the cracks. In this case, the battery surface must be heated to 60 ° C using a 200 W lamp.

Should be normal. If it is increased, liquid may splash out through the holes in the plugs, if it is lowered, the plates will be exposed, which leads to sulfation and battery failure.

Due to the shedding of the active mass and the destruction of the separator, short circuits inside the battery are possible, which will lead to its boiling. You need to check the density of the electrolyte. If you find a malfunction somewhere, you need to open the battery and inspect everything. After repairing or replacing some parts, everything must be put in place and corked.

Battery charging problems can occur due to sulfation of the plates. The reasons for this problem may be:

prolonged non-use of the battery;
systematic undercharging of the battery;
high density and low level electrolyte.

To reduce the sulfation process, you need:

charge the device charging current during few hours;
completely drain the electrolyte;
wash the battery well;
pour a solution of baking soda (25 g per 1 liter of water) and wait 3 hours;
drain the liquid and pour the salt solution;
charge the battery for an hour;
drain and wash everything;
pour a solution of baking soda (40 g per 1 liter of water) and again make an hourly charge.

After carrying out all these stages, it is necessary to thoroughly wash everything, fill in a new electrolyte and recharge according to the instructions.

Experts advise to follow the following rules to increase the life of your battery:

After turning off the engine, you need to check if all electrical appliances are turned off.
When disconnecting the battery from the power supply, you must immediately turn off the wire with a minus sign.
Avoid battery self-discharge.
Constantly check the connection points of the terminals with the battery.
If you do not use the battery without draining the electrolyte from it, you must constantly charge it and check the density and liquid level.
The driver, using a voltmeter, must monitor the voltage at the battery poles.
It is necessary to measure the density and electrolyte level every 3000 km.
If all indicators are normal, the battery still needs to be charged: in winter - every month, in summer - every 6 months.
For charging, use a current equal to 1/10 of the battery capacity.
Remember that in winter, when frost occurs, damage to the case is possible, which occurs due to freezing of the liquid in a discharged battery.

If all these rules are observed, it is possible long service life your battery.

Video on how to restore the battery:

Things to remember when buying a new battery

To purchase new battery you need to know its size. To do this, you can measure the socket of the old battery and the value of the starting current.

When making a purchase, remember that you need:

take a check and issue warranty card for the purchased goods;
find out the date of manufacture of the battery;
using a voltmeter, measure the voltage at the battery terminals, while it should be no more than 12.6 V.

Summarize

Everyone can extend the life of their battery. To do this, it is necessary to properly care for it and listen to the advice of specialists. Also remember that a quality product purchased will last you much longer than any used device.