How to Care for an Automobile Battery
Keep your vehicle running smoothly with these tips on how to care for an automobile battery. You'll learn how to keep your battery terminals clean. You'll learn how to check a battery's strength. And you'll learn when to service your vehicle's battery.
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Things You'll Need
- Cloth rag Rubber gloves Wire brush or steel wool Carbonated water or baking soda
Instructions
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The plus and minus of battery care
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Check your battery for any deposits of corrosion, usually seen around the positive and negative terminals. The corrosion is sulfuric acid, which is inside the battery but usually becomes visible due to leakage.
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Use a dry towel to wipe around the battery's terminals, making sure the terminals are not overly corroded. Wiping the top of the battery will also allow you to distinguish between battery corrosion and coolant, which sometimes is visible on top the battery due to a leak in the radiator or an adjoining hose.
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Pour carbonated water or baking soda on the terminals to loosen the deposits that have hardened over time. Carbonated liquid is ideal because the acid works to break up the deposits. If carbonated water is unavailable you can substitute baking soda or even soda pop.
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Use a wire brush or steel wool to gently brush around the terminals, including the tips. Be sure not to brush so hard that you damage the terminals, but a thorough once over is recommended. If you choose to use steel wool, make sure it is in fairly good condition. A worn piece of steel wool could leave loose wires around the battery, which could become combustible under extreme heat.
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Tips & Warnings
In addition to cleaning your automobile's battery, you should take it to an authorized dealer to check the battery's strength. Although many batteries last for an average of five years, a yearly check will tell you how much life is left in your battery.
Always wear safety goggles when working with acidic materials, including automobile batteries.
- Photo Credit Photo by Craig JC
