How to Keep Your Battery Alive

Series Summary

Major car tune-ups or vehicle overhauls are vital to the upkeep and maintenance of an automobile. A car is a complex machine made up of simple machines that have many different parts and processes that must be checked for breakage, leaks and wear. A mechanic does all of these tune-up checks when a car comes into the auto shop. However, many car owners learn how to check their cars to fix common problems without costly mechanic visits. A little automobile knowledge goes a long way in saving money, avoiding scams and keeping cars in top shape. In this free video series, car restoration specialists demonstrate how to perform necessary maintenance to keep an automobile running in top condition. Find out how to inflate car tires, how to degrease an engine and how to clean a carburetor. Learn how to get better fuel mileage, how to clean oxidized aluminum rims and how to clean a car's gas tank. Keep a car clean and running smoothly with tips from these free videos.

Video Transcript

"Keeping your battery alive is very simple. It could save you a lot of money and keep you out of trouble. Number one, very important, is keeping it clean. Oxidation buildup on here can and will kill your battery. Number two is don't excessively use accessories in your vehicle with the car not running. Don't run the radio for long periods of time or leave the lights on while your engine s off. Those two things can quickly drain a battery and will leave you stranded. Keeping a car's battery clean is very important. A dirty car battery can cause hard starting and possibly leave you stranded on the side of the road. A simple mixture of household baking soda and water works wonders on neutralizing the acid often built up on the battery terminals. Here I have a little baking soda, added water to it in my cup. Not much, you want it to be very pasty. Here I'm pouring the solution onto the battery. Not too much, just enough, you'll see it start bubbling. Here you can see the baking soda neutralizing the acid that's built up on the battery terminal. Now just take your old toothbrush and give it a good scrubbing. You can use this solution to clean the whole rest of your battery. It will degrease it as well. Once you've cleaned the battery simply take a garden hose and rinse it off to get all the residue off. A clean battery is great preventative maintenance."