Your car is more than just a vehicle. Sure, it gets you from point A to point B, but while most people feel they may be spending the majority of their time at work or home. The average person spends 6.5 hours a week in their car (that’s a lot of bonding time with your vehicle). Cars these days are getting named and even have perceived personalities. For instance my boyfriend has a white lifted F150 which he named “White Stallion”, while his roommate has an older truck characterized with dents and wear named “The Silver Bullet”.
It’s kind of a silly thing but if you’re an automobile owner you know the special bond you share behind the wheel. A car gives you a sense of pride and independence allowing you not to rely on anyone, because you have the ability to go wherever your heart desires. What happens though, on a hot July day when its 100 degrees outside and your car dies? Or you’re on your way to an interview you’re already late for and your car won’t start? Or how about when it’s January and you forgot your gloves and you’re stranded? These are the moments where suddenly Holly the Honda isn’t quite the best friend you thought she was. A dead car battery happens at the most unfortunate times, as we don’t ever plan for them to happen. At Battery Joe, we know the importance of your car’s battery, and we want to make sure we can do everything we can to prevent an unfortunate situation.
Your Cars Battery is the Cars Heart:
Yes, it’s no secret a battery is essential to a car (and if you don’t know, now ya know). However, a lot of people do not realize the work this little thing does for the vehicle.
The battery provides a jolt of electricity necessary to power all the electrical components of your vehicle, hence why nothing works with your car when your battery is over the hill. The battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy delivering voltage that is needed to power all other machinery. Not only does the battery initially jump start everything into action, but it also keeps a steady voltage the entire time the car is in use. So, although it might seem small, the power this thing emits is huge!
What Can I do to prevent a Deceased Battery?
In order to avoid a run-in with a dead battery here’s some tips and tricks to save you some trouble down the road:
- Don’t leave headlights, interior lights, flashers, or radio on when the car is not running
- Try not to leave your car unused for long periods of time (storage). Not starting your car for awhile can cause a battery to die. If you have to store your car use a battery maintainer like the Deltran brand Battery Tender
- Make sure you have checked that you have a properly working alternator
- In winter months, when temps reach below 0, make sure your battery is not freezing. Don’t leave it unattained for long periods of time. Just parking it in a garage helps.
- Check for constant buildup of corrosion which can be blocking the current to your battery cables. A few swipes with a wire brush or a douse the battery with a baking soda and water mixture can help keep the corrosion to a minimum.
- It takes a lot out of a battery to start up the car, so if you’re planning on making lots of short trips try to walk in-between errands or plan out longer trips
- Overall, make sure you are getting maintence checks on your battery, which Battery Joe does for free
How long is my Battery good?
After just three years you should be making sure you are regularly testing your battery. Batteries can last up to 5 + years if it is being tended to correctly. If you believe your battery is older than 3 years come to Battery Joe they will clean up your terminals and will perform a free testing so that you can be ensured everything is starting and charging properly.
Does Battery Joe test for free?
Yes! With our free cleaning and testing at Battery Joe we will let you know how much life is left in your battery and whether replacement is recommended and clean up those corroded terminals for you. This gives you a piece of mind that you will not be stranded on the side of a road on a long trip, or even at your house when you need to pick up the kids from school. We also offer free installation for any battery bought at our store.
Will having a weak battery affect other parts of my car?
Yes! When your car battery is becoming weaker it puts stress on the other part of the automobile to make up for it. So if you are not properly tending and maintaining your battery, a number of issues more serious than battery replacement could occur.
Here at Battery Joe we encourage car owners to get checkups with our free battery testing to help prevent issues that could be avoided. We just want to keep Sally the sedan up and running so that you don’t have to worry about an untimely dead battery!
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