Easy Ways to Maintain Vehicle Batteries with Cartrack

The Importance of Vehicle Health

One component often overlooked when discussing the health and maintenance of electric vehicles is the battery. The battery and the engine are the two components that make a vehicle function and move, yet attention is often focused solely on the engine.

Let's change that, shall we?

The battery supplies power to the vehicle's engine and lights, enabling us to shift gears and continue the journey. When the engine is turned off, the battery also powers other electrical components in the vehicle, such as the radio or air conditioning.

A well-maintained battery can have a long lifespan, provide reliable performance, and prevent unexpected and costly breakdowns. To achieve this, proper maintenance is essential.

Different Vehicle Service Stages

Before we focus solely on our vehicle's battery, let's look at the bigger picture of the vehicle as a whole. What good is a healthy, functioning battery if its components aren't working properly?

To keep your vehicle in good condition, it's recommended to have it serviced every few months to ensure minor issues are checked and repaired, preventing them from becoming more expensive if ignored. Vehicle inspections are determined by the make, model, and mileage. Depending on these three factors, different types of vehicle maintenance plans may be recommended to ensure every part, from tyres and oil to battery and engine, is running at its best:

• Interim Car Service
  This is a small but important basic vehicle inspection, recommended every 15,000-22,000 km (15,000-22,000 km). This service includes an oil change, installation of a new oil filter, a light inspection, and a check for leaks. This type of service is recommended at least once a year, even if the vehicle has not yet reached a specific mileage target.
• Complete Car Service
  This service is recommended around 20,000 km of vehicle mileage and includes all the basic checks of a minor service. It also includes checking several important components, including brakes, lights, steering, tyres, windshield, vehicle fluids such as hydraulic fluid, and testing components such as the starter, alternator, and battery.
• Major Car Service
  This service is recommended every 30,000 km-45,000 km and includes maintenance on all vehicle parts mentioned in the minor and complete service, as well as other parts that may cause the car to break down, such as replacing the air filter, spark plugs, and brake fluid if neglected.

For major service, you can also include the following to ensure the vehicle remains in top condition:

• Wheel alignment

• Suspension inspection

• Tyre tread test

• Checking brake pads and brake discs

If your car is still under warranty, you should have your vehicle serviced at the specified intervals. If it's out of warranty, there's more flexibility in the timing and service performed, but to ensure your vehicle's health and resale value, it's best to stick to the schedule as much as possible.

Get to Know and Learn the Types of Vehicle Batteries

To ensure the longevity of all your vehicle batteries, you need to know your vehicle's battery type and use proper maintenance techniques. Here are the battery types you should know about:

• Lead Acid Battery
  This is the most popular, more traditional, and most cost-effective type of battery found in most cars on the road. It operates on lead and a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. Due to the nature of this battery, it tends to evaporate over time, causing its power to decrease over time. The only maintenance required for this battery is to add distilled water every few weeks.
• Lithium-ion Batteries
  These batteries are most popular with electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. They have a high power-to-weight ratio, low energy consumption, and are recyclable, perfect for environmentally friendly electric fleets. The downsides are that they are expensive, prone to overheating, and difficult to find in the market when replacements are needed.
• Sodium-ion Batteries
  These batteries were created as a solution to the problems posed by lithium-ion batteries. Sodium is abundant, easier to extract, more sustainable to use, and more affordable than lithium-ion. Because they are a new solution, more research is needed before they will be widely available and become the industry standard.

Factors Affecting Battery Life

Vehicle batteries rarely cause problems for drivers, and for this reason, most drivers don't check their batteries during routine inspections. Often, they don't notice battery problems until it's too late.

Here are some battery care tips to make your battery last longer:

• Avoid short trips: Instead of taking short trips throughout the day, combine them into one trip to reduce the load on the battery. The battery uses power to start the vehicle each time it travels, so with multiple short trips, the battery uses more power without being recharged by the alternator. Longer trips allow the alternator to charge the battery during the trip.
• Keep the vehicle movingThe longer you leave your vehicle unused, the faster the battery will drain because it's not receiving regular charging from the alternator. A quick solution to this is to drive the car every few days to ensure the battery is getting a charge.
• Avoid extreme temperatures: Batteries last longer when kept at a neutral temperature. This may be difficult for drivers living in warm climates, but batteries perform better when the temperature is neutral or cool. Try parking your vehicle in a shaded area or garage to limit exposure to extreme temperatures.
• Clean the battery: Don't be afraid to open the hood and start cleaning. Corrosion (white or blue-green powder) and dirt often build up around screws or bolts, resulting in poor connectivity. Simply sweep away the dust, remove any accumulated dirt, and wipe away any debris stuck to the battery.
• Vehicle service: Car servicing is crucial for maintaining your vehicle's health. Leave it to a professional to ensure the battery is working properly and remains securely in the vehicle, preventing vibrations.

Do you need to maintain or replace your vehicle battery?

Unfortunately for many drivers, batteries aren't a one-time purchase. The estimated lifespan of a vehicle battery is about three to five years. Over time, they will deplete and eventually need to be replaced.

The following are signs that a battery is starting to fail:

• Slow cranking: If the battery takes a minute or two to start the car, this could be a sign that the battery is starting to weaken and needs to be replaced.
• Battery warning light: If the battery warning light on the dashboard comes on, it means the vehicle has detected a problem with the battery or charging system and needs to be replaced.
• Battery corrosion: Excessive corrosion or damage is a sign of an unhealthy battery. If the corrosion is too severe, it can no longer be cleaned and a new battery will be required.

If you see these signs along with a cracked battery casing, fluid leaks, or a bulging battery casing, it's unfortunately too late to save the battery and it should be replaced immediately.

Vehicle Battery Maintenance Checklist
Often, battery health is overlooked because many drivers assume all a battery needs is a jumpstart if it ever experiences a problem. However, battery maintenance is relatively simple. Here are the things to check when performing vehicle battery maintenance:

☑ Check the battery: Before you begin, take a moment to inspect the battery and check for signs of damage, such as cracks, bulging in the casing, or fluid leaks. These are sure signs of battery failure and indicate the car needs a new battery.

☑ Battery voltage test: To determine if your vehicle's battery is indeed losing power, you can use a battery tester to measure the battery voltage. A fully charged battery should have a voltage of around 12V. If the voltage is too low, it may need to be recharged or replaced.

☑ Keep battery terminals clean: Corroded terminals slow the flow of electricity from the battery to the car's electrical system. To fix this, simply use a wire brush or a cloth to remove any corrosion that has accumulated around the battery. If the corrosion is difficult to remove, disconnect the battery cables and use a mixture of baking soda and water to gently clean the area around the terminals.

☑ Recharge the battery regularly: Have you noticed recently that the battery doesn't hold much charge after the vehicle has been parked for a few days? Vehicles that are rarely driven do not have enough time to recharge, resulting in low power output and a shorter battery lifespan. Use a battery charger or maintainer to keep the battery charged even when the vehicle is not in use.

☑ Check battery life: Car batteries typically last between three and five years. If you're experiencing frequent battery problems, check to see if the battery's age is the cause. Even if your battery is still working just as well but is approaching five years old, consider replacing it before problems start to arise.

☑ Ensure the battery is not stored loosely: The battery must not move or vibrate while you are driving. This can loosen the battery and cause internal damage as well as short circuits.

Caring for Electric Vehicle Batteries

When it comes to electric vehicle (EV) batteries, regular charging is the best way to maintain them. Unlike conventional vehicles, which rely on gasoline to get from one location to the next, electric vehicles rely on their batteries and the amount of power they have to travel.

To ensure your vehicle battery remains in prime condition, you can try these techniques:

1. Check the charging status regularly

2. Temperature monitoring

3. Monitoring battery voltage and cell health

These techniques ensure drivers get the most out of their batteries by quickly identifying battery problems before it's too late.

Protect Your Vehicle Battery and Extend Its Life with Cartrack Solutions

Cartrack, a trusted industry leader in vehicle safety and fleet management, not only tracks vehicles in real-time but also monitors vehicle health, tracks battery performance, and provides features that help improve maintenance efficiency.

Cartrack Key Features That Can Help With Battery Maintenance

• Power Event Notification: Stay up-to-date on battery tampering or theft attempts with our real-time PEN feature. Receive an immediate alert when your vehicle's battery is disconnected, and act quickly to reduce the likelihood of battery theft.
• GPS Vehicle Tracking: With a tracking unit installed, you can see the vehicle's location directly. This allows us to efficiently track and monitor every vehicle movement in real time.

So, are you ready to say goodbye to vehicle security and battery issues? Contact Cartrack by clicking the link below for the most trusted vehicle security solution.