How to maintain a car battery: routine maintenance and recommendations
How to maintain a car battery: routine maintenance and recommendations
Anonim

Every modern car is equipped with a device such as a battery. Its design is very reliable. When used correctly, these devices can work for a very long time. However, be aware that sometimes the battery needs special maintenance.

This procedure does not take much time and effort of the car owner. But on the other hand, the life of the device is significantly extended. Every car owner should know how to maintain a battery.

Need for procedure

When asking how to service a battery, you must first consider the reasons why such a procedure is performed. No matter how long the life of modern devices of the presented type is, sooner or later the driver will have to face the need to carry out routine maintenance.

How to maintain a battery
How to maintain a battery

This is influenced by several factors. The main reasons why service or even repair is required are possiblecharge deviations. This situation is caused by a malfunction of the generator.

If the owner of the car leaves his vehicle for a long time with the battery connected, the charge of the device will gradually decrease. Therefore, it may be necessary to charge it.

The question of how to maintain a car battery may also arise due to the lack of proper care for it. In this case, the equipment may become unusable. Moreover, it is not always possible to repair it. Therefore, timely action and proper operation will significantly save money on the purchase of a new device.

Main species

Modern lead-acid batteries are characterized by a service life of at least 5 years. To prolong the life of this device, you must consider its type.

Two types of batteries can be used in cars, according to GOST 53165-2008. According to regulatory documentation, a serviced or maintenance-free battery is distinguished. It is better to consider which class a particular device belongs to. The list of routine maintenance for each of them is significantly different.

Serviced car batteries
Serviced car batteries

Serviced car batteries require adherence to the manufacturer's recommendations during operation. They are written in the instructions that come with the device. Maintenance-free batteries (despite their name) will also require some maintenance over time. The difference lies in the set of actions thatmust be done in this case. All work can be done independently.

Maintenance-free battery

When deciding how to service a maintenance-free battery, you should pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions. Many car enthusiasts prefer this type of equipment, as its routine maintenance is very simple.

In this case, you first need to inspect the battery case. It must not be leaking. Next, inspect the drainage holes. If contamination is found, it must be cleaned. All other parts of the battery also require similar actions.

How to service a maintenance-free battery
How to service a maintenance-free battery

If an electrolyte leak is detected, it is required to eliminate it in a timely manner, neutralize the acid. For this, ordinary soda is used. If the device has a built-in hydrometer, you must check the density of the liquid inside the case.

Next, the contacts are lubricated. This will protect them from destruction. It is also periodically required to check the voltage at the terminals of the device while the car engine is running.

Maintenance free battery features

Understanding the question of how to maintain a maintenance-free battery, you should consider the final procedure for this process. At this stage, the level of charge provided by the generator is evaluated. If during the test it was found that the voltage is at the level of 12.5-14.5 V, then the equipment is working.

How to service the battery
How to service the battery

If inconsistencies with the standard value are found, the generator has worn out. An urgent diagnosis and elimination of the problem is required. After the repair, it is necessary to check the operation of the system in different modes.

This type of equipment does not have special holes for electrolyte control and topping up to the required level. Therefore, if this indicator drops critically, and the density of the liquid also decreases, the battery is recognized as faulty and cannot be repaired. It is being replaced with a new device.

Features of the serviced battery

To figure out which batteries are serviceable and which are not, you need to pay attention to the structure of the device. Even an inexperienced driver can do this. Serviced batteries have special openings that are closed with plugs.

These technological openings are designed to fill the electrolyte inside the tank. In the event of a critical drop in the level of this indicator, you can unscrew the plugs yourself and pour the required amount of the substance into the device. If a maintenance-free type of battery cannot be repaired with such a malfunction, then the second type of device allows it to be used further after topping up. Cleaning is performed, as in maintenance-free batteries.

How to maintain a battery
How to maintain a battery

Maintenance of the presented variety of equipment is carried out in the order indicated above. But there are a number of features of this process. Using a hydrometer, the density and level of the electrolyte are controlled. also inthis technique has several floats with different weights, as well as a pear. It is designed to fill the body.

Maintenance of serviced battery

Serviced car batteries require a certain set of routine maintenance. It begins with checking the fasteners, their reliability. If necessary, the bolts and nuts of the battery must be tightened.

Serviced or maintenance free battery is better
Serviced or maintenance free battery is better

If there are oxides between the wire clamps and the terminals, they must be treated with grease. This will prevent the formation of corrosion. After that, you can proceed to a visual check of the electrolyte level. Sometimes a special measuring tube is used.

If necessary, distilled water is poured into the battery (sold in a pharmacy). Hydrometer after the procedure is determined by the density of the electrolyte. This makes it possible to determine the level of charge. If the density of the contents of the container dropped by 0.01 g/cm³, the charge dropped by 6%.

Using the load fork, the he alth of the unit is checked. It is considered good if the voltage does not drop for at least 5 seconds.

Adding electrolyte

Considering how to properly maintain the battery, you need to pay attention to topping up the electrolyte. It is required if a leak was detected during the diagnostic process. Batteries with a charged capacity are on sale. This allows the car owner to immediately use the device for its intended purpose.

But sometimes there are also dry-charged batteries. them before use.needs to be recharged with electrolyte. The density of the substance should be 1.27 g/cm³. It is filled to the required level.

How to maintain a car battery
How to maintain a car battery

After 20 minutes after this procedure (no later than 2 hours), the hydrometer checks the density inside the battery. If this indicator has not decreased by more than 0.03 g / cm³, the battery is ready for use. If the drop exceeds the specified value, you need to connect the charger. In this case, the charge should not exceed 10% of the rated current value. Actions should be continued until copious gassing appears in the banks.

Which type of battery should I choose?

When looking into how to maintain a battery, many car owners are wondering which type of battery is best. The opinion of experts will help to understand this. Recently, the popularity of maintenance-free batteries has been growing. This is due to the improvement of the production technology of such products.

It is easier for a modern driver to purchase a maintenance-free battery, which is disposed of after exhausting its resource. Buying a new battery is sometimes much easier than refilling an old one.

Experienced motorists still prefer serviced varieties. With the right tool, the use of such batteries allows you to operate the presented equipment for a longer period. Therefore, for those people who have enough free time and knowledge to service such batteries, this optionpreferred.

Battery recovery

If the question arises of how to maintain the battery of a car that has been heavily discharged, you should consider the instructions for restoring the battery. If you charge with a low current, after a long time, the density may increase. This way you can revive the device.

If the battery has working plates, you can pour sulfuric acid inside with an indicator of 1.4 g / cm³. Sometimes it's better to see a specialist. He will apply special techniques and techniques to restore the battery.

Charging the battery

Learning how to maintain the battery, it is necessary to say a few words about charging it. To prevent the battery from being discharged during a long period of inactivity, it is necessary to disconnect its mass. Requires periodic charging. For this, a special device is used. It first lowers the voltage and then starts charging the battery. The charging process takes place automatically. There is no need to monitor its implementation.

After considering the basic rules and understanding how to maintain the battery, you can perform all the steps yourself. By adhering to the recommendations of experts, you can significantly save maintenance costs, as well as battery replacement. With regular maintenance, it will be possible to extend the life of any type of battery.

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