If you want to make sure that you are taking good care of your car, the battery is always going to be a major part of that, and it’s something that you will certainly want to ensure you are thinking about.

As it happens, it’s relatively straightforward to look after a car battery, but you will need to be aware of a few key things if you are going to make sure you are doing this right. Let’s take a look now at some of the main things to keep in mind when it comes to your car battery’s lifespan.

Drive Regularly

This is the simplest and most direct way to look after your car battery, and it’s something that you are going to want to make sure you are thinking about if you are trying to keep your car working for longer too. As long as you are driving regularly, and for long enough, then you are going to be charging your battery effectively. It’s only when you take lots of short, infrequent trips that you end up draining your battery unnecessarily. So make sure you are actually using your vehicle as intended, and that will do most of the work here.

Keep It Clean

A lot of people don’t stop to think about cleaning their car battery, but it’s something you’ll want to consider if you are trying to keep it for longer. Corrosion around the battery terminals can interfere with the electrical connection, so inspecting the terminals regularly and cleaning off any white or bluish buildup using a brush and water is a very simple thing you can do to help with that. Always disconnect the battery before you start cleaning, and be sure to dry it thoroughly before reconnecting again.

Watch For Warning Signs

If you happen to notice that your engine is getting slower to turn on, then this is the most common sign that the battery is struggling a little. There might be other signs too – dimming headlights, dashboard warning lights and so on. Don’t ignore these signs – make sure that you are either charging your battery up or shopping for cheap car batteries to replace it with. That way you can avoid the problem of not being able to start the engine at all, which can be a lot of stress that you would rather avoid.

Protect It From Extreme Temperatures

Most batteries do not cope well with extreme heat and cold, so it’s important that you are protecting them from both of these as well as you can. In hot weather, the electrolyte can evaporate faster, and in freezing conditions the battery’s capacity drops too. If you park outside, try using an insulated battery blanket in winter or a heat shield in summer. This can make a world of difference, and yet it’s quite a simple thing to keep on top of. You’ll find your battery can last a lot longer as a result of doing this.