Taking care of your car battery – Tips from Pearson Automotive, Milton


Taking care of your car battery

As we take to the road more now after COVID-19 restrictions, the quiet time may have taken a toll on our car batteries. Here are some battery tips if your car doesn’t start up the first time you try - from Pearson Automotive, Mechanics in Milton also servicing Toowong and surrounding suburbs.

Recognize the symptoms

Your car might not start up at all and be completely lifeless, or it may not be completely dead - but just not have enough power for all essential systems. You might experience a puzzling array of symptoms as you start up – odd dashboard warnings, strange noises, clicking sounds, lack of interior lights or even juddering.  These can indicate your battery is failing.

Check the age of your battery

How old is your car battery? If your battery is older than four or five years old, it could be nearing the end of its life. Rather than wait for the inevitable when it’s least convenient, you could replace the battery in advance to ensure smooth runnings.

Clean your battery

Turn off the car and take a look at your battery. Do you see any white powder around the terminals? That’s corrosion, which increases electrical resistance and makes your battery work harder than it needs to. Give us a call regarding battery terminal cleaning and protection.

Limit your use of accessories that strain the battery

When you get into your car, ideally wait a short while before you turn up the heat, turn on the radio, charge phones or use lights etc. Let your alternator charge up the battery a bit before you add the strain of accessories.

Keep your battery charged

Invest in a good battery charger. It is recommended to use a battery charger to keep the battery conditioned and charged. Especially when you notice the battery is starting to fail or straining to start. Some emergency jumper leads are also a useful investment too if your battery fails whilst out and about.

Check your car before you leave

The age-old thing we all regret – make sure doors are properly closed, interior lights off etc. so you don’t return to your car later and find your car unresponsive.

Park somewhere shady

If possible, park the car in a cool spot to prevent the battery getting hot and self-discharging.

Disconnect the battery

If it’s a car you don’t really use much, then disconnecting the battery is a good idea (if you are capable of doing that and re-connecting too.)

Get your car serviced regularly

Poor engine condition can place extra load on the battery. If you have your car regularly serviced and maintained, we can look after the health of your whole car, including the battery.  We’re based at 16 Railway Terrace, Milton QLD 4034. Give us a call on 07 3369 6288 or email us via workshop@pearsonautomotive.com.au to arrange a service or battery check.

Posted on Jun 18, 2020.