The battery is the heart of your car’s electrical system. If it doesn’t work properly the vehicle even doesn’t start. To maintain batteries, you need to know their most common problems. The ability to generate electricity usually is affected by one of these four problems:

Dirty terminals, electrolyte insufficiency, undercharging and age.

Dirty terminals: Battery terminals become corroded over time. This phenomenon reduces their function which means starting problems. To remove corrosion from the terminals first you must disconnect the negative cable, then the positive one and after that clean the terminals with a toothbrush and a cleaner. If you prefer to use homemade cleaner mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a cup of water and stir the mixture until the baking soda is blended in. If you want something stronger use synthetic cleaner sprays.

Electrolyte insufficiency: When the electrolyte level is low the battery’s life becomes shorter. Some people make their own electrolyte at home, but we don’t recommend it at all. It’s better to buy the proper solution from the nearest gas station and add it to the battery. To do that you need to remove the plastic tops covering the cell ports and pour the electrolyte in the battery. It’s better to check the level of the electrolyte every six months.

Note: Be careful when you work with electrolytes because the solution has Sulfuric acid.

Undercharging: The battery is constantly charged by the alternator which turns mechanical energy into electricity. If the alternator doesn’t work properly the battery stops being charged. A bad alternator usually causes dash lights and headlights fade when the engine is off. On the other hand, with a bad alternator lights turn brighter when you turn on the engine. Fixing an alternator is difficult due to its complicated mechanism so when you face this problem it’s better to show your car to a mechanic.

Age: When the battery is old none of the above solutions can improve its function. Most car batteries lose their efficiency after three to five years. It doesn’t matter how much electrolyte you put in them or how clean are terminals, after a certain amount of time the battery should be replace with a new one.

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