Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Car battery switch out - what you have to know

It’s a sound (or rather, lack of a sound) that everyone dreads. It's very frustrating to hear a click-click whenever you make an effort to start your car. It could mean that you just left the lights on overnight, or it could mean that your battery is dying. Knowing when to replace your car battery can help cut down on these unfortunately surprising moments of being stranded.

Source of article: When to swap out your car battery by Car Deal Expert

The way a car battery operates

The essential essence of a car battery is the same. Chemical energy is created when diluted sulfuric acid runs across and around lead plates. Whenever you ask the battery for power, it converts that chemical energy to electric energy. When the lead runs out of chemical energy, they have to be recharged. The battery eventually simply wears out, and will need to be replaced.

Knowing when to replace the battery

If you drive you car under unusually rough conditions, you’ll need to replace it as often as each and every two years. Most batteries, under average driving load, will last up to six years. “Heavy” or “taxing” usage of your car battery could include things such as

:

  • Driving or storing your battery in extreme cold (such as hard winters)
  • Not refilling the battery with distilled water regularly
  • Running energy-expensive add-ons, like alarm systems, off your battery
  • Regularly jump-starting others

Any maintenance shop should be able to test the battery for you. Check out the alternator if your battery tests low – just to make certain that isn't a mechanical problem.

Recycling your old car battery

Old car batteries, even if they’re not holding a charge, can nevertheless be useful. A car battery could be environmentally damaging if you just throw it away. Take the battery to a recycling center. A recycled battery would be worth a few dollars .



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