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Archive for the ‘Car Battery Maintenace’ Category

Why You Should Recondition Car Battery

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

The best way to solve dead car battery problem or if a car battery no longer holds enough of a charge  is simply buy new one. But as almost everyone of us we tend to count our money and keep it in our purses whenever is possible.  You do not have to do that. You may still be able to bring your battery back to life through a process called reconditioning.

The degradation of a battery is most commonly caused by sulfation, which is the result of sulphur crystalizing on it’s lead plates, thus preventing it from generating an electrical charge. When you recondition car batteries, you are actually breaking up the sulphur crystals and bringing back its capacity to generate electrical charges. This process can work for up to five times before you can finally say that it is indeed time to throw your battery away.

Benefits of Battery Reconditioning

There are several reasons why you should recondition car batteries and one of the primary reasons should be to help save the environment. Statistics indicate that about 50% of batteries are thrown into landfills simply because the owners did not know that they can still be reconditioned. Now that you know it’s possible, you can start helping reduce the amount of waste in our landfills by reconditioning your own batteries.

Reconditioning your batteries can also help you save a considerable amount of money. With the rising cost of new ones, it is definitely very practical to get as much use as you can out of your existing car battery. But, that’s not all; battery reconditioning can even help you earn money on the side. Many people do not know how to recondition batteries and are just too busy to learn. Offer to recondition their batteries at a much lower fee than what is charged in auto shops and you are sure to have a bustling home business.

Here’s how to go about the process of battery reconditioning:

1. Test the battery’s voltage. It should register a minimum of 12 volts. Otherwise, it is ready for a trip to the landfill.
2. Heat half a quart of distilled water to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and then dissolve eight ounces of Epsom salts in it.
3. Remove the battery caps. For sealed batteries, drill a hole into the shadow plugs that cover the openings.
4. Drain the battery of any fluid and then fill each battery cell with the Epsom salt solution. Use a plastic funnel to prevent spillage.
5. Replace the battery caps or insert rubber plugs into the holes and then shake the battery to make sure that the solution is well-distributed in the battery cells.
6. Place the battery on slow charge for about 24 hours and then test it. It may be necessary to recharge the battery for another two to three days to bring it back to full working capacity.

Practice working on an old or abandoned battery. Once you have mastered the process, you can proceed to reconditioning your own car battery. You may also start your home battery reconditioning business as soon as you’re confident enough that you know the process as well as the back of your hand.

Reconditioning batteries can save you thousands of dollars. I actually recondition batteries as a side business (and it’s quite profitable).

Easiest way is to purchase brand new car battery but smartest decision is recondition your old car battery.

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Car Battery Maintenance

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Car Battery maintenance is simple yet important enough to prevent incidents of electrical failures in your car. It can happen that your car starts properly in the morning and then when you try to start it an hour or so later, it refuses to do so. Preventing this from happening, takes but a few steps and a little diligence. Here are some tips you may consider when caring for your car battery.

1. Clean the battery terminals on a regular basis. Of course, this includes the cable clamps that connect the battery to the rest of the car’s electrical system. A light coating of grease on the battery posts helps in preventing the build up of the white stuff around the terminals, which work to lessen the contact between the terminals and the clamps.

 

2. It is important to check your battery’s electrolyte level frequently. The electrolyte level must be maintained above the level of the plates to prevent irreversible damage to the battery. Distilled water will suffice but if that is not available, good drinking water will make a decent stopgap. This is better than adding nothing; the battery plate will dry out when you use the car and the battery will lose capacity.

3. A battery should not be unused for extended periods of time. If this is going to be the case with, say, a project car or because of out-of-town work, use a trickle charger to keep the battery topped up.

4. Before turning off your vehicle, ensure that your accessories like the aircon, headlights, wipers and even your radio are turned off. Having these on, can possibly load up your battery beyond its capacity when you start your car. Also, headlights that are accidentally left on will definitely leave your battery flat in a short time.

5. When you check electrolyte levels, also make sure that your battery is secure. Vibration is one of the causes of battery failure since they can dislodge the plates, stretch the cables and loosen the clamps.

6. Apart from the battery itself, you must also check the electrical wiring and cables, especially in the engine compartment, to ensure that there are no stray strands or damaged insulation that can cause electrical leaks and short circuits.

With true maintenance-free batteries like AGM-type batteries, checking the electrolyte level is not possible. However, the other maintenance checks still hold true, even for these maintenance-free batteries. Note that with vented lead acid-type batteries, venting gas can cause serious injury and even possible explosion. It is best to check the battery in an open environment to ensure that any residual gases will have dissipated.


Find out more on auto batteries or visit this site for spare parts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janus_Onbekend

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Car Battery And Vehicle Emergencies LED Lights

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Keep your car battery in good shape and conditions to help in emergency situations.

When you are navigating the roadways, it’s important to remember that anything can happen to you and your vehicle at any time. Your vehicle could breakdown, you could get a flat tire, you could be in an accident or you may come across one. When any of these events happen to you, it helps if you are prepared. One of the ways that you can be prepared for any eventuality is to have an emergency kit in your vehicle. You can purchase them at a hardware or outdoors store in a compact emergency kit that fits nicely into your vehicle without being in the way. They usually contain candles, an emergency blanket, flares, road cones, waterproof matches, and a flashlight or emergency light source.

There are, of course, many uses for a flashlight or emergency light sources in your vehicle, especially if you are in a collision, have a flat tire, or if your vehicle breaks down. Where any light source will come in handy, most experts recommend having a LED flashlight or light source in your car because of they have a longer battery and bulb light than traditional flashlights, have a brighter, further-reaching light beam, and come in smaller, compact forms that are easier to carry in your car.

For a vehicle breakdown, a flashlight or emergency light source can help you:
a) Flag down traffic for assistance
b) Keep your vehicle visible if you have no working lights. You can use the flashlight to act as a taillight. This will allow oncoming traffic to see you and be able to get out of the way and avoid hitting you.
c) Act as a flashing signal light many of the emergency light sources have a flashing light on them as well that can act like hazard lights on your vehicle, once again alerting other drivers of your whereabouts.
d) See what’s wrong with your vehicle. If you have no power, you may be able to fix it yourself, but it’s quite difficult to do on a dark road at night with no light. A flashlight or emergency light source can help you look into the problem with your vehicle and maybe even aid you in making the repairs.
e) Help you fix a flat tire ñ while the flashlight won’t be able to loosen those lug nuts for you, it can certainly shed some light on the situation. Also, because you will be crouching and sitting on the side of the road, other motorists may not see you. Having a flashlight or emergency light source will alert other drivers that you are also on the roadway and increase your safety while you are changing the tire.

In the event that you are in an accident, a flashlight can come in handy for many reasons. It can help to survey the damage of your vehicle or the other vehicle or vehicles involved in the collision. You can also use it to flag down other vehicles and warn them of your presence on the roadway. In some cases, you may also need to navigate uncertain terrain, such as a field, either to get to a collision scene to help, or escape from one. A flashlight can help light your path and avoid falling, tripping and other injuries that walking over uneven terrain could cause.


Flashlights and emergency light sources are very helpful for many reasons and having one in your vehicle, that is reliable and works, is important. You never know when you’re going to need a flashlight or emergency light source.
And finally again, don’t save bucks for good car battery it’s can help in critical situations.

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Car Battery Water Handling And Maintenance

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Proper car battery maintenance is one of ways  to keep your automobile in good condition and serve you longer.

If you want your car to go running smoothly, then there are a few things you need to regularly monitor aside from your fuel and engine. Most owners are a little negligent about the car battery water, which must be inspected every once in a while. While new batteries may not need watering, old ones do; and even if you have the newest cell in your vehicle, you still should check how much water it contains. That is part of monitoring the state of your car battery.

The frequency of usage and recharging affects the water content of your battery. The more times you recharge, the more often you should check the water level because during the charging process, when electric current passes through the lead plates, water undergoes a decomposition reaction during which it separates into its two gaseous components namely hydrogen and oxygen. Thus, water is lost during this process. Note that this is also one reason you must avoid smoking when checking your batteries because hydrogen is highly combustible and oxygen would cause further ignition; needless to say, both gases are explosive.

You would also notice that evaporation may cause loss of water in some old batteries. Hence, you should check them more often during hot days and especially if you live in places with warm climate.

The danger when the vehicle water runs too low is that too much heat may be generated by the battery and at the same time the lead plates could be damaged. This deterioration of the lead plates causes inefficiency during the charging process during which lack of water may also cause irreversible destruction to the plates. In other words, the life span of the battery is dramatically reduced. This could just be extra expenditure for you when all you would have needed is nothing more than an addition of water.

While you may have to check that the level of water never goes too low, you should also make sure that you add only the specified amount of distilled water. For instance, as a precaution, do not exceed the marked water level (which you would see on the side of the battery). If this is not indicated, make sure that water level does not reach the underside of the battery cap. Excess water could overflow into the electrolyte cell and cause dilution of the acid.

Nonetheless, not every type of water can be used. While you might think it is possible to get a bucket from a pond, a strict rule demands that you use distilled water. Car battery or any other wet battery for that matter relies on the perfect ionic or electrolyte balance in the cell. Thus, you are not to change the chemical or electrolytic nature of the liquid inside. Pure water does not contain ions and so it is recommended for the purpose of watering vehicle batteries. When we say pure water we mean, distilled, demineralized or deionized water.


Tap water is never recommended for car battery as it would shorten the life of your wet cell.

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How To Change A Car Battery

Friday, May 20th, 2011

The car battery in your car is the ultimate source of electrical power in your car. Most of the car manufacturers may claim that there won’t be any problems with the batteries whatsoever – but things might not be that simple in the long run. The battery might get damaged, and if that’s the case, then it must be replaced as soon as possible. But replacing a car battery is not at all an easy thing. That’s the reason why we are going to guide your along through the process.

Things you should need:

1- A new car battery
2- Adjustable wrench
3- Wire brush
4- Lithium grease
5- Baking soda paste

Steps to replace a car battery:

Step 1: First off, disconnect all the electrical circuits associated with the car battery. When dealing with car batteries always protect your hands with some materials like protective hand gloves or something like that. In every car battery, you will see a greenish like stuff. This is a corrosive at the same time acidic substance which if comes in contact with our naked hand, can cause serious damage like burns etc.

Step 2: Now test the car battery – and make sure that it charges and discharges without any problems. You may use a wire brush and baking soda paste for removing that greenish on the battery terminals. Again, don’t forget to protect your hands while dealing with car batteries (especially while dealing with that corrosive substance on the terminals).

Step 3: You will have to replace the battery if you think the charge is depleted. First of all you should be removing the connection from the positive terminal and then only attempt doing that at the negative terminal. Clean Car Battery Terminals at that time.

Step 4: Hold down the battery towards its compartment or room and then remove the screws and bolts associated with it.

Step 5: Now seek 1000 help from someone and together, lift the battery from the compartment. After that, if you find something in the compartment, clean it using the wire brush and baking soda paste. Generally, corrosive matter is seen over that place and it can only be cleaned using baking soda paste.

Step 6 : Now, it’s time to replace the connections. You should start with the positive battery terminals. After doing at both the ends, you should be spraying lithium grease over the connections.

Step 7: Now, it’s time for checking how things went. If everything went fine, you will see the electrical system in your vehicle working good as it did in the past.


Proper car battery replacement is essential for safe driving.

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How To Clean Corrosion Off Of A Battery

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Proper car and car part maintenance prolong life span and save your money. Car battery is essential part and proper maintenance have to be carried out.

A clean engine can increase your car’s lifespan, and clean car battery terminals will ensure you are getting as much power from you battery as possible. When left unattended, corrosion can build up and block the connection to your battery, making it difficult or impossible to start your car.

Taking a few minutes to clean your battery terminals is well worth the effort. This can be done by making a quick trip to the auto parts store for some cleaner and by using materials you may already have at home:

Steel wool (or a wire brush),
Battery cleaning product,
Clean rags,
Protective gloves and eyewear.

Using products specifically made for cleaning car battery terminals- cleaning sprays and battery terminal brushes- will likely bring the best results and can be found in any auto parts store.
IMPORTANT:

Remember to always remove the negative terminal first and positive second. When replacing the terminals, the positive terminal goes on first, then the negative. Always keep the terminals from touching the battery connections or other pieces of metal during the process.

So, now that you have the right materials, you are ready to begin. Here’s how:
Remove the terminal wires from the battery (remember, negative first).
Remove buildup on the battery posts using a brush or steel wool.
Apply cleaning to the terminal wires that have already been removed. During the process, use a rag to keep cleaning product from contact with the battery.
Scrub the terminals to remove the buildup until they are as clean as possible.
Rinse using water. Use a rag to clean up residue.
Reconnect the terminals (positive first this time, then negative), tightening them until they are firmly connected.

Remembering to keep your battery terminals clean can keep your car running smoothly and avoid more costly problems down the road. Visit your local auto parts store for products that can help prevent further corrosion.

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