| Every car comes with one, but some motorists | | | | unsealed - you must do the following to help |
| act as if this particular component is | | | | keep it working properly: |
| completely maintenance free. What am I | | | | |
| talking about? Your car's battery. | | | | 1. Clean the cables. Disconnect the cables |
| Technological advances have made "maintenance | | | | from the battery and clean them with a wire |
| free" batteries standard equipment on | | | | brush that has been doused in a home made |
| virtually every vehicle produced today. | | | | mixture [the mixture combines one tablespoon |
| However, the term "maintenance free" is a | | | | of baking soda with one cup of water]. Use |
| misnomer, one that can leave you stranded if | | | | this same mixture to clean off the top of the |
| you do not perform proper and regular | | | | battery; use a small and clean paint brush to |
| maintenance. Battery maintenance isn't | | | | apply the solution where needed. |
| difficult to do, so let's take a look at what | | | | |
| you can do to keep your car running. | | | | 2. Lubricate the posts. A small dab of |
| | | | petroleum jelly on each post will help keep |
| Before discussing battery maintenance, please | | | | your cables clean and free of corrosion |
| make sure that your battery is, in fact, the | | | | longer. In addition, the jelly will make it |
| sealed type. If it isn't, then the | | | | easier for you to slip the cables back onto |
| "maintenance free" label certainly does not | | | | the battery. |
| apply and you will need to add water on a | | | | |
| regular basis. Unsealed batteries are easy to | | | | 3. Check connections. Besides the connection |
| spot as they have small vent caps on top of | | | | between the cable and the posts, make sure |
| the battery which can be twisted open. You | | | | that the battery hold down bar is securely in |
| will need to periodically add distilled water | | | | place. Not all cars have or need a battery |
| to maintain water levels; more so in the | | | | hold down bar, but if yours has come so |
| summer months as water tends to evaporate | | | | equipped, you will need to put it back in its |
| quicker. Do not let your battery run low or | | | | proper place. |
| run out of water as the battery's cells can | | | | |
| be ruined. | | | | That's it! Car battery maintenance is an easy |
| | | | task and one that should be performed on an |
| If your battery is of the sealed variety, | | | | annual basis. If you keep your battery |
| then the "maintenance free" label is still | | | | properly maintained, you will extend its life |
| only partially true since the term only | | | | and greatly reduce the chance that your |
| extends to you not needing to add water to | | | | battery will fail you at an inopportune time. |
| the cells as you would with an unsealed | | | | Yes, the "maintenance free" label is |
| battery. | | | | incorrect, so please don't be lulled into |
| | | | forgetting to do something that should never |
| With any type of car battery - sealed or | | | | be overlooked. |