A car battery is a crucial element of vehicles responsible for igniting the engine, AC, the infotainment system, and all other electrical systems. But what if the engine won’t start and the headlights go off? It’s not a sudden faint before the vehicles might be indicating issues.
This is a complete issue of battery health and for sure, it requires immediate action. The degraded health of the battery may fail a suddenly planned trip and make it impossible to reach the destination until and unless you check the battery's health. Checking the health of the battery is always worth it for all riding enthusiasts.
So, delving into the content, we’ll explore some causes of battery degradation and ways to ensure good battery health.
Why is Battery Health Degrading?
Battery degradation is a slow and natural process that directly impacts the health of the battery. The topic of battery degradation can’t be solved. However, it can be minimised by restricting the electrical components that drain battery percentage. Yes, there are many possible reasons for battery degradation but, avoidable.
Parked for a Long Time
The longer you leave your car offroad, it is more likely to give the battery rest and go flat. The simple meaning is if the car is parked for a long time, the battery percentage of the vehicle starts degrading and in time doesn’t have sufficient power to ignite the engine. To eliminate the case, manufacturers recommend the frequent charging of the battery if it is parked for a long time.
Leaving Electrical Components Active
The electrical components like car AC, Music system, Cabin light, etc are also responsible for battery drainage. So, it should be turned off when not in use.
Cold Weather
In terms of battery health, Cold is known by the name of Battery's enemy. Cold weather hampers battery health. The battery having less charge than normal faces difficulty in starting during winter. The older the battery, the more susceptible to cold. To avoid battery drainage, the car is parked in a warmer space like a garage.
Short Journey
In a rare and short journey, a car battery never receives a good charge impacting the charging potential, and leading to a shorter lifespan.
Faulty Electrical Components
Faulty and dirty electrical components disrupt the transfer of power from the battery and vice-versa in recharging.
Ways To Check Battery Health
There’s always a free and paid method to check the health of a battery. For some, it is worth investing.
- Conduct Voltage Test
Conducting a voltage test of the battery using an equipment voltmeter is always effective as it represents the exact reading of battery health. The ideal health of the battery lies between 12.4V - and 12.7V. To conduct the voltage test, all other electrical components must be turned off that are responsible for the battery drainage. Attach the positive side of the voltmeter to the positive(red) battery terminal and the negative side to the negative(black) terminal. Now, check the reading and find battery health as per the above-mentioned stats.
- Light(Headlight) Test
Degradation in the battery health always results in the dimming of light. So, the headlight can be also used to know the battery's health. Turn the headlight on and see whether the light rays are strong, in case of darker light, the battery may be low. Accelerating vehicles shouldn’t result in instability in the headlight, it indicates a faulty alternator. The idle battery condition brings stable brightness.
- Modern Battery Health Indicator
The modern era has modern cars equipped with built-in battery health indicators to trace the battery's health. Generally, the indicator shows green and red lines to show the battery health, the green shows the good condition of the battery while red indicates battery actions.
Conclusion
The battery acts as the heart of the vehicle and if it goes off, the entire vehicle gets shut down. No, electrical components can be used. So, deciding on the car batteries is a very crucial part. Not to worry, now the best quality and highly optimised battery is available in the market in the name of Tesla Power USA. It delivers a high-quality battery at an affordable price and maintenance-free.
