DO THIS and your CAR BATTERY will LAST 10 YEARS! Secret Maintenance for Used and Pre-Owned Cars

Comments · 570

• BI

  @bigbakerbob · 11 months ago

  I am in NY Hudson Valley. I had my original battery from Ford in my new 1984 F-150 pickup for 15+ years, and I learned most of the same things from an old mechanic that was a friend of my father.  I know that it has helped me all these years.

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• VI

  @Vilhyto · 11 months ago

  Last time I have seen a car battery with caps to fill in was maybe 20 years ago.

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• RO

  @rogerlyngeng6903 · 11 months ago

  You want believe this but the battery in my daughers Mazda 2 is the same that came from factory in 2007,never had a problem with it, 18 yrs old now🙂

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• JO

  @jobseeker1612 · 11 months ago

  There is NO cause to clean terminals every couple of months. Instead use Dielectric grease on the terminals in liberal amounts, or you can use noalox (used for AC electrical connections with aluminum). This will stop the formation of salts. Then there is the use of maintenance chargers. If you park for a long periods install one and keep it plugged in and it will stay topped up.<br>Lastly, the batteries themselves are made differently than years ago. They are designed with a Mean Time Between Failure of the warranty given and WILL die soon after that time period. Part of the reason is the lead plates are very close to the bottom of the case. As lead salts build and drop they will rise to the plate and that will instantly short the cells. <br>The real culprit is the MANUFACTURERS and their need to sell product on short cycles. IT is by design that these batteries don&apos;t last.

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• TA

  @tangogolf846 · 11 months ago

  The batteries in my truck and my wifes car both lasted 10yrs. &nbsp;The maint. step I took were:<br>- While the terminals were still new and clean, sprayed them with a battery terminal protector.<br>- 2 or 3 times a year, fully recharge them. &nbsp;(If you mostly drive short trips, do this more often)<br>- Minimize the number of short (&lt;10min) trips, and make long (20+ min) trips regularly. &nbsp;(My drive to work is 30+ min)<br><br>Hope this helps. &nbsp;YMMV

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• CO

  @colinmellin1325 · 11 months ago

  I volunteer at a Railway Museum. &nbsp;Our Locomotives use lead acid batteries. &nbsp;We just replaced batteries that had been in service since 1988. That&apos;s right, 36 years. They were made by East Penn. They market their own brand by the Deka name. &nbsp;Also, they private label batteries for many different companies. I&apos;m located in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. Thanks for sharing.

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• BI

  @billharris6886 · 11 months ago (edited)

  I am a retired electrical engineer and have been working with lead-acid batteries since 1968. &nbsp;The biggest problem with car batteries is: (1) They can&apos;t tolerate engine compartment heat. &nbsp;(2) They can&apos;t tolerate a depth of discharge more than 10%, they are only made for starting the engine. &nbsp;(3) They are purposely undersized to reduce weight and case size. &nbsp;(4) Poorly controlled charging voltages. &nbsp;(5) Electronics within the car pulling power from the battery when the engine is turned off.<br><br>The maximum temperature a lead-acid battery can handle is 79 degrees Fahenheit/26 degrees Celsius. &nbsp;Placing the battery in the engine compartment is the worst possible &nbsp;mounting location. &nbsp;I always open the hood of my car when I get home to prevent the battery from getting cooked. &nbsp;In Florida, I average 7 years of service per battery.<br><br>The charging voltage should be 14.7 volts until the charge current drops off to less than 3 amps. &nbsp;After the charge current drops off, the charge voltage should drop to 13.0 volts. &nbsp;Running &nbsp;a high charging voltage causes the water level in the battery to drop much faster.<br><br>Only pure distilled water should be used to add to the cells. &nbsp;I haven&apos;t found any good sources you can buy (they usually add a preservative to keep the water from spoiling, like salt) so, I distill my own using a steam distiller. &nbsp;You can&apos;t use deionized water, it has too many dissolved solids.

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• RI

  @rickharnish4232 · 10 months ago

  I live in Saskatchewan Canada, winter here going down to -35C or colder and the summers go to +35 C. &nbsp;The climate is arrid, just moderate amounts of precipitation throughout the year. &nbsp;Our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro convertible is low mileage unit: the 13 years old factory supplied battery is still going strong.as of 3 weeks ago, when we stopped using it for the year. &nbsp;We drive the Camaro, typically during prime weather conditions and most trips are 100km or less. &nbsp;It’s not driven in the winter, it’s covered with a weather proof car cover and stored outside. &nbsp;During the storage period, I put a battery tender on it, and it maintains the battery at an optimal level. &nbsp;I ensure the battery terminals are cleaned every spring. &nbsp;The battery is located in the trunk, beside the spare tire, which may be a contributing factor to its longevity.

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• ED

  @edwardkrochmal8268 · 11 months ago

  I first disconnect wires from the battery. If corrosion on post. US steel wool to clean up the post, and then the connectors. <br>Spread apart the connectors a little, and put Vaseline on the post and connectors. Vaseline protects from moisture. The extra Vaseline that comes out, and use it to cover the tops of the battery post and connectors. This will prevent the top post from getting corrosion.

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• CS

  @CSGATI · 11 months ago (edited)

  I have a small solar panel on the dash, hooked up to the cig lighter, it slows sulphation. A discharged battery freezes faster.

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• PE

  @peterrose8787 · 11 months ago

  hi thanks for your constructive well informed advise. One could say you opened a door that was not intended to be opened , i can&apos;t add anything , &nbsp;you have answered any questions I may have had regarding the life of battery/electrics. But I can offer a humorous little story re the regeneration of the battery. my brother inlaw had old ford shut away in a dusty garage, both the car and the battery had not being functioning for several years. needless to say the battery was as dead as a doornail, the old car needed to be operating by the afternoon same day . as it was a Sunday we could not buy either electrolytes or battery acid . So I said to my brother-in-law, our bodies have electrolytes plus acid, stored in our urine . So we pissed in a bottle, poured the liquid into the battery, waited half an hour for the liquids to take effect well, it did take effect . connected the battery turned the engine 3 turns, well believe it or not the old car started, and ran as if it had a new battery. regards peter

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• DA

  @daviddowns7552 · 11 months ago

  The shield idea sounds ok.

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