How Car Battery Works & Tips for Maintaining It for Longevity

Car battery is a storage and supplier of electrical energy in the car's electrical system. This function is well understood by everyone, but not the way a car battery works. Below will explain how a car battery works and its proper maintenance. For more details, you can refer to the following review.

How Car Battery Works

In terms of its function as a storage and supplier of electrical energy, the operation of the car battery is also classified into two processes, namely recharge and discharge. Here are the complete processes.

1. Discharge Process

In the discharge process, the car battery will release electrical current that will be channeled to all components of the car's electrical system. This process can occur if the car electrical system circuit is in a closed condition. Or it can be interpreted that the negative and positive terminals of the battery are connected.

In this process, the electricity released by the battery can reduce the electrical power in the car battery, even empty it. This happens because to power the car's electrical system (for example, the car lights) requires a lot of electron flow.

2. Recharge Process

Meanwhile, the recharge process is the process of filling electrical current. This charging occurs due to the return of the chemical process in the opposite direction (back to the initial process).

Both processes will continue to work as long as the electrolyte is still present in the battery. The electrolyte can always be maintained if the battery water condition is full. Battery water itself is divided into two, namely red and blue. The red battery water contains sulfuric acid. This liquid contains strong electrolytes. Meanwhile, the blue battery water functions as an ion absorber by neutralizing the mineral content of the engine. This is better known as demineralization.

Read Also: Five Types of Car Batteries You Must Know

How to Maintain Car Battery

To keep the battery in good condition and not easily drained, you should not be careless. You need to know how to maintain the car battery according to the type of battery used. Here are ways to maintain the car battery based on its type.

1. How to Maintain Car Battery for Wet Battery

There are several steps you need to pay attention to when maintaining a car battery for vehicles with wet batteries.

• First, you should check the battery as often as possible. Ensure that the wet battery does not have leaks due to cracked seals or any crust that sticks. If there is crust, clean it immediately and remove the battery terminals. To clean the white crust, you can use hot water. After cleaning, reattach the battery terminals tightly.
• Second, you need to check the volume of battery water, whether it is still full, reduced, or empty. Refill immediately if the battery water volume is below the standard indicator for battery water needs.
• Third, you should regularly start the car engine. At a minimum, start the car engine three times a week for about ten minutes.
• Lastly, you need to be wise in using the components of the car's electrical system. For example, turn off the head unit when you want to turn off the car engine.

Read Also: 6 Ways to Repair a Wet Battery That Cannot Hold Charge

2. How to Maintain Car Battery for Dry Battery

Here are the right steps to maintain a car battery for dry batteries.

• Check the condition of the battery for any corrosion. If there is, clean the crust immediately by brushing it with a soft brush and rinsing it with hot water on the crusty area.
• Make sure to turn off the AC, head unit, and lights when the car engine is off to avoid draining the battery's electrical reserve.
• Always routinely check the car's alternator components, and repair them immediately if there is damage. Because if damaged, it can also shorten the life of the car battery.
• Start the car engine every day.

Thus, some tips for properly and correctly maintaining the car battery. Hopefully, the tips above are useful.