There are few things more frustrating than a dead car battery. It’s tough to know just when yours will go, however, so it’s something that most of us have to deal with at some point.

That said, there are some things you can do to prevent early battery death. We’re going to take a look at 5 ways to extend your car battery life in this article, giving you the insight you need to keep a little extra money in your pocket and avoid getting stuck with a dead battery in the middle of nowhere.

Let’s take a look!

1. Quick Trips Don’t Sit Well with Batteries

Car batteries are used most right when you’re starting the car. They run through a good deal of energy as the vehicle starts, then they generate more power as you drive. A long drive is a great way to recharge your battery, especially if it’s cold outside.

There are a lot of people who only drive short distances, though. When you drive very short distances, your battery uses up most of its charge when you start the engine, and there isn’t enough time for it to recharge over the course of the trip.

That isn’t to say that you can’t make short trips at all, but it’s something to think about if your car activity consists of only short trips. This is especially true if your car has been sitting for a long time and only occasionally gets used for short distances.

The same goes for short trips in cold weather. If you’re worried that all of those small distances will leave you with a dead battery, consider letting your car run for 20 minutes at some point throughout the day.

It’s also not a bad idea to take your vehicle for a little cruise to charge the battery up every now and then.

2. Defend Against Corrosion

Corrosion on the battery terminals can impact its performance. If it gets bad enough, the corrosion from mineral buildup could render the battery useless.

The buildup happens over time and is natural to occur in most cars. That said, significant corrosion could signify the leaking of different fluids somewhere in your engine. Electrolyte leakage, for example, can contribute to heavy corrosion.

However, whatever the cause, it’s important to maintain your battery terminals if you notice minerals developing on them. If you’re not sure what terminals are, they’re the point of contact between your battery power and the vehicle. They’re the positive and negative receptors for your battery.

When minerals build up on these terminals, the flow of electricity is impeded. The more buildup, the less power can flow.

The solution to this problem is pretty simple. All you need is a toothbrush, some baking soda, water, and a spray bottle or wet rag. Make sure that your car is turned off and has been turned off for an hour or so.

Create a baking soda mixed with water. The proportions of baking soda and water aren’t too important, so long as the consistency ends up close to toothpaste. Then, scrub the mixture onto the terminals with the brush until it’s close to gone.

You might find that some of the buildup remains. Let the mixture sit on the area for a while so it can break down. After ten or fifteen minutes, rub the terminal firmly with the rag, and it should clear off.

3. Don’t Use Much Power While Car is Off

Using auxiliary power can run your battery dry. If you use too much power without starting the car, you run the risk of draining the battery and needing a charge.

A dead battery that’s still healthy needs to be jumped. That problem isn’t too serious, but you can shorten the battery life if you use auxiliary power often. Try to make sure that all of your interior lights are off when you go in for the night, and do your best to restrain from running the radio without the car running.

If you need to use power while you’re stationary, it’s a better idea to start your engine and use your car’s electrical features while the car is running. That way, your vehicle’s battery will be running off of the power from the engine and not its reserves.

This seems like an intuitive thing to do, but it’s easy to slip up and forget how important it is.

Pro-Tip: Drive-In Movie Theaters

A common place to drain the life out of your battery is the drive-in movie theatre. There’s a trick you can use to keep your car on without leaving the running lights on.

Situations where you have to leave your car on but don’t want to bother others with your lights often leave people with dead batteries. Newer cars typically have the option to shut all lights off while the car is running.

Some older cars don’t offer that option, though. One way to get around this is to put your parking brake on and shut the headlights off. In most cases, this will cut out the car’s running lights as well!

4. Be Mindful of The Temperature

Batteries have a hard time working when it’s freezing cold. The dead of winter brings out the sound of wheezing car-starters trying to pull energy out of the battery.

There’s not too much you can do about that if you don’t have a heated garage, though. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. People tend to forget that the heat is just as bad, if not worse, than the cold when it comes to your battery.

While cold temperatures might prevent your battery from pulling out enough energy, extreme heat will shorten your battery’s lifespan. This is another situation where there aren’t too many things you can do to avoid your climate, but avoiding heat is easier than avoiding cold.

When you park in warm weather, try to find shade whenever possible. It would be best if you also opted for a spot in the garage whenever possible. If you stay consistent with the practice parking in the shade throughout your battery’s life, it will last longer.

If your climate is harsh, you can also invest in insulation for your battery. This is just an additional piece that fits tightly around your battery and adds a little resistance to extreme temperatures.

You can ask a local auto parts store or your dealership to see if they have insulation for your model.

5. Test and Replace

All batteries need to be replaced from time to time. There’s no getting around the fact that your vehicle will need more than a few batteries over its lifetime.

The best way to avoid needing a battery at the wrong time is to keep up on whether yours is charged. Invest in a voltage checker for your battery and keep it in your car if you need to.

Try and check the voltage every few weeks to make sure things are in working order. You should find that things are in check until they start to drift slowly down below the recommended charge for your model.

Once that voltage level stops bouncing back up to where it should be, it might be time to invest in a new battery. You could stretch the battery life for a few hundred more miles, but it’s unwise to risk something as important as your battery.

When the voltage is low, small mistakes like leaving a light on or taking frequent short trips can kill the battery. This is especially bad when you’re driving out to the middle of nowhere and have to stop for some reason.

Similarly, heat and cold will be harsher when the battery isn’t fully up to par.

Invest in a Good Battery

Car batteries aren’t too expensive in most cases, so it’s not a bad idea to invest a little bit in a nice one when you have to. Of course, it’s never fun to drop 50 to 100 dollars on something you weren’t expecting to.

While that’s a big chunk of change on short notice, the differences in battery prices are nominal. For example, a $75 battery might be sitting next to an $85 one that’s significantly nicer. In those instances, we recommend going with a stronger product.

The battery is just so crucial to your safety and your vehicle’s health that a $10 increase could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. For example, the cost of calling a company to come out and jump your car would be more than the new battery itself.

Add to that the discomfort of being stuck out in the cold for an hour or two, and you can see why giving a little extra consideration to the nicer battery might be worth it.

Is Your Car Battery Life Giving You Trouble?

It’s important to understand ways to extend car battery life. There are many more tricks and tips you can use to improve your experience of owning a car, though. We’re here to help you out.

Explore our site for more ideas on how to keep your car running well, options for new vehicles, used vehicles, and much more.