How to know your battery needs replacing
Lift Your Hood!
Keep Your Battery Clean
One of the essential components of a vehicle most drivers don’t check frequently is the battery. Our main power source sits under the hood minding her own business, but how often do you lift your hood to check for terminal corrosion, a secured battery, and clean cables? KD Automotive in Redmond, Washington, recommends you lift your vehicle’s hood prior to the official start of winter and summer. Why? These two seasons, cold and hot, affect your battery’s performance.
When your vehicle is kept in a garage, the cold, humidity, and heat, can drain life from our battery, causing the car to turn over and possibly not start slowly. This is when we turn on our lights, radio, and wipers to check our battery; sometimes, it is too late. The battery has lost its charge, and we’re stuck. If you drive a manual transmission, jump the battery by pushing the car forward and popping the clutch in second gear. Remember that executing this battery bump method in winter may take time.
Have you ever lifted your vehicle’s hood and noticed a swollen battery case? This could be caused by an alternator overcharging the battery. Hydrogen gas builds up faster than a battery can use it. While you’ve got the hood up, ensure the battery is secure on its platform and check for any moisture. If moisture is found, dry her off.
Here’s another battery scenario that often pops up. Are any of your neighbors snowbirds? The neighbors magically appear when the weather is almost perfect and then disappear when winter comes. Have you noticed their hood is up in the garage when they return to your neighborhood? I’ve seen this firsthand. They’re waiting on Triple AAA or another neighbor to jump-start their dead battery. The solution to this scenario is to start your vehicle frequently and maintain a charge in your battery. Jump-starting newer vehicles may damage the electronics so, please refer to your owner’s manual before performing a jump start.
The most cost-effective method for maintaining a solid battery is to have the battery checked at KD Automotive in Redmond, Washington. We invite you to stop by anytime at 9175 Willows Rd NE Redmond, WA 98052 or give us a call at (425) 556-9076 and talk to one of our battery specialists.