Within the UK, as we get into the colder months and with some people still working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic; our car batteries are at risk of failing.
Keep on reading to find out the main reasons why a battery fails and ways you can prolong your batteries life expectancy.
Average Car Battery Life
Typically a car battery can last between 2 and 5 years, depending on the climate of where you live and how often you drive.
Living in a warm climate can be more damaging than a colder one, as when high temperatures are under the hood, this accelerates corrosion inside the battery. Which can cause water to evaporate out of the battery’s liquid electrolyte.
In colder weather, it will slow down the chemical process within the battery. This means it will reduce its ability to hold charge. It’s good to note that this tends to happen with older batteries, if your battery is less than three years old then you shouldn’t have as many issues.
Did you know?
Failed or flat batteries are one of the main results for why vehicles break down, they take up 40% of the breakdowns within the UK. As the weather is getting colder, there is nothing worse than standing at the side of the road waiting for your breakdown recovery to arrive.
Cold Weather may be the cause?
As the frosty and cold morning comes around our batteries are faced with low temperatures which can result in your battery failing to start. The cold weather is a huge factor for failed batteries; as their working capacity drops to lower temperatures. You should always ensure you check the component more often in the colder months, either by yourself or by visiting a garage.
Irregular Vehicle Use
For vehicle users who may be working from home still or tend to not drive as often, are at risk of facing extra challenges with their batteries. Using your vehicle irregularly can cause problems for your battery, due to you not using your vehicle as often. This can result in your battery going flat as it’s not being charged as often whilst you are driving.
Have Regular Checks
It is important to get your MOT and servicing of your vehicle, but it’s good practice in between these appointments that you have regular checks to make sure your battery is in good health.
You can simply head to the garage and ask them to test your battery. This will help to prevent any unwanted breakdowns plus you will save a lot of money catching any issues early on.
ECU Technologies Top Tips for making your battery life last
- Limit the number of short journeys you do.
- Make sure to always switch off all lights before leaving your vehicle.
- Test your battery often.
- Check that your battery has no corrosion.
- Don’t use the electronics in your vehicle when you are idling.
- Drive regularly to ensure you are charging your vehicle.
Hopefully, you have gained an insight into car batteries and ensured they are checked to prevent any unwanted breakdowns.
ECU Technologies have well over 15 years of experience with ECU Repairs, they excel in making relevant research and development for their systems. Whilst taking pride in their work and being highly trusted by their customer base.
You can rest assured that ECU will assist you by proving their high-quality ECU Repairs and ECU Testing. ECU also prides itself on their great customer service.
For more information, why not get in touch or in the meantime check our latest blog post all about “What are ECU Repairs?”