The car battery is not the cheapest product, but the purchase of a new one, alas, is inevitable from time to time. But the frequency with which different motorists do it is very different.
The battery life of most drivers is up to 5 years. But if you set a goal to “watch out” for it, its service life can be increased even up to 9 years.
By and large, the life expectancy of the starter battery is significantly affected by only one factor: its degree of charge during the entire period of operation. In other words, the car battery does not like when it is discharged.
In short, from a technical point of view, the essence of the phenomenon is as follows: when the battery contains a minimum reserve of energy, the lead plates with the active mass are sulfated – covered with a layer of sulfuric lead. Because of this, the plates lose their ability to exchange ions with the electrolyte. And the more often and for longer the battery is in a discharged state, the sooner it will become sulfated.
About the sulfated battery electricians say: lost capacity. It precisely reflects the reality – such battery, no matter how much it is charged by the generator or charger in the garage, can no longer accumulate a slightly useful reserve of energy for the car.
It turns out that if the car owner wants to prolong the life of his battery, he should make sure that it is constantly charged. In fact, it is not very difficult:
– When starting the engine, listen to how briskly the starter cranks the engine. A drained battery does it reluctantly, sluggishly; in summer it is less noticeable, in winter such a diagnosis is more accurate;
– don’t deplete the battery with prolonged strain, such as keeping the headlights on when the engine is not running, playing loud music all day long, or trying to start a faulty engine to no avail;
– the most accurate diagnosis of the battery condition is to measure the voltage on its terminals after several hours of “rest”, when the engine and all power consumers are turned off. The voltmeter should show not less than 12,6 volts – this will mean that the battery is serviceable and fully charged, and the car is charging it correctly. This is the state of affairs you should strive for. It is advisable to check the battery voltage at least once a month;
– In winter, it is desirable once a month and a half to recharge the battery from the garage charger. It is during the cold season that the battery is most stressed and often remains undercharged.
As soon as you discover that the battery is dead, it should be recharged, if possible, to 100%. It makes no sense to start the engine and try to charge the battery from the generator while the engine is running – it would take more than one hour and a canister of gasoline. Normally the battery will be charged only during a long trip, and ideally – from the charger, powered from 220 V. The recommended charging current is 10% of the battery capacity: for example, for a 6ST-60 battery with a capacity of 60 Ah this would be 6 Amps, for a 75 Ah battery – 7.5 Amps, etc.
The duration of charging the battery depends on how much the battery is discharged. The principle is as follows: the amount of energy “put” in the battery is equal to the charging current (in amperes) multiplied by the charging time (in hours). For example, if you have been charging the battery for 4 hours with a current of 5 amps, you have replenished it by 20 Ah. Accordingly, a fully boarded battery with a capacity of 50 Ah should be charged with a current of 5 Ah for 10 hours.