How to extend the service life of vehicle battery knowledge

The basic function of the battery: start the vehicle and provide auxiliary power

Also known as a battery, it is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Its function is to supply power to the engine. When the vehicle is ready to start, the battery will discharge to provide power to the starter, and the starter drives the flywheel and the crankshaft to rotate, thereby starting the vehicle. When the engine is under-powered or not started, power is supplied to the interior electrical appliances such as the sound system, the lighting system, etc. When the engine starts to supply power normally, the battery collects and stores the electrical energy for later use.

Automobile batteries can be roughly divided into: maintenance-free and ordinary batteries (non-maintenance-free)

The battery is mainly divided into three types: ordinary battery, dry charge battery and maintenance-free battery. Among them, the batteries used in passenger cars that we are all familiar with are basically two types of ordinary batteries and maintenance-free batteries. Most of the models currently on the market use maintenance-free batteries, and most Japanese cars, even high-end Japanese cars such as Lexus and Infiniti, use non-maintenance batteries, which are ordinary batteries.

A common battery is also called a lead-acid battery, and its electrode is composed of an oxide of lead and lead, and the electrolyte is an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. The main advantage is that the voltage is stable and the price is cheap; the disadvantage is that the specific energy is low (ie, the energy stored per kilogram of battery), the service life is short, and the daily maintenance is frequent. Old-fashioned ordinary batteries generally have a life span of about 2 years, and the height of the electrolyte is regularly checked and distilled water is added. However, with the development of technology, the life of ordinary batteries has become longer and the maintenance is simpler. As for the shortcomings, the price of ordinary batteries has begun to become more expensive.

Maintenance-free batteries, as the name suggests, are the most maintenance-free. Compared with ordinary batteries, its electrolyte consumption is very small, and it is basically unnecessary to supplement distilled water for the service life. It also has the characteristics of shock resistance, high temperature resistance, small size and small self-discharge. Of course, its price will be more expensive than ordinary batteries. As for the service life, the recommended replacement period for maintenance-free batteries under normal conditions is about 3 years, which is equivalent to ordinary batteries.

How to maintain the battery: Properly maintained, the service life of the ordinary battery can exceed the maintenance-free battery

The most obvious feature of a conventional battery is that it has six unscrewable plastic sealing caps on the top and venting holes. These seals are used to fill, inspect, and vent gases. In theory, ordinary batteries need to check the height of the electrolyte at each maintenance, and if necessary, add distilled water. However, with the upgrading of battery manufacturing technology, the maintenance of ordinary batteries is no longer complicated. For normal use, it is not necessary to add electrolyte or distilled water to ordinary batteries for 2-3 years. In other words, for the average car owner, if you do not special maintenance on the ordinary battery, it can work normally for 2-3 years, and the life expectancy is basically not lost.

Of course, if you want to use the battery limit and extend the service life, you can check the electrolyte level every 10,000 kilometers to keep it in the middle position. If properly maintained, the life of a normal battery can be extended from 2-3 years to 4 or even 5 years. However, most of the 4S stores do not have the service of adding electrolytes. The owner of the car can only go to the repair shop to complete the operation.

Maintenance-free batteries, in order to avoid daily maintenance and maintenance, the design of the exhaust system is significantly different from that of ordinary batteries, so theoretically it is not necessary to add distilled water or electrolyte frequently. In addition, the maintenance-free battery housing is generally closed, unless the professional tools and technology, the general owner can not repair it.

Although the maintenance-free battery is called "maintenance-free", it is not completely disposable. The manufacturer recommends checking the battery every 30,000 kilometers and performing maintenance every 80,000 kilometers. However, there are very few 4S shops or repair shops that can perform this operation at present, and the service life of the maintenance-free battery is relatively fixed. Under normal use, it will be replaced in 2-3 years, and there is nothing to extend it. The way of life.

From the point of view of use and maintenance, whether you are equipped with a maintenance-free battery or a normal battery, the normal service life is about 2-3 years, and you need your "extra care" during this time. As for the extension of the service life, the ordinary battery can be added after 3 years of use, so that the life of 1-2 years is extended. As for the maintenance-free battery, it is directly changed, and it has not been repaired.

How to check the battery by yourself: the cold car voltage needs to be above 12V

Although the service life of the battery is generally about 2-3 years, there will be no obvious early symptoms before the failure or the end of life. The direct performance may be that the vehicle does not start smoothly after the night or the battery cannot be stored. In severe cases, there may even be situations when the vehicle waits for a red light. If these faults occur in the stall where you just want to use the car, then it is troublesome. Therefore, how to check the battery is also very important.

The main check of the battery is to look at two data, the first is the voltage and the second is the starting current. And it is best to carry out the inspection in the cold state (better overnight). The voltage value must be higher than 12V. If it is lower than 12V, you can prepare to say goodbye to this battery. Check the voltage, the owner of the car can completely do it yourself, take a universal watch, and take the positive and negative poles of the battery.

As for the start-up current check, it is relatively professional, we still recommend that you go to the repair shop or 4S shop. However, under normal circumstances, the starting current does not change with the battery life, so as long as the battery's cold voltage can be higher than 12V, it will have no obvious effect on your car.

The three most common car habits that can damage batteries

1. Long-term use of in-vehicle electrical equipment in the flameout state

This is the most common problem that most car owners will encounter in their daily use, and it is also a problem that is easy to ignore. For example, sitting in the car and other individuals, in order to save fuel, many drivers will choose to turn off the engine and then sit in the car to listen to the radio or watch DVDs, so that the purpose of fuel economy is achieved, but it will be deep Hurt your battery.

The correct method of use is to listen to the broadcast continuously for no more than 30 minutes in the flameout state. It is not recommended to use the car DVD and other devices in the flameout state.

2. Use external power supply device in the flameout state

External power supply equipment such as vacuum cleaners for vehicles, portable air pumps, etc., should not be used when the vehicle is turned off. Since the power of these devices is relatively large, it is easy to consume the stored electricity in the battery during long-term use in the flameout state, thus affecting the normal startup of your vehicle. In addition, "fast power consumption" like this has no small damage to the battery itself.

3, forget to turn off the lights after parking

After parking, I forgot to turn off the lights in two categories. One is the "headlights" that forget to turn off the vehicles at night, so that the battery of your car must be "armpit" one night, and the next day, you can only find someone to pump electricity.

The second category is more likely to occur when parking at night, etc. Most of the owners will choose to turn off the flames in order to save fuel, but don't forget to adjust the headlights to the "width" mode. Not only can the battery be protected, but it can also be used as a warning, and normal lighting in the car is not affected.

The three types of situations mentioned above are very harmful to the battery. Although there may be no problems in the short term, it is possible to start a car after the battery is depleted. However, in the long run, the service life of the battery will be greatly shortened, which is not worth the loss compared with the saved oil.

Battery replacement recommendations and approximate price range

Whether it is maintenance-free or ordinary battery, the normal service life is about 3 years. Therefore, we recommend that the majority of car owners, if your car's battery has been in service for more than three years, you can consider it to retire at the right time. Anyway, it will be changed sooner or later. It doesn't make sense to drag it for half a year or eight months. If you change it earlier, you can prevent it from happening.

At present, the mainstream brand batteries that can be bought on the market include sails, camels, uniforms, Valta, AC Deco and Bosch. According to the 20-hour capacity (C20Ah) index, the price gap is relatively large. Taking the mainstream "60Ah" battery as an example, the price is basically between 450-550 yuan, and the difference in the unit price of the mainstream brand and the same type of battery is not great.

As for where to find the battery, just look for a relatively reliable repair shop or a professional battery store, the price should be much cheaper than the 4S shop replacement. Of course, it should be noted that some "advanced cars" such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW need to be "replaced with electricity", and after that, computer matching is needed. At this time, consumers need to stay one more heart, try to find experienced and good reputation. It’s right.

Edit Comment:

In fact, the use of vehicle batteries and daily maintenance is not a hassle. Generally, car owners should pay attention to their own car habits, such as reducing the use of electrical equipment in the car during the flameout condition, and avoiding the situation of forgetting to turn off the lights. That's it.

If you are equipped with a non-maintenance-free battery, you don't have to worry too much or worry about how to maintain it. Under normal circumstances, even if it is a non-maintenance-free battery, it can be “dismissed” in 2-3 years. It can be used as a maintenance-free battery. It can be replaced directly after 3 years.