Effective Solutions For a Problematic Car Battery

Sometimes car batteries just don’t want to cooperate. And bad battery behavior can cause quite the disturbance among other vehicular components and systems. But fortunately, there are several precautions a person can take to ensure their battery behaves itself. Routine maintenance and a change of bad habits can be the best medicine for preventing sub-par battery performance.

Continue reading to learn how you can fix your problematic car battery, and the options you have if your battery troubles seem to persist no matter what you try.

24 Hour Indianapolis Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

24 Hour Indianapolis Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Battery Fluid Loss

One of the main reasons why batteries become problematic is fluid loss. There are several factors that cause battery fluid loss, but the most common include excessive heat, hot weather, and cold weather. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, so the hotter the engine gets, the more fluid is lost. Driving excessively, aggressively, or in hot parts of the country will cause this to happen.

Cold weather causes motor oil to thicken, which makes it harder to turn the engine, thus forcing the battery to work harder. Another major cause for shortened battery life is overcharging. Overcharging can happen when a voltage regulator is defective, which causes the battery to charge at a rate that is too high.

Preventative Maintenance

It is important to provide preventative maintenance for your car battery if you want it to stop giving you trouble. The more you care for your battery, the faster it will turn around.

Here are helpful tips for better car battery performance:

If you own a car battery that requires manual fluid refills, check it regularly and be sure to top it off with distilled water when needed.

Ensure that your electrical system is charging at the proper rate to avoid accidental overcharging.

Check your battery more often when driving in hot weather for needed “top offs.”

Avoid aggressive driving, fast acceleration, and harsh braking to preserve the life of your battery.

Check your battery life when the check engine light is on, or if you notice dim lights or malfunctioning accessories. See if charging it corrects the issues.

Keep the top surface area of your battery free of dirt, dust, and debris. Clean it regularly to avoid malfunctioning or decreased performance.

Car Battery Replacement and Roadside Assistance

Towing and Recovery

Zore’s Inc. 317-247-8484

If your battery will not charge, or continues to give you trouble, it may need to be replaced. Zore’s Inc. has an extensive inventory that is stocked full of RUST-FREE new and used auto parts at the most competitive prices in town. Choose us for a new car battery, as well as, 24 hour roadside assistance for jump starts, fuel delivery, lockouts, towing, and much more!

Call 317-247-8484 to request a free estimate, today! We are a family owned and operated company with more than 75 years in business here in Indiana! We offer a wide range of services for Hoosiers, including roadside assistance, scrap metal recycling, cash for junk cars, towing and recovery, storm damage, traffic clearance, and much more.

Helpful Car Battery Inspection Tips

Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

The car battery has to be one of the most important components for having an operational vehicle. Without a functioning car battery, you would have no lights, no power, and of course, no ignition. When a battery dies, for whatever reason, the car powers down like a machine. In order for the engine to start, the vehicle must have a functional battery. This is why it is important to periodically (Every 6 Months) inspect your vehicle’s battery for problems, issues, and maintenance needs.

To do this, you will need a car battery tester that has a multimeter with both volt and amp meter capabilities. Continue reading to learn some helpful car battery inspection tips.

Physical Inspection

Once you pop the hood, take a good look at the car battery. Check whether or not it seems to have any physical damage or natural wear. This includes rust, oxidation, corrosion, protrusions, scratches, indentations, bulges, and more. Corroded terminals can be cleaned with a toothbrush using a baking soda and water solution. But if a battery has physical damage beyond this, it is not safe to use and must be replaced right away.

Voltage Inspection

Charge your car battery overnight, and then use your tester to measure its surface voltage. Be sure your engine is off before starting. First, connect the positive tip of the multimeter to the positive battery terminal, and then the negative to the negative. Next, read the surface voltage. It should be somewhere between 12.5 and 12.8 volts.

Alternator Inspection

The alternator connects to the drive belt and rotates when the motor runs. This rotation produces voltage, which is a key component in charging your car battery. A poorly-functioning alternator will drain a car’s battery as you drive, so they must be inspected periodically to ensure its functioning properly. With the positives and negatives still connected from measuring the surface voltage, turn on the engine and allow the vehicle to run for a few minutes. The voltage should increase to anywhere from 13.6 and 14.3 volts.

Refer to your owners’ manual for your vehicle’s maximum amperage output. Once you have these values, switch your multimeter setting to amp meter. Turn on all the electronics in the vehicle and then measure the amperage output. If the values do not match your vehicle’s maximum amperage output, you could have an alternator problem.

Electrolyte Inspection

Twist open the electrolyte cells of the car battery and check that there is a sufficient amount of electrolyte fluid inside. If not, top the cells off with clean distilled water.

Call Zore’s Inc. for 24 Hour Jump Starts

Towing and Recovery

Towing and Recovery 317-247-8484

It is important to have your car battery inspected at least twice per year. If your car battery quits on you while driving, call Zore’s Inc. at 317-247-8484 for prompt and professional roadside assistance you can afford. We offer jump starts and more all across Central Indiana, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week!