Car Batteries: Tips & Tricks to Help Your Battery Survive Lockdown

During this lockdown period, the last thing you want when trying to do your weekly shopping run or finally get the opportunity to return to work is for your car battery to not start. Time can pass pretty quickly during this time, and your car sitting idle for days upon weeks at a time is only a recipe for disaster, so it’s important to take care of your battery. We have some handy tips for helping you preserve your battery during lockdown and beyond.

Prevention is always better than a cure, so first and foremost, to prevent a dead or dying battery, start your car at least once a week and allow the engine to run for approximately 15 minutes. Alternatively, take a drive to get your essentials, which helps keep everything in good working order. It’s a good idea to put your battery on a trickle charger if you have one available.

Also read: Buying Guide – Where to Buy Car Batteries in SA

If you do find yourself with a dead battery – you’ll need to jumpstart your vehicle. You can go the jumper cable route. However, finding someone to help might be tricky given the quarantine, but there are other options. Mobile battery jumpers are available, which can generate enough current and are powerful enough jumpstart a vehicle. These are incredibly handy in a tight spot, and can help keep your battery charged no matter the situation.

Additional tips:

Check your battery regularly: Using a voltage meter, you can easily check the power status of your battery, which can help you forecast its life-span and prevent a dead battery.
Clean your battery: It is surprisingly easy to clean a battery. When the engine is off, remove the clamps and clean away grease, dirt and oxidation. A dirty battery connection will weaken the charge.
Ensure your battery is secure: A loose battery will negatively affect your battery’s life and can damage the engine.
Charge and recharge with good quality chargers: Good quality chargers at an appropriate size for your vehicle are not very expensive, and there are even solar chargers available.
Ensure you have the right battery for your vehicle: Depending on your vehicle size and type, make sure that you have the right battery to fit the class and model of your car.