Build-ups of oxides can be removed from the terminals of the car battery with fine sandpaper, and then be wiped with a dry cloth. Photo: Kai Remmers/dpa
No matter how new they are, car batteries need looking after, particularly in cold weather. Proper maintenance will increase the life of the battery and help reduce fuel consumption.
Cold weather can hit your car battery hard, so it needs some special care during the winter months. To start, make sure it's not overloaded with unnecessary demands before you turn on the ignition.
Experts at Germany's testing organisation Tuev Sued say this is important because the fuel pump, injection nozzles and engine management systems alone require about 400 watts of power to work.
Ventilation fans and air conditioning, for example, use up a further 100 to 500 watts, and lighting, radio and heating guzzle up to 1,000 watts more. Window mechanisms and heaters add further loads that result in more electricity being consumed than the alternator can produce. That's bad news for the battery, which won't get properly charged.
Increased power requirements also take a toll at the filling station. Experts estimate that for every 100 watts of extra power the car's alternator has to supply, there is an additional consumption of 0.1 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres.
In order to avoid corrosion and leakage, drivers should keep the housing and poles of the battery as clean as possible.
Build-ups of oxides can be removed from the terminals with fine sandpaper, and should then be wiped with a dry cloth. Follow this up by applying special grease to the poles and the connection terminals, making sure to always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
The battery's housing can simply be wiped down with a damp cloth.
