There are times when the car is not used for a rather long period of time: winter, long business trip, vacation. How to make sure that after a few months he does not fail, he wound up when necessary. The heart of any car is the engine, but it won't start without a battery. It is unlikely that something can happen to the machine itself during downtime that will affect its operational properties, but it is worth paying special attention to storage of the battery.
Necessary
You will need: hydrometer, glass tube, rubber bulb, flat wide screwdriver or coin, soda solution, battery acid, distilled water, charger, rags
Instructions
Step 1
When the car is idle, the battery must be removed, the on-board electronics will painlessly tolerate the lack of voltage, in some ways it will also benefit it. A place to store a battery, if you do not have a garage, naturally will be an apartment, but you still need to look for a place in it. It is better if it is a dark, well-ventilated cabinet niche, away from sources of moisture and heat. The battery must not come into contact with food and textiles during storage.
Step 2
But before you put the battery in this niche, carry out some simple maintenance operations, they will help keep the battery in working order longer. To begin with, it is tedious to clean the battery of all kinds of dirt, wash it with car shampoo and wipe it dry. Now you can start prevention.
Step 3
Remove the battery jar caps. Through the holes in the plugs, you need to measure the electrolyte level in each can, as well as its quality. There is a mark or several inside each can - the electrolyte level should be in the area of the mark or between them. Also, if the battery is transparent enough - it allows you to see the electrolyte level from the outside, then the marks of the optimal electrolyte level can be applied to the battery case. Otherwise, the level is measured with a glass tube, it should be within 10-12 mm. If less, then add distilled water.
Step 4
The next thing to do is check the density of the electrolyte. The density indicator should lie in the range from 1.25 to 1.29, but not differ by more than 0.01. Otherwise, we bring to the average value in the battery. If it is more, then we add distilled water, if it is less, then battery acid. There is such a category of batteries as maintenance-free, but this name is conditional, you still have to wash and recharge them, but you cannot check the electrolyte level and its density, there is simply no access there.
Step 5
At the end of work with acid, the surface of the battery should be treated with a solution of baking soda - it neutralizes the acid, and the terminals with conductive grease. The final stage in preparing the battery for storage should be the battery charging cycle with low currents. It is in this mode that you will reach the most complete charge of the battery, and it can be stored longer without losing its performance properties. You are even more fortunate if your charger is intelligent, you can leave it on for a long time, and the battery can be left connected to the vehicle's on-board network, the charger will maintain an optimal state of battery charge throughout the storage period. Take care of your battery - the second heart of your car.
