How to Extend Your Car Battery Life and Avoid Dead Batteries

It’s probably happened to you — maybe more than once. You’re heading out for work, school or another activity, and your car won’t start. Understanding how to extend your car battery life, check its status and protect it from harsh winter conditions can save you from unexpected hassles.

Read on to learn how long car batteries are good for, how long they last without driving and tips to make them last longer.

How Long Are Car Batteries Good For?

To figure out how long car batteries are good for, you need to know the type of battery you have. Lead-acid batteries are the most common type, and they typically last three to four years. Other types of batteries could last much longer.

How to Check Your Car Battery Life Easily

Checking your car’s battery life twice a year, at the beginning of summer and winter, is a good idea. If you have access to a voltmeter or multimeter, you can test your battery yourself. If not, you can have a mechanic check it for you. Either way, if you know how to check car battery life, you can replace it before you’re stranded.

Factors That Impact Car Battery Life and Longevity 

You can’t control everything that affects your car battery life. Here are a few things to know.

How Drive Time Affects Your Car Battery Life 

Driving your car helps your car battery life last longer. When you don’t drive a car much, the battery drains. If you have a car that you don’t drive very often, or you only take on short trips, try to take it out for a 30–40-minute drive every week or so. That may help extend the life of the battery.

What if you’re going away for a long stretch, you have a car in storage or you have a car you only use for part of the year — how long should a car battery last without driving? You can expect it to last from about two weeks to two months, depending on the type and age of the battery and the conditions where it’s parked.

For long periods where you’re not using your vehicle, you can connect a battery maintainer. These devices send a small, steady charge to your battery to counteract the loss of charge. 

How to Protect Your Car Battery From Winter Weather

Extreme heat and cold weather are harder on your car battery than mild temperatures. When the temperature drops below freezing, your battery must work a lot harder to start your car. Knowing how to protect your car battery from winter can help you avoid problems.

While you may not move to a new climate to extend your battery life, parking your car in a garage can help. That may help protect the car battery from winter or summer temperatures.

How Accessories Impact Your Car Battery Life 

Using your accessories while your car isn’t running drains your battery. That’s why if you accidentally leave your headlights on overnight, you may wake up to a car that won’t start. Running your heat, air conditioning or radio for long stretches when the engine isn’t running can also leave you with a dead battery. Taking care of your car battery life means avoiding these habits.

Essential Maintenance Tips to Extend Your Car Battery Life

Be sure you have your car serviced regularly or maintain it yourself. It’s important to make sure your battery is fastened properly, the cables and clamps are cleaned and any corrosion is removed. Good maintenance means checking all your car’s systems, too, to be sure nothing is working poorly and draining the battery. Regular maintenance also helps you stay aware of how long car batteries are good for and when you’ll need a replacement.

Make Sure Your Vehicle Has the Coverage It Needs

Even if you care for your battery as well as you can, you need to be prepared for surprises. By adding Farm Bureau roadside assistance to your auto insurance policy, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that help is just a phone call away. Reach out to a Farm Bureau insurance agent today to make sure you’re protected — whether you need help starting your car or advice on how to protect your car battery from winter.