Explains basic car batteries
“Car Battery Basics”

Without a battery your car won’t start. Batteries, even today’s maintenance free ones, do require some maintenance. Inside your battery is a mix of sulfuric acid and water. This produces the electricity required to start your car and supplements the alternator when demand is high. I can not stress enough the importance of safety when handling your battery. Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and will eat through your clothes. So wear work clothes when performing battery maintenance. Also it is a very good idea to wear gloves and goggles. If you do get some on your skin, flush with loads of water right away. If it gets in your eyes, flush your eyes with baking soda water and seek medical attention immediately. A charging battery gives off hydrogen gas. So no flames or sparks should be allowed anyway near the battery.

In the old days, and I’m old enough to remember, we had to take the vent caps off the top of our batteries and pour in water to replace that which had evaporated. Today that is not usually necessary, because today’s batteries have side vents and baffles that allow the battery to vent its hydrogen gas but let the condensed water fall back into the battery.

There is some maintenance to perform, however. You should regularly inspect your battery to be sure it is clean and fastened securely in its holder. Some corrosion will collect around the battery and this should be cleaned to keep your battery in tip top condition. To do this, use a solution of baking soda water and a wire brush to clean all the metal parts such as the battery posts, the cable ends and the holder. It is a good idea to coat these parts with grease to prevent corrosive build up between cleanings. When removing the cables for cleaning, remember to remove the negative cable first. When reinstalling the cables, the negative cable goes on last. Also make sure not to get any of the cleaning solution into the battery.

About the Author

Cheryl Wheeler is mother of six, publisher and author. You can check out her website at http://www.simply-amusing.com