Without a working battery, your car is nothing but a hunk of metal sitting in the garage. The battery is the key to starting your engine every time you want to hit the road. Moreover, your car battery is the reason you can listen to the radio, run the heat or AC, and charge your phone while you’re driving.

Such a crucial part deserves your care and attention. While battery replacements are often inevitable, there are still ways you can extend the life of your battery. Your car battery can last anywhere from two to six years depending on what type of battery you have, the vehicle you drive, and the conditions you put your car through.

How can you ensure your battery reaches the far end of its expected lifespan? Check out these useful tips to improve your car battery’s lifespan and keep your vehicle in good shape for longer.

Check Your Battery Terminal Regularly

Out of sight, out of mind isn’t a good policy to have with your vehicle. Like all parts of your car, it’s important to inspect your battery on a regular basis. Even a quick visual inspection can help you notice problems and fix them before more serious damage occurs. The two main things to watch out for as you inspect your battery are loose connections and corrosion.

Check for Loose Connections

The bumps and turns of driving—especially when you drive on rougher roads—can loosen the fastenings of your battery. A loose battery vibrates more, which can damage internal components, cause short circuits, and shorten your battery’s life. As you inspect your battery, mount it properly within its mounting bracket and tighten the clamp nuts to keep it safely in place.

Check for Corrosion

Have you ever opened the battery compartment of an old remote or flashlight only to find a buildup of pale, powdery gunk? The same thing can happen to your car battery if you leave it alone for too long. Battery corrosion is a poor conductor, so it hinders the current flow in your battery. This leads to unreliable electrical connections and can even prevent your car from starting. Routine inspection will help you notice corrosion before it contaminates the battery too much.

To clean off corrosion, use a toothbrush dipped in a mixture of baking soda and water. Once the corrosion is gone, rinse off the area with a spray bottle of water. Finally, be sure to completely dry the battery with a clean cloth before closing the hood of your car again.

Be Careful With Electronics

We’ve all heard the incessant beeping of the car warning us that the headlights are still on. Leaving lights and other electronics on while the car isn’t running can drain your battery quickly. The battery powers all the electronics in your car, including the radio, lights, and any charging outlets. At the same time, the car battery gets its power from the alternator. If you’re not running your engine, the battery can’t recharge. This means any electronics you use while idling or sitting with the engine off will drain and eventually kill your battery.

Turning off the headlights when you leave the car is just one example of taking better care of your battery. You should also pay attention to how you run the radio or air conditioner when you’re sitting idle. Don’t charge your phone unless you’re actually driving the car, either.

Drive Regularly and for Long Stretches

If you sit around doing nothing for weeks and then one day you jump up and decide to run a marathon, you’re not going to handle it very well. Your car battery works in a similar way. If you go long periods of time without driving your car, your battery will slowly lose power over time, hurting its performance once it’s time to hit the road again.

One of the easiest and most useful tips to improve your car battery’s lifespan is to drive your car regularly. Make a point of running errands, going to get coffee, or simply cruising around town at least once a week. Keep in mind that it’s better to drive for longer periods of time—at least half an hour—so your battery can recharge more with the alternator. If you don’t have a commute that gets you on the road regularly, make a point of putting on your favorite music or podcast and spending some time enjoying a relaxing drive around town.

Use a Battery Charger

Some people keep a car battery charger on hand to jump their vehicles when needed, but you can also use this device to charge your car regularly. Hooking your battery up to a charger every so often can help replenish the charge so that you’re not running on a half-depleted battery. A car battery charger is particularly helpful if you don’t have time to drive your car around as often as you should.

Pay Attention To the Weather

Extreme temperatures take their toll on your vehicle. Both hot and cold weather can damage your battery if you don’t protect your car properly.

Exposure to high temperatures increases water evaporation within the cells of your battery. Even sealed batteries can experience low water levels in extreme heat. Meanwhile, cold temperatures sap a battery of its charge, potentially leaving you with a battery that’s dead and useless.

Parking in a garage is one of the simplest ways to keep your car safe from cold weather, but that isn’t always possible. Look for opportune parking outside. Shade in the summer and sunlight in the winter can help protect your car from higher or lower temperatures. You can also install a heat barrier or insulation blanket to protect your battery in extreme conditions.

Keep the Vehicle in Good Shape

All the individual parts of your car rely on each other to run smoothly. If one area is damaged or worn down, the rest of your vehicle will have to work even harder to continue to function. Taking care of the rest of your car means taking care of your battery. With preventative maintenance, routine inspections, and timely repairs, you can ensure every part of your vehicle continues to function properly for years to come.

Of course, all good things eventually come to an end. Even with meticulous care, your car battery will eventually run out of juice. Never fear, because Auto Value makes it easy to order car batteries online. Finding a replacement battery has never been easier than it is with the comprehensive collection of batteries and other car supplies at Auto Value.