Charge It in Walled Lake for Extended Battery Life
December 12, 2016
Here's an interesting statistic for our in Walled Lake, Michigan, drivers: Only 30 percent of car batteries make it to 48 months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from 51 months in extremely cold areas to just 30 months in extremely hot climates.
Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs and entertainment computers are keeping vehicle batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die.
It's clear that you Walled Lake drivers need to recharge your batteries. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around Walled Lake. The alternator just can't keep up.
The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health?
We need to keep the battery as close to a full charge as possible. That can be hard because sitting for just 24 hours in hot weather between charges can be too long. When the weather's cold in Walled Lake, sitting for several days will cause discharge.
So some highway driving around Michigan will help keep a full charge if the battery has not been deeply depleted. Car batteries are not designed to be run down really low, or deep cycled, as it's called. So using your headlights or other power accessories when the car is off can deeply deplete your battery. Using the alternator to recharge from a deeply depleted state is also very dangerous to your battery because it charges too fast. In fact, on average, your battery would only last for ten recharges like that.
If you do find yourself with a dead battery or very low battery, use a good quality battery charger to slowly bring the battery up to full charge. Follow the instructions on the charger or talk to your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at ABC Auto Works .
ABC Auto Works
127 E. Walled Lake Drive
Walled Lake, Michigan 48390
800-742-4511
Need Service?
More articles from ABC Auto Repair & Tire Center

Don’t Ignore the Grind
July 5, 2026
Your wheel hub assembly is probably not one of those things on your vehicle you think about very often. In fact, you may not even have even heard of it. But its one of the most important components that keeps your vehicle stable, smooth and safe on the road. The hub assembly houses the wheel b... More

Wobbly in Turns? Your Sway Bar May Be to Blame
June 28, 2026
When you take a corner in your vehicle, its supposed to feel controlled and stable. But you might notice one day that your vehicle feels like it is unstable, or even like its floating. It can be a scary sensation that gets your attention. If you feel that as you change lanes or when turning a ... More

No Shake, Just Smooth
June 21, 2026
When your vehicles wheels are out of balance, theyll likely give you some clues. Your steering wheel might shake, the floor or seat vibrates and you might find your vehicle pulling to one side. Other signs? Your tires might wear unevenly and may make odd noises. Plus, fuel economy might not be ... More
