How to Prevent Battery Damage and Extend its Life Span

If we have learnt one thing during the pandemic is never to leave a vehicle without running it, to prevent battery damage. Some of you may have experienced a situation where your bike would not start after leaving it at rest for a long period.

When the ride is not used for a prolonged period then the battery is likely to lose its power. While this may not be the only reason why a battery can lose power or become corrupted. There are several other reasons why batteries might not work & lose their power.

In this article, let us discuss how to prevent battery damage & going corrupt & then how to extend its life span. You need not be a technician or an auto mechanic to identify a battery issue & maintain it well. There is always a simple procedure you must follow to keep batteries in check & in top condition.

For this article, we will only be considering to prevent battery damage in the conventional fuel-run two-wheeler vehicle & not the electric scooter battery since those require an entirely different type of care & maintenance.

If you would like to know Best tips to take care of Electric vehicles (EV Maintenance) then explore this article here.

Clean the Terminals to Prevent Battery Damage & Tighten Any Loose Contacts

The most common initial step towards maintaining batteries is to clean them of accumulated dust, grime & other contaminants on the surface.

To do this, clean the battery with a scrub & a battery cleaner agent (Buy the specific products available for cleaning battery terminals at nearby service centre) & ensure that vent caps are tightly closed to avoid the cleaner from getting inside the battery.

Before cleaning make sure to disconnect the negative terminal first, & the positive terminal next.

After scrubbing with the cleaner, use clean wet & dry clothes to gently wipe. Then put back on the terminals in reverse order, first positive & then negative.

To prevent any possible corrosion or corrosive deposits, an anti-corrosion spray can be applied on the battery terminals.

Two-Wheeler Battery Leakage Issues –

There are chances that chemicals might get collected around terminals due to the leakage of electrolytes or distilled water. Due to mechanical damage or installation issues, such leakages may occur, so make sure to get it checked & cleaned properly before it destroys the battery completely.

Regularly Check Fluid Levels to Prevent Battery Damage

The batteries require electrolytes to function properly. To check the level, you can see the maximum & minimum indicators in the cell.

Although battery levels can be inspected & restored by specialists/technicians. If you want to get your hands on it, check & fill it with only distilled water which can be availed at any nearby auto parts store or nearby service centre.

Never use RO/UV filtered water & tap water as the minerals & impurities in it can do irreversible damage to your vehicle’s batteries.

Storing & Disconnection of Batteries to Prevent Damage

Bad climatic conditions can have detrimental effects on the two-wheeler’s battery. Whether it’s extreme heat or extreme cold conditions, you must park your vehicle carefully.

During summer, cover your vehicle when parking for a longer time or park it in the shade in a well-ventilated space. Furthermore, for extreme cold winters, place the vehicle in a slightly warmer place & cover it appropriately.

Here are our best tips on how to maintain your bike in summer and keep the motorcycle in top condition.

The rainy season can be even worse, if water accumulates near the parking area & there is too much moisture, so, make sure your bike does not come into direct contact with rainwater & it doesn’t affect the parked two-wheeler.

At any given time of the year, use a good quality cover for your scooter & bike, so that the bad weather does not affect & damage the health of your ride’s battery & the overall condition of your two-wheeler.

If you don’t use your vehicle every day but can access it, then try cranking/starting your bike & scooter for 10-15 minutes once every 3-4 days to keep the battery working adequately.

If you plan to park your vehicle for a long time when you are away or for any reason your vehicle is unused then detach the batteries before storing. By doing so you will avoid the discharge of the battery & improve its life.

Keep a Look on Charge Level/Overload/Over usage to Prevent Battery Damage

Connect your battery to a two-wheeler battery charger & make sure to charge the batteries at optimum level. Make sure to turn off & then unplug the charger before detaching it from the vehicle.

Keep in mind that both overcharging & undercharging batteries can be harmful to them in the long run.

Riding a two-wheeler on a low battery level will lead to it dying rapidly. It always needs to be replenished frequently.

You have to just turn on your bike or scooter & let it run without moving for 15 minutes at least to make sure the battery is charged. You can also use a multimeter to observe the battery level.

Try not to overuse the features of two-wheelers that run on battery energy such as headlights, intense horns, high-intensity LED lights & others, which may give rise to untimely dissipation of the battery.

In case you are thinking of modifying & upgrading your bike or scooter then it might affect the vehicle’s functioning and should always be prevented.

Need a technician or an expert mechanic for your TVS Two-Wheeler problems? Here is a quick video of our trained technicians carrying out a General servicing of a bike, we provide service & solutions to all the TVS Two-Wheelers’ infinite issues effectively.

Self Start vs Kick Start

After an extended duration of immobility during cold season or in general your bike or scooter may not turn on for a few tries. If you attempt to use self-start in such cases then it will overload the battery.

Even if you get stuck in traffic, self-start may seem like the easiest & best method to use but the self-start feature drains a lot of energy from the battery. So it is always better to use kick-start as it lengthens your bike & scooter’s battery life.

Another major common reason in our country for battery damage can be insects & rodents. If you are parking your vehicle outside, they can chew & damage battery parts or compartments. You should park your vehicle in a clean & safe place or you could also get rodent spray to prevent them from harming the two-wheeler.

(Rodent sprays are available at Himaalayaa TVS Parts & Service. You can contact our service centre to book a service appointment & for any further assistance)

To know about more products and offered services as well as nearby TVS service centres & workshops/nearby auto spare parts stores, you can check the Official TVS Motors Company page.

Select the Accurate Battery

There are an extensive number of options when it comes to opting for good quality two-wheeler batteries, it can be quite confusing which one to choose.

Pick out a maintenance-free battery that doesn’t drain water while charging and is well sealed without having to worry about acid leaks on the vehicle overall since there are special plates and separators placed to absorb the acid. If the battery includes a sensor then replace it when changing the battery.

You can visit or contact Himaalayaa TVS Service Centre, a one stop shop for all your TVS two-wheeler needs for good quality and branded two-wheeler batteries.

We only provide 100% genuine parts & batteries for the well-being of your TVS vehicles.

Conclusion

From this article, hopefully, you learned how to improve your bike battery or scooter battery life. Furthermore, you should always get your two-wheeler serviced at renowned service centres by a trained mechanic/professional.

If your two-wheeler battery is fully used to the end then replace it instantly and never ride your bike or scooter with a drained battery which can cause damage to both you and your two-wheeler.

Himaalayaa TVS Service & Parts is an Authorised TVS Service Centre with expertly trained mechanics and technicians here to help and provide accurate service and solutions to TVS Two-Wheeler problems. We also provide pick up and drop services with T&C applied.