Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
We take a lot for granted, and perhaps nothing more so than the vehicles that take us everywhere we want to go, every day. Those go-anywhere cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans won't go very far without a dependable battery, however. And you don't want to be somewhere remote—say, off-road or on a lonely highway—if your battery suddenly fails.
Unfortunately, among the things most people take for granted are their car batteries. New-car owners never give it a thought, and people who lease never have to deal with it. Or so they think, until the day they turn the key and get only silence. Batteries can, and do, fail unexpectedly—that's why most manufacturers offer pro-rated warranties.
And there's more to consider: The harder a vehicle works, the greater the demands it makes on its battery. If your "other" car is a pickup truck or van used to haul heavy loads, if you tow a boat or trailer, or if you just pile on the miles, you can't expect a battery rated for normal passenger driving to take the punishment and keep putting out.
Following are some buying and battery care tips that every vehicle owner needs to know, as well as some helpful online information resources.
