Batteries

The car battery provides the jolt of electricity required to start the car. A chemical reaction is where it all starts. The battery converts chemical energy into the electrical energy, providing voltage to the starter motor to start the car, and keeps the electric current steady and regular.

• Maintain your vehicle's battery regularly.
• Keep the terminals clean and inspect them for corrosion. Start the car before turning on any of the car's accessories (i.e. radio, heater) and drive the car regularly to allow the battery to get topped up with charge by the car's alternator.
• Keep the car's battery securely clamped down and free from vibration. Batteries that shake around can become damaged and short circuit, or worse, cause damage to your car.
• Insulate the battery from extreme temperatures with a car battery insulation kit. These are plastic or an acid resistant/thermal resistant sleeves that insulate your battery, but still allow it to vent, and are made to fit your car’s battery compartment.

Yes. A bad or weak car battery can put additional stress on other parts of the vehicle's charging system. Parts such as the starter motor or starter solenoid can malfunction due to drawing excessive voltage, to compensate for the lack of battery power. Over time it becomes more and more likely that you'll also have to replace an expensive part of the electrical system, without warning, due to a bad battery.

Yes. Excessive heat causes resistance that can reduce the chances of a car battery releasing a charge to the vehicle's starting components. Excessive heat can also cause the water in the battery to evaporate, causing damage to, and rapidly decreasing the battery’s life.

Yes there are obvious warning signs:

• A slow cranking engine: When you attempt to start your car the cranking of the engine is slow and takes longer than usual to start.
• Check engine light comes on: The check engine light sometimes appears when your car's battery power is weak.
• Low battery water level: Car batteries typically have a an indicator on them so you can keep an eye on your battery’s fluid level. You can also inspect it by removing the cover, if they are not sealed (many modern car batteries are now permanently sealed). If the fluid level is below the lead plates (energy conductor) inside the battery, it’s time to have the battery and charging system tested. When fluid levels drop it’s typically caused by overcharging (heat).
• The battery case is swollen/bloated: If your battery looks like it is inflating in size, this could indicate it has gone bad. It is usually excessive heat causing your battery case to swell, decreasing the battery life.
• 2 years + battery age is considered to be old: Your battery can last beyond two years, but have its current condition inspected on a regularly once it reaches the two year mark. Car battery life generally ranges from 18 months to 24 months, depending on the battery, but driving habits, weather and frequent short trips, (less than 20 minutes), can drastically reduce the actual life of the battery.

There are often some obvious symptoms when a car's a;ternator is on it's way out.

• Lights or warnings lights on the dash may flicker or disappear, then re-apper again. This happens when the car's battery is nearly flat and struggling to provide enough power.
• When you start your car and it keeps turning over, but it may start or it may not. This could mean your battery is low on charge because your alternator isn’t charging your battery properly. Don't wait to find out, your car could be moments away from a dead battery and alternator, and you stranded.

The car battery’s Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is an important measure for good cranking ability in cars, trucks and boats. CCA is the amount of current or amps a battery can provide at 0 °F (−18 °C) for 30 second duration until the battery voltage drops to unusable levels. The rating is defined as the current or amps a car battery at can deliver for 30 seconds and maintain at least 1.2 volts per cell (7.2 volts for a 12-volt battery) at 0 °F.

For example, if a 12 volt battery has a rating of 650 CCA, it means the battery will provide 650 amps for 30 seconds at 0°F before the voltage falls to 7.20 volts for a 12v battery. So in extremely cold temperatures, the higher CCA level is required to crank your engine, and as more cranking power is used, the amount of battery power available is less.