| Motoring:When to replace your car battery | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 14 January 2012 20:38 |
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By Sound Living Reporter Car batteries may need to be replaced several times during a vehicle's lifetime, and knowing when to buy a replacement is very important. With proper care and maintenance, a battery should serve your car for at least 160,000km. Car batteries have definite shelf lives, and no amount of maintenance or care can reverse the effects of chemicals on metal. At some point in every car's lifetime, its battery must be replaced. Here are some tips on knowing when to get a new car battery: 1. Extreme weather conditions: The battery that served you so well in Dar es Salaam may suddenly fail you completely in Iringa. This is because most car batteries are rated by a measurement called 'cold amperage'. If you've relocated from a warmer climate to an extremely cold one, you'll need to replace your old battery with one designed for cold weather. If practical, keep you car's battery warm through indoor storage. 2. Excessive wear and tear: We've all left our headlights on. Ordinarily, the battery should still have enough power to start the vehicle, allowing the alternator to restore power to the battery as it turns. But sometimes the battery's power has truly been reduced to zero. A power boost from jumper cables and a second battery connection may allow the car to start, but the battery itself can only take so much abuse. 3. Damage to the battery casing: If a battery is severely damaged, say after a bad accident, it should be replaced immediately. Any cracks in the body of the battery could cause dangerous leaks of sulphuric acid or other chemicals. 4. End of a warranty period: Most new car batteries come complete with a warranty covering any defects or damages to the battery itself. Once this protection has elapsed, however, it falls on the driver to provide for a replacement battery or repairs. 5. No longer holding a charge: Many times the first hint of a battery problem shows up during the starting process. If the car battery is too weak to provide a sufficient charge to the starter, the switch will will make a distinctive clicking sound. This clicking should indicate to the driver that the battery is not fully charged. It will need to be recharged with professional equipment or jumpstarted. But a simple procedure called a load test can be performed to determine if the battery is ready to be replaced. A serviceman will attach a voltmeter to the battery's terminals while the car is running. A switch on the voltmeter will then change the power load from the alternator to the battery alone. ENDS Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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