Battery Maintenance
To maintain a Car Battery, you should:
- Keep the battery clean and dry by wiping it down with a cloth, and making sure there is no corrosion on the terminals.
- Make sure the battery is securely fastened in the vehicle.
- Avoid overcharging the battery by using a modern charger specifically designed for the type of battery, and following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Keep the terminals tight.
- Drive your car regularly to keep the battery charged.
- Consider disconnecting the battery if you will be storing the car for an extended period of time.
Regularly checking your battery voltage can give you basic information if your battery is healthy. Refer to the table below for a generic guide of the recommended actions based on voltage reading:
Open Circuit Voltage | Recommended Action |
>12.6 V | ok |
12.5 V -12.6 V | ok, check for voltage drop |
<12.5 V | for recharge |
<12.0 V | discharged battery, for immediate recharge |
By following these tips, you can help extend the life of your car battery and ensure that it is always ready to start your vehicle when you need it to.
To maintain a Deep Cycle battery, you should:
- Batteries should be kept clean, free of dirt and corrosion. Where accessible, regularly check that the plates are covered by approximately 4mm of electrolyte. Add distilled water if necessary. DO NOT OVERFILL.
- Ensure battery cables are intact, connectors are tight and vent caps are kept in place. Battery should be stable and held firmly in place during vehicle operation. Regular vehicle voltage and system checks are recommended.
- Use only stainless steel nylock nuts for attaching connectors to a threaded post. Make sure the eyelet/connector contacts well to the lead base. Do not put washers underneath the eyelet/ connector. Tighten until the eyelet/connector and lead base are flat with good contact; afterwards tighten by half a turn. Do not over tighten.
- The full performance of your deep cycle battery will not be reached until the battery is cycled several times (20-50 cycles, depending on the type). Temperature can affect the battery performance.
- Do not discharge your battery below 11.5 volts. Excessive discharge will significantly shorten battery life and may void warranty.
- A weak battery will cause premature failure of companion batteries. Do not put a new battery in a pack which has had at least 50 cycles. Either replace the entire lot or replace defective battery with a good used battery.
- Extreme temperatures can substantially affect battery performance and charging. Cold reduces battery capacity and slows charging. Heat increases water usage and can cause overcharging.
- Deep cycle batteries need to be equalised periodically. Equalising is an extended, low current charge performed after the normal charge cycle. This helps keep all cells in balance. Actively used batteries should be equalised once a week. Manually timed charges should have the charge time extended by approximately 3 hours. Automatically controlled chargers should be unplugged and reconnected after completing a charge.
- Batteries self-discharge when stored. If seasonal use is anticipated, we recommend the following: a. Fully charge the battery before storage. b. Remove all electrical connections from the battery, including series/parallel connectors. c. Store the battery in cool and dry place. d. Boost every two months.
- Use appropriate setting on your battery charger, depending on the type of deep cycle battery you have.
CHARGING
A battery in good condition may occasionally fail to crank the engine fast enough to make it start. In such cases, the battery may require charging. All battery chargers operate on the same principle: an electric current is applied to the battery to reverse the chemical action in the cells. Never connect or disconnect leads with the battery charger turned ON. Follow the battery charger manufacturer’s instructions. Do not attempt to charge a battery with frozen electrolyte. When using a battery charger, always disconnect the battery ground cable first. This will minimise the possibility of damage to the alternator or to electronic components. Otherwise, use a charger with polarity protection that prevents reverse charging.