Car Batteries

Your car battery is responsible for powering your ignition system, vehicles computer, lights, radio and much more. Eventually all car batteries will fail, some without warning, so it’s important you monitor the condition of your battery regularly.

Apart from a failed battery test, other warning signs include….

• Difficulty when starting your vehicle.
• Engine cranking (turning over) more than usual.
• Battery / Alternator warning symbol displayed on your dashboard.
• Your lights are dim or you are experiencing electrical issues.
• Your car battery is cracked, swollen or leaking.

There are many components and different scenarios that can cause a non-start issue. If your engine cranks (turns over) but does not fire, that may indicate a component failure, such as a faulty injector or spark plugs. However, if the engine does not crank over (turn over), that would indicate more of battery / starter motor issue.

If your battery is in good health and the starter motor has a good supply from the battery, it would indicate a starter motor issue. If your alternator has failed, your battery will be unable to recharge when the engine is on, causing the battery to run low and then not be able to turn the starter motor to turn over the engine.

For peace of mind, we check the condition of your car battery as part of your health check when carrying out an oil change. Alternatively, if you are concerned about the condition of your battery between services, why not book a free battery health check* with us. It usually only takes around 10 minutes or so, and can help identify or prevent premature battery failure.

Our technicians will use the latest equipment to test the batteries voltage, start capacity and condition. Our equipment measures the voltage reading, which should be no lower than 12.4v. If lower, this would indicate the battery requires re-charging or replacing. It also tests the starting capacity of the battery. If the start capacity is below 70%, this will indicate that the battery is beginning to deteriorate. It is important to note that if you have stop/ start function on your car, this will stop working if the battery registers less than 75%.

The results of a battery test will be displayed as:

Good & Pass – Great news, no action is required. We will recheck at your next service.

Good & Recharge – The battery is in good health but needs re-charging.

Recharge & Retest – As the battery is low, it cannot determine at this point if the integrity of the battery is okay until a charge is carried out. After that, another battery test can be formed.

Bad Battery – The battery is entering or at the end of its service life, a new battery is recommended.

In ideal conditions, your car battery life should between three and five years. The lifespan will, however, depend on factors including your vehicle type, electronic demands, driving habits and weather conditions.

Although the age of the battery is typically the most common cause of failure, other things have the potential to put additional strain on your battery, and in turn cause a dead battery. These include: long periods of inactivity, only driving short journeys, using electronics in your car while the engine is off or various faults within the car that have caused a battery drain. 

As a battery can only maintain a charge while the engine is on, you should always ensure your headlights and interior lights are turned off once you have finished driving. Any GPS, phone chargers or other electrical accessory in your car should be disconnected, as the electronics will draw directly from the battery.

Electric car batteries are slightly different from fuel car batteries as electric cars rely on their batteries to get you from A to B, whereas fuel cars rely on petrol or diesel. An electric car battery is made of lithium-ion which means they can deteriorate over time. In ideal conditions an electric car battery should last around 10 years, however cold or hot temperatures, overcharging or using the battery’s minimum capacity can impact on the lifespan of your battery.

A start/stop battery feeds the starter motor with a larger current which enables the car to re-start when engaging the pedal. Unlike vehicles with regular batteries, a start/stop battery will automatically switch off a vehicles engine when the car has stopped to conserve fuel and protect the climate.

Although start/stop batteries look very similar to regular batteries, their function and power are very different. Regular batteries are only built to start the car, however start/stop battery’s work by a continuous discharging and recharging cycle.

The batteries usage, and increased levels of electrical equipment that are fitted to modern day cars, means that extra demand from your battery is required. It is essential to ensure the correct battery is fitted so all system function as they should.