As we head into the cooler months of the year and the temperatures decline, automotive batteries go through changes that can begin to affect the starting performance of a vehicle

Century Batteries explains that it has spent 98 years building batteries that are designed for tough Australian conditions, but even the best batteries aren’t immune to the physics of cold weather.
In this article, it takes a look at the question: why does winter put batteries to the test, and how workshops can help their customers avoid becoming stranded.

Reduced cranking power
When the temperature drops, the chemical reaction inside a car battery slows down.
This means the battery produces less electrical energy – right at the time when a vehicle needs more power to start.
Cold oil thickens, components move less freely, and the starter motor draws more current, making for a perfect storm which can leave a battery unable to do its job.
In fact, a battery can lose up to 35 percent of its cranking capacity when temperatures fall to around 0°C, and even more in extreme conditions.
And if a battery is already a few years old or not holding charge as it should, that drop in performance can be enough to prevent an engine from starting altogether.

Increased demand on the system
Winter also tends to increase the electrical load on a vehicle.
Headlights, heaters, windscreen demisters, wipers and heated seats all put extra pressure on a battery and charging system.
On short trips, an alternator may not have enough time to fully recharge the battery between starts, leading to a gradual decline in charge and performance.
This is especially true in stop-start or city driving, where the engine may be switched off at traffic lights or in heavy traffic, further reducing the available charge time.

Age and battery condition matters
Batteries don’t last forever and if a battery is three to five years old, winter is often the season that exposes underlying issues, such as sulphation, internal corrosion or general wear.
Even minor faults can be amplified by the cold, resulting in unexpected failures.

Increase battery sales with proactive testing
Century Batteries says research has proven the correlation between the more batteries you test, the more replacement batteries you will sell.
It says this is particularly pertinent when it is considered that approximately 750,000 battery sales are lost each year to roadside replacements because of people waiting until their batteries fail before replacing them.
Over 70 percent of these vehicles would have visited a service bay or retail outlet within the last six months – and the owners could have potentially benefited from receiving a free battery test during that visit.
This is particularly interesting when it is considered that approximately one in every twenty batteries identified with a ‘chance of failure’ leads to a battery sale.
Century Batteries explains that proactive battery testing using a handheld tester like the BT900 from Century Yuasa provides an accurate on the spot test result in minutes, helping to identify suspect batteries before they fail and highlight problems with the vehicle’s starting and charging system.
The BT900 features patented Single Load Dynamic Resistance technology to simulate the real-world conditions a battery will face.
Century Batteries says it will not be misled by common conditions such as high surface voltage, poor cell connections and contact impedance, delivering accurate results test after test.
Suitable for use with both conventional and idle stop start battery technologies including 12V regular flooded, AGM flat plate, AGM spiral plate, VRLA/GEL and Stop-Start (EFB and AGM), the company says the BT900 is a fast, affordable, and essential service tool for battery resellers and automotive workshops.
But more importantly, it says it helps your customers avoid the financial and emotional costs associated with a flat or faulty battery.
In summary, Century Batteries says that not only will this translate into increased battery sales, but it will also help maintain your reputation of offering good customer service and further cement your business in the local community.

For more information, contact your Century Batteries representative on 1300 362 287 or visit www.centurybatteries.com.au