Battery Care and Maintenance

What sort of maintenance should I perform on my battery?
Modern automotive and light truck batteries need little attention. Check the battery once a year for signs of corrosion at the terminals. Clean the terminals with a mixture of baking soda and water. Keep the top of the battery clean of heavy dirt and oil to prevent low grade short circuiting.
Some batteries are equipped with removable vents so that the electrolyte levels in each cell can be checked and filled with water if the level is low. Always use good quality drinking water or distilled water to prevent iron or other chemicals from contaminating the electrolyte. Be careful not to overfill the cells or acid may be expelled during operation or charging.
How do I know when to replace my battery?
The best way to know when to replace your battery is to bring it to us for a battery check. The following are the most common warning signals that can indicate a problem with your battery or your charging system:
Your starter motor is experiencing slow or interrupted turnover
Your battery seems to lose power quickly in cold weather
Your headlights dim at idling
The battery/charging system warning light on your instrument panel stays on for extended periods after the engine is running
To determine if the battery is failing, take it to a qualified mechanic as soon as possible or try testing your battery.
What safety precautions do I have to take while handling a battery?
Acid causes burns and corrodes metal. As a result, you should always wear protective clothing when working with battery acid. Always wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. If acid gets into your eyes, flush with a large volume of running water, then seek medical attention.
If battery acid is spilt in inaccessible or dead space in a vehicle, it can be neutralised with a mixture of water and bicarbonate of soda.
When handling a battery it is also important to remember that they can explode if overcharged. When charging or even on standby, batteries contain hydrogen gas and air in an explosive mixture. It can be ignited by naked flames or sparks from matches, cigarrete lighters, spanners touching both terminals or the incorrect use of jumper leads.
Keep all sources of ignition away from batteries and take special care when jump-starting. Disconnect the earth lead first and replace it last when removing or replacing batteries. This will minimise the risk of a short circuit between tools and vehicle frame.
Always switch off all vehicle electrical equipment or charging equipment, when in use, before removing the vehicle of charger leads. This will minimise the possibility of sparks. Also ensure there is sufficient ventilation when charging a battery.
Information courtesy of FNB Batteries
In stock now and available from A.S.A.P Motors!
The Bosch C3 battery chargers make charging depleted car batteries quick and easy.
It’s SMALL, SMART, SIMPLE AND SAFE!
This compact battery charger:
- is ideal to take with you on road trips
- is safe to leave on if your vehicle is not in use whilst you are away on holiday
- a good choice to maintain the charge of your motorcycle, convertible or motorboat batteries while they are not in regular use
- it will maintain the battery in perfect health whilst charging
- new functions make it more user-friendly
- suitable for all types of lead-acid battery
- new memory function saves last-used settings
The Bosch C3 battery chargers won the “Red Dot Design Award” in 2011 for their simple, ergonomic operation and great industrial design. Now Bosch has simplified the operation of both charging units even further with the addition of a memory function and a two-piece charging cable that features a plug-in interface.
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Bosch C3 Battery charger
Price: R1325 incl Vat |
Bosch Battery charger C3 cable harness
(for your convenience of being able to connect it to more than one application eg: speed boat, motor bike etc)Price: R245 |