Car batteries

The modern vehicle needs to be locked when not in use. The locking process advises the computers in the vehicle that they are no longer required. In this “sleep” mode the power consumption is at its minimum.

Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, if not locked, a vehicle’s computers will stay in “standby” mode and continue to consume extra power. If left in “standby” mode, most modern vehicles will monitor the electrical system and if over a period of time there is no usage it will shut down devices and enter “sleep” mode.

There is always a risk of electronic damage when performing a jump start but there are ways to minimise it. We recommend using spike-protected jumper leads. Once you have correctly connected the jumper leads, do not start the car with the good battery. The engine of the vehicle with the good battery should not be running during the procedure. This helps reduce the voltage differential between the two batteries, which reduces the risk of a spike. After a car battery has been depleted it will need a full recharge using a battery charger.

You do not need to disconnect the battery cables to charge it while it is in the vehicle. Remember, certain vehicle settings may be lost if the battery is disconnected without another power source going to the vehicle. We advise using a smart multi-stage charger which can vary the charge rate as needed by the battery.

Make sure the charger is turned off and the vehicle ignition is off. Then connect the charger’s positive cable to the battery’s positive terminal and do the same with the negative cable and terminal. When complete, turn off the charger and disconnect the negative charger cable and then the positive one.

Always read the manual for both your vehicle and the charger for specific safety information.