Every time you accidentally leave your lights on and flatten the battery, the longevity of your battery is reduced by approximately six months. Recharging that flat battery can rarely be done within the vehicle. At All River Batteries, we can jump start your car for you at any location, or deliver a new battery at your request.
Battery Lifespan
The life of a car battery can depend on weather fluctuations and unpredictable harsh climates can create enormous stress on your car battery. Australia’s extreme summer temperatures cause high rates of water evaporation and eventual water loss within the body of the battery causes an increased concentration of acid. This increase in acid can cause acceleration of the plate corrosion further reducing the longevity of your battery. It is well worth asking your mechanic to check the fluid level in your battery at each service.
Serious vibration will also cause battery damage. To prolong the life of your battery you must always ensure that it is installed correctly and held down securely.
Corroded or old batteries can lead to the deterioration of connectors and leads, so All River Batteries mobile service vehicles are always stocked with replacement parts to repair these issues as well.
What is a car battery?
A car battery is simply an energy storage device. Your car requires the stored energy to operate the starter motor, ignition system, fuel injection system and other electrical devices for the engine. It supplies all the electrical power for a car whenever the engine is not running and it helps the charging system provide electricity when your demands are above the output limit of the charging system.
The lead acid battery is made up of plates, lead, lead oxide and an electrolyte which is a solution made up of 35% sulphuric acid and 65% water. When the electrolyte interacts with the lead plates a chemical reaction occurs and produces electrons that create the voltage in a battery.
Another important part of the battery is the battery terminal or post. On each battery, there are at least two posts. One will be a negative post and the other positive. The positive terminal will be marked with a ‘+’ symbol and/or with a red lead or cover. The positive post is sometimes larger than the negative post as well. The negative terminal will be marked with a ‘-‘ symbol and/or have a black lead.
Battery Terminology
CCA refers to Cold Cranking Amps. This defines a battery’s ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The higher the CCA rating, the greater the starting power of the battery.
CA is a rating used to describe the discharge load in amperes which a new fully charged battery at 0 degrees C can continuously deliver for 30 seconds and maintain a terminal voltage equal or greater than 1.2 volts. CA is also sometimes referred to as marine cranking Amps or MCA’s.
RC is Reserve Capacity. It refers to the time in minutes a new fully charged battery will supply a constant load of 25 amps, without the battery falling below 10.5 volts. The higher the RC the longer your vehicle can operate if the alternator or fan belt fails.
AH refers to amp hours. This rating is usually found on deep cycle batteries. If a battery is rated at 100 amp hours it should deliver 5 amps of power for 20 hours or 20 amps of power for 5 hours.