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Modern cars use the battery not only for starting, but also more and more as an on-board battery. Ventilation, seat or auxiliary heating, infotainment. need a lot of energy during the cold season. require a lot of energy in the cold season. In addition, additional electrical consumers such as seat, parking or rear window heaters, etc.
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Its lifespan is shortened due to higher water consumption and corrosion.Īs temperatures drop, the battery's performance also decreases simply because of poorer charge absorption. In extreme heat or long periods of standing, the battery suffers from self-discharge. Safety and comfort functions, the anti-theft alarm system, coming- and leaving-home functions always need power, even when the car is parked. Parking heaters, start-stop systems, recuperation: the electrics of modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and require more cycle-resistant starter or on-board batteries.ĭue to stop-and-go traffic and frequent short trips, the vehicle often needs more energy than the alternator can produce and recharge during the journey.Ĥ Always on - digital networking in the car the heart of the vehicle's electrical system The reasons for this are often a high load from many electrical consumers and inadequate battery management.Ģ. Car-to-car jump leads can cause voltage spikes when disconnected, damaging or even destroying the vehicle's electronics.Īccording to the breakdown statistics of the automobile clubs, faults in the vehicle's electrics/electronics due to weakening batteries are the most frequent cause of breakdowns - at approx.
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The solution for these requirements of seasonally driven cars is provided by regular compensatory charges and charge retention.ĭue to the sensitive electronics in the vehicle, jump-starting should generally only be carried out with a jump-start device. The battery must remain dry and cool (but frost-free). Recharge at the latest when an open-circuit voltage of 12.5V is reached. Keep your convertible in trim during hibernation.Īre you mothballing your car for the winter? If so and the battery is to stay in the vehicle, then remove the negative terminal. Give your battery an extra portion of power with external charging, especially before the first cold winter weather arrives.Ħ.
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Keep it fit for winter with an extra charge.įrequent short trips in combination with stop and start traffic reduce the energy level of the battery during every start and drive. Therefore, if possible take the car out for longer runs in order to charge up the battery, or even better treat your battery to an external compensatory charge. Moreover, turn them off before shutting down the engine.ĭuring short trips cars often require more energy than the dynamo can generate and recharge, which means that the battery is subject to constant discharging. Therefore, in order to have sufficient power, switch off additional consumers such as blowers and the heating until the engine is running.
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In addition, do not use any so-called improvement agents.īattery starting performance declines in cold weather. Moisture in the engine compartment causes current creepage, which consumes energy. A charger keeps the battery in shape and prevents sulphation.Įnsure that the surface of the battery is clean and dry using an antistatic cloth. Inactive batteries start to discharge in a process during which lead sulphate forms of the battery plates and obstructs the current flow.
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