*
I have arrived here via an
internet search and need help with choosing a car battery...
Either click HERE
to visit our Battery
Finder or phone us on Freephone 0800 195
98 97* Monday to Friday - 8am to 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 6pm
and we will perform a Vehicle Registration search to identify the model
of vehicle you need the battery for.
( * When calling from a fixed telephone
line. Mobiles are charged at local rates, generally around 10 to
15 pence per minute )
* I don't know the exact model of my car
Phone us on Freephone 0800 195
98 97 Monday to Friday - 8am to 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 6pm
and we will perform a Vehicle Registration search to identify the model
of vehicle you need the battery for.
*
I
know
the model of my vehicle but it is not listed
We are continuously updating our online
knowledge base. If your model of car / van cannot be found please
call Freephone
0800
195
98 97 from a UK Landline from 8am to 8pm Monday
to Friday or 8am to 6pm Saturdays.
*
I'm
not
sure that my car battery matches what I've found here
The batteries that we sell are all very
carefully matched to the vehicles on display in the Battery Finder
section. Please refer to the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and Ah
(Ampere Hour) FAQ details below for the relevant starting power and
overall power sustainability elements of our products. If you are
still unsure then please call our Freephone Number from a UK Landline.
*
Which
brand
of battery am I buying?
All of the batteries that we sell online
are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) branded products.
Products that display our own label are reliable heavy duty equipment
and are guaranteed for 4 years. We have been trading solely in
batteries since 1993 and prefer our customers not only to return - but
hopefully to also recommend us to others for all the right reasons!
*
Are
your
products Heavy Duty
All of the batteries that we sell are
Heavy Duty as standard. Each is guaranteed to perform
consistently and reliably throughout its lifetime.
*
What
does
CCA / Cold Cranking Amps mean?
Cold Cranking Amps determine how much
power you have to start your car in most climates. The 'cold'
refers to when the vehicle engine is started from cold - e.g. first
thing in the morning or after a period of rest in cold environmental
conditions (the engine has cooled to below 5 degrees celsius). A
cold engine, as opposed to one that has just been running at optimum
temperature, will take more energy to start and thus needs plenty of
CCA!
*
What
does
the Ah number mean and why do some equivalent batteries have
more (Ah) than others ?
Ampere Hours (Ah) relate to the sustained
electrical power output of the battery.
For example - a 1.4 engined car with just basic equipment (radio,
sat-nav) may draw only 40 - 45 Ampere Hours (an 063 type battery with
44Ah is fairly common) .
By contrast a 1.4 engined car with added electrical equipment such as a
media center with added speakers, spotlights, powered windows, electric
sunroof, cruise control etc etc would need a slightly more robust
/ powerful battery to handle the extra load in the longer term.
Our Varta Silver C6 with 52Ah would then be more suitable.
An
ampere-hour is
defined as an amount of electrical current of one ampere flowing for
one hour. If you multiply the current in amperes by the time of
flow in hours, the result is the total number of
ampere-hours. Ampere- hours are normally used to indicate
the amount of electrical energy a battery can deliver.
*
I've
not
used the vehicle for a while and on starting it took longer
than normal - does my battery need replacing?
If you haven't used the vehicle recenly
then take it out for a drive. 30 - 45 minutes or more is
ideal. If this is not realistic and provided it is not mid-winter
/ very cold outdoors then 10 to 15 minutes around the block will
just about cover it. If it is below 5 degrees celsius outside
then the vehicle engine will need at least a 30 minute run.
If on returning a volt-meter reading is below 12.4 Volts [or,
where present] the level indicator button on top of the battery is NOT
showing GREEN then
it is very likely that you will need a new battery!
*
I
am
unable to check the battery - are there any other ways of telling
it has a problem - other than the vehicle being slower to start?
With the engine warm (e.g. after at least
10-15 minutes driving, ideally 30 or more) observe several of the
following vehicle symptoms to indicate a battery that needs replacing :
- If the
dashboard lights or stereo lights clearly dim or flicker in time to the
windscreen wipers.
- If the
electric windows operate generally more slowly / can clearly be
observed to be slowing down or struggling
slightly as they open or
close.
- If the
electronic central locking is slower to respond.
- Interior or
exterior lights may not be as bright as normal.
- Internal
lighting e.g. dashboard / displays clearly flicker in time to the
vehicle turning indicators when used.
- Vehicle is
consistently slow to start and the above symptoms show no obvious
improvement with constant vehicle
usage.
*
How
many
volts should a healthy car battery read if tested?
Brand new the majority of car and light
commercial batteries would read about 12.65 Volts when freshly
charged. Anything around 12.5 is fine across the 3-4 years of a
typical car battery lifespan. Readings that show consistently
below 12.4 Volts on a regularly charged / used battery indicate that a
replacement is needed.
Many vintage cars
(pre 1970) use 6 volt batteries, sometimes in pairs.
*
What
is
the vehicle alternator and why does this impact product
warranties?
The vehicle's alternator is a small
generator bolted onto the engine that recharges the battery while the
engine is running. When an alternator fails the battery no longer
gets properly charged.
The majority of ordinary vehicle batteries by nature of their
construction need to be used properly. Once a lead acid vehicle
battery has been left un-charged for some time (e.g. weeks as opposed
to days) - it will no longer charge fully and consequently not have
enough energy to reliably start the engine. A cold engine (below
5 degrees celsius) for numerous reasons will be harder to start.
*
Are
car
batteries easy to fit?
If
you are comfortable with basic vehicle servicing then yes! Click
HERE for our Fitment Guide.
*
Where
do
I dispose of my old car battery?
Please visit http://www.recyclenow.com/
for more information
*
Why
are
diesel vehicle batteries slightly more expensive?
A diesel engine is typically much heavier
than a petrol / LGP converted engine and needs a greater CCA to handle
the extra turning force needed at startup.
*
THE
HELP
/ INFORMATION I WAS LOOKING FOR IS NOT LISTED!!
Please
give
us
a call on Freephone
0800
195
98 97 during office hours 8am to 8pm (Saturdays until 6pm).
