If there are two cars in your household you may want to consider alternating your trips in them. You should also be mindful that repeated short journeys will flatten your battery faster than usual. To help you stay mobile, battery charger/conditionerscan be fitted to your vehicle to monitor your battery’s performance and can help prevent you from being caught out by a ‘flat’ or ‘dead’ battery. Their built in reconditioning program has the ability to revive deeply discharged batteries. Age: It's a good idea to consider replacing it, even if it seems to be functioning fine. As batteries age, their performance and ability to hold a charge diminish. Speak to your local garage when having your annual service for a better understanding of its current condition. The RAC Car Battery Guarantee is designed to ensure peace of mind for motorists when purchasing new car batteries. We offer a five year guarantee for all RAC branded batteries and the more usual three year guarantee for all others. Swollen or bloated battery case: If you notice that the battery case appears swollen or bloated, it indicates a problem with the battery and should be replaced immediately.

Ensure both vehicles engines are switched off, remove the ignition keys and open their bonnets (or boot if the battery’s located there). The RAC Service and MOT Plan lets drivers spread the cost of routine servicing and MOTs over two years so they don’t have to pay big bills all in one go – with no risk of prices increasing. If you are having problems starting your car, here are a few tips that might help you get on the move again.Although a new battery should give a number of year’s trouble free motoring, usually somewhere between three and five years, there are a several reasons you may find your battery drained of energy and, temporarily at least, you have a problem that leaves you stranded and unable to make or continue your journey. Car battery recycling is a process of collecting, processing, and reusing or disposing of used car batteries in an environmentally responsible manner. Park your vehicle in a well-ventilated area away – not in your garage – and make sure that the engine is turned off. This can normally happen is you leave the lights, radio, or other accessories on when the engine is off can drain the battery. Follow the same steps as above, loosening the nut or bolt and removing the positive cable from the terminal.

Tighten the nut or bolt on the negative terminal using a spanner or pliers. Again, ensure it is snug but avoid overtightening. Faulty products will be replaced as soon as we are able to verify the fault and ship another to you. Drainage: Before recycling, the batteries undergo a process called drainage to remove the remaining electrolyte or sulfuric acid. The acid can be neutralised and treated for safe disposal or used in other industrial processes. The most common battery used in standard cars today is a 12-volt battery. Other vehicles such as heavy goods vehicles and military vehicles need a much bigger battery to sustain their high power usage, which is basically a unit consisting of two 12 volt batteries combined.

If there is no damage or corrosion, remove any covers or terminal protectors from the battery. If there are any issues, take your car to the local garage or call a mobile mechanic. Take a moment to inspect the battery terminals for any signs of corrosion. If you notice any, it's recommended to clean the terminals before proceeding. Once both terminals are securely connected, give them a gentle tug to ensure they are firmly attached to the battery. The cables should not easily come loose. As they contain various components and chemicals that can be harmful to the environment if not properly handled and recycled, it is important to do this correctly. Generally speaking, we motorists are often more aware of the importance of water, oil, clutch, break fluid levels, and tyre pressures, than issues with the battery. When it comes to the bit of kit that fires the engine into life and gets us going, keeps us warm, drives the windscreen wipers, powers the navigational system and dash cam, and lights the road up at night, we’re often a little in the dark.

However, if your vehicle has a charging fault, it may still not start, even after a jump orlengthy period of recharging. Or, it may start after a boost, only to run flat again after a few short miles. Corrosion and build-up on battery terminals: This can affect the battery's performance. Regularly inspect the terminals, and if you notice significant corrosion that cannot be cleaned off, it may be time for a new battery. Extremely hot weather and overcharging are the two main reasons for shortened battery life – your battery contains liquid and heat causes it to evaporate. Low fluid levels will damage the internal structure of the battery. Our patrol fitting service is ideal if you can’t get to a garage, wherever you may be in UK mainland. But please note, this service is not available on our economy or standard battery range. Before installing a new battery, clean the battery tray with a solution of baking soda and water to remove any corrosion or residue. Rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly.A battery falling below its eligible SOH level within its warranty period also will not always mean an outright replacement. Often times, the battery will be kept but will be restored to its original performance or range. They also provide a steady flow of power to the vehicle's electrical system when the engine is running, and they help stabilise the voltage to ensure proper operation of the vehicle’s various components. As more and more electric and hybrid vehicles see the light of day, our motorways are slowly but surely becoming greener. And, with the eventual planned phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles, the decision to move to a more sustainable form of mobility has never looked more appealing. Where traditional petrol and diesel engines use internal combustion as their power source, the engines of today are comprised of a scaled up version of lithium-ion batteries similar to those found in your mobile phone. This is how EV batteries work. This big collection of batteries which forms the EV car battery undergoes a constant cycle of charging and discharging. When compared to traditional engines, “charging” would be filling up with fuel whereas “discharging” would be driving the vehicle and expending the fuel. However, as the EV consistently runs through this cycle, the time to charge needed between each journey increases while the distance the vehicle can travel between charges decreases. Collection: Used car batteries are collected from various sources, including automotive service centres, recycling centres, battery retailers, and other designated collection points. It is important to ensure that used batteries are properly stored and transported to prevent leakage or damage.

The battery will need to recharge fully for it to be fully serviceable, which is best achieved using a quality battery charger for several hours. If your MOT is due or if you would like to book your vehicle in for a full car service, you can book online with a RAC Mobile Mechanic or your local RAC Approved Garage today. Scottish Highlands - AB36-38, AB55-56, FK17-21, IV1-39, IV52-54, IV63, KW1-14, PA21-40, PH19-26, PH30-41, PH49-50 When driving, the vehicle's alternator recharges the battery while the engine is running by converting mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy.There are a number of reasons for a flat car battery, the most common being old age – more than five years for a car battery should be considered a good life cycle. Essentially, a car battery is only used for cranking the car engine when it is initially started. However, over time as it ages, it will experience a natural fall off in its capacity to hold its charge, and will go dead more frequently. There are other reasons for a battery running flat, including;