Battery care and maintenance

Be careful

WARNING: Batteries produce explosive gases. So always keep sparks, flames and cigarettes away from batteries at all times. Protect your eyes at all times. Never lean over a battery when jump-starting or performing other maintenance.

Select the proper size battery

First and foremost, always choose a battery that has enough cranking power and reserve capacity to get the job done. Look at the vehicle manufacturer's recommended capacity to be a minimum capacity guideline.

Remember, you can't select a battery with too MUCH power.

Along with the electrical accessories a battery is powering, temperature also has a dramatic effect on battery performance. Vehicles that are operated in extremely hot or cold climates need a battery that's rated well above the minimum O.E recommendation. That’s because temperature has a dramatic effect on a battery's ability to crank an engine.

• Cold weather cause two issues. It not only robs batteries of power, it also stiffens motor oil, making engines harder to start in the first place.
• Heat can damage batteries by causing internal components to wear out quickly while also making engines difficult to start.

So do yourself a favour, select the higher capacity, more powerful batteries you'll need to
tackle demanding climates.

In-vehicle service tips

Remember: see your local battery specialist if you need help looking after your battery, or if you’d like them to do it for you.

But if you’re confident doing it yourself, always wear safety glasses when working around batteries!

The first step to routinely servicing a battery is to make a visual inspection. Look for defective cables, loose connectors, corrosion, cracked cases or covers, loose hold-downs and deformed or loose terminal posts.

Remove and replace a battery at once if there are cracks in cover or case. Place the leaking battery in a plastic bag and take it to a Battery Town for proper recycling.

To remove corrosion and dirt from terminal posts, hold-downs, tray or hold-down parts, scrape or brush it off. Then use a corrosion removing spray or immerse the part in an alkaline solution such as baking soda in the proportions of 0.5kg to 4 litres of water. The corrosion is neutralised when the solutions stops bubbling. Wash the part with water, dry, replace and apply a prepared corrosion protection spray.

Battery charging tips

Always refer to the battery charger instructions

• Follow all precautions when using the battery charger.
• Batteries contain harmful acid and can emit explosive gases when charging. It is recommended when charging or working with batteries that your use safety glasses and safety clothing to protect from potential explosion or contact with acid.
• Ensure mains power to the charger is switched off at the wall before connecting or disconnecting the charger with a battery.
• Remove all loads from a battery before charging.
• Ensure the charger and battery is used in a well-ventilated area, well away from inflammable substance.
• To prevent electrical shock, do not use the charger in areas where it may be exposed to rain or moisture.
• Do not use the charger if there is any physical damage to the charger’s enclosure or its electrical cabling.
• Follow the battery manufacturers recommendations at all times in relation to charging and maintaining the battery.

Connecting the battery charger to a battery

• Attach the colour coded output leads Red for positive (+) and Black for negative (-) to the correctly matching terminal of the battery.
• Ensure the connection clips are biting securely and firmly onto the battery terminals. 
• Switch on the mains power at the wall and ensure the LED operation lights are illuminated correctly. (See Battery Charger operation)
• Switch off the mains power prior to disconnecting the charger once the battery is charged.

How to jump start your battery safely

• Shield your eyes and face from batteries at all times!
• Be sure vent caps are tight and level.
• Place a damp cloth over vent caps on both batteries.
• Be sure vehicles do not touch.
• Use a good quality booster cable set, for example Battery Town's surge protected jumper leads. These are part numbers BC750SP (35mm), and BC900SP (50mm).