The Battery Center Advantage

COMPLIMENTARY BATTERY TIPS

View a copy of the safe battery installation guide!

Cold Cranking Amps at 0-Degrees Fahrenheit
AAA warns motorists to be aware of misleading advertising of batteries. All batteries are rated by manufacturers at a "Cold Cranking Amp" of zero degrees. However, many places that sell batteries don’t know the difference and, as a result, you may be misled. For example, batteries advertised at "700 Cranking Amps" [at a 32-degree rating] are actually equivalent to 550 Cold Cranking Amps at zero degrees. You may not be getting what you’re expecting – and paying more for it! Please be careful in today’s battery market.

High-reserve Capacity Batteries
All batteries have a rating – in addition to the Cold Cranking Amp – known as Reserve Capacity. This is the amount of time – in minutes – that you can drive on battery power if your alternator were to fail or belt to break. Most places are unaware of this rating and those that are in many cases still sell a thin-plate battery. In other cases the manufacturer has designed the battery for high cranking capacity at the expense of the reserve capacity. Your vehicle needs high reserve capacity – you never know when you may need it.

Over 150 Group Sizes on Hand for Exact Application
Many advertisements which have been printed use the phrase, "Delivers up to xxx CCA" , which gets attention because of the high-cranking amp number. However, the catch is the clause "up to". Your vehicle may require a different "Group Size" than what is depicted. You very well could get less than the crank rating advertised even at the same high price. Therefore, get a proper battery that fits your need and not the vendor’s need of "one size fits all".

The Most Knowledgeable about Batteries in the Tri-state Area
All batteries are not created equal! Most stores that sell batteries don’t have the knowledge or experience to help get the proper battery you need. Ask yourself these questions: "What are your driving habits?" Short hops to the store in winter require a higher capacity battery. "What condition are your cables in?" Corrosion severely hampers performance. "What is your starter draw and alternator output?" Bad starters and/or weak alternators need to be repaired – A new battery is not the solution. If you don’t know the answer to any of these questions, we can help you, free of charge, to determine what is best for your needs.

The Largest Battery Recycler in the Tri-State Area
Batteries are corrosive, hazardous materials. They are controlled by the EPA and must be accounted for. It is illegal to dispose of batteries in a landfill. Most recyclers do not accept lead acid batteries because of the legal liabilities the local recycler has EVEN WHEN the batteries are on the smelter’s site.

It is illegal to transport over 1000 lbs. of batteries in any vehicle unless the driver has a commercial driver’s license with a "hazardous endorsement" and "#8 Corrosive" plaques. The driver must also carry the correct paperwork depicting the hazardous materials.

The Most Knowledgeable about Batteries in the Tri-States - Part I
Any batteries stored for any length of time require some attention. Since the electrolyte (battery acid) in a fully-charged battery will not freeze until -68 degrees Fahrenheit, the battery should be stored in a cold room or outdoors, which is actually better for the battery’s life. As a battery sits unused, it will naturally discharge – at a faster rate in warm temperatures – which means the battery acid essentially becomes water. If you leave a battery in the equipment for the winter, disconnect the negative terminal to prevent discharging. A partially-discharged battery can freeze at 19 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause plate damage or breakage. Prior to charging, check the fluid level and charge properly in relation to the battery’s capacity, existing state of charge, and the ambient temperature. Never attempt to charge or use a frozen battery – explosion may occur.

The Most Knowledgeable about Batteries in the Tri-States - Part II
It is always a good idea, prior to the cold weather season, to have your vehicle’s electrical system inspected. Any battery with more than a few years of use can lead to "no start" problems when the temperatures reach sub-zero levels. A battery needs to be warm – about 50 degrees Fahrenheit – before it can accept a charge, meaning that a quick charge may not do any good. If alternators are weak they may buckle under the electrical load and put full strain on the battery. The same principle applies to a bad starter or solenoid. The battery becomes overworked if there are problems elsewhere. We will check your battery for free and help you find the problem.

The Most Knowledgeable about Batteries in the Tri-States - Part III
Jump starting a car is a common sight in cold weather. However, since batteries are potentially explosive – from the hydrogen gas generated in a battery – caution should be used. The proper procedure for jumping a car is:

Connect the positive (+) cable to the positive post of the stalled vehicle battery.
Connect the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the starting vehicle battery.
Connect the negative (-) cable to the negative terminal of the starting vehicle battery.
Make the final connection onto the engine block of the stalled vehicle – away from the battery.
Allow the starting vehicle to run a few minutes and then start the stalled vehicle.
Remove the cables in the reverse order in which they were connected.

Jumper cables sold in stores are almost always undersized and ineffective at carrying the proper current to hard-starting vehicles. A 4-guage cable is a good size wire with a 400-amp clamp, which has the capability to give optimum results. Please note that 6, 8, and 10-gauge wire is too small to properly do the job.

Don't Get Caugh Cold with a Dead Battery (written by Wayne Holt)
Of all the components under the hood, the battery is probably the most blamed item for some problems associated with your car.

If your car doesn’t start, the battery is blamed. If your headlights and other electrical components are weak, you blame the battery. The battery’s main purpose is to hold electricity to start the car, and secondarily, to provide "reserve power" to handle any additional electrical accessories in the car that the alternator cannot keep up with.

Granted, the battery can be old and just plain worn out, or the battery can be defective and is a source of the problem. But there are many associated components that are in the same circuit as the battery and should be looked at.

The alternator provides between 13.2 and 14.9 volts to run the car’s ignition, accessories (as fans, lights, radios, etc.) and to put a charge back into the battery that was drained from starting. If the alternator is weak, or defective, the battery does most of the work of providing current until it can give no more. If the alternator belt is loose, aged, cracked, or ready to break, the alternator doesn’t turn at its proper speed to run the electricity in your car, and the battery runs down.

The regulator (some are built into the alternator; some are separate components mounted on the fender or firewall) is to regulate the current flow from the alternator. If the regulator is defective, more than 15 volts is pushed through the system and is a cause for boiling a battery dry. If shorted, it may drain the battery of its stored electricity.

The starter normally draws between 100-250 amps to start the engine. If there are problems with the starter, or the starter solenoid, the amperage drawn can be excessive (e.g. 300 to 700 amps), and drain the stored power in the battery, or overload its internal structure causing it to break internal connections. This also can lead to draining the battery to the point that it cannot provide the needed current flow to turn the starter.

Wiring should be checked for any worn spots that might be touching the car’s body, or "grounding out". Check to see that all connections are clean and tight.

Your driving habits, especially during the winter months, need to be considered. Short hop driving (a mile to and from work, for example) does not allow for proper charging of the battery. The battery needs to be warmed internally to 50 degrees (F) before it can even accept a charge. Therefore, starting your car, running lights, defrosters, fans and radios in sub-freezing temperatures only drain the battery. Multiply this by several weeks of short-trip drives, and you have a discharged battery. The cure: periodic overnight battery charging at home, by a service station, or by the expert personnel at the Battery Center.

There are several things that the car owner (or his favorite service facility) can do to gain the maximum service from one’s battery:

Check fluid levels periodically. The term "maintenance free" may be on your battery, but most of them allow service to the cells by removable caps. If your battery is indeed a sealed type, have it checked by the Battery Center (or other service center) for proper voltage output under a load. The fluid level should cover the plates. Distilled water is recommended if fluid needs to be added. If the plates in a battery are exposed to air for a length of time, they oxidize and become useless. Low fluid levels are caused by excessive drains on the battery, severe hot weather, severe cold weather where the battery has to work a lot, or holes in the case caused by an improperly secured battery and rubs against rusted or corroded metal tray parts. Note also, that an improperly secured battery can lead to internal vibration which will destroy a battery. Adding water to the battery may not fix a battery that has been dry too long. Also, after adding water, the battery should be charged properly to chemically change the water to acid that holds the charge in the battery. The battery will need to be charged properly with relation to its capacity, temperature and existing state of charge.
Clean connections periodically. Too often, post and clamps are corroded (caused by natural gassing as a battery charges) and prevents current from flowing to the starter. Connections should be bright and free of any foreign matter. The use of grease to cover the posts to prevent corrosion is not recommended as grease can liquefy as it heats, and insulate the post from the clamp, thus causing loss of current flow to the starter.
Have your starting and charging system checked by a service facility. Early detection of problems will prevent awaiting a tow truck in minus 20 degree temperatures. In recent surveys of car owners, 23% of the cars have battery or electrical problems.
Be cautious around batteries. They produce explosive hydrogen gas as they charge. Do not smoke or do anything around a battery that could produce a spark (e.g., follow directions when jump-starting a car, or hooking up a battery charger).
Charge batteries for the proper length of time. Some batteries have a greater "reserve capacity", a rating that all batteries have, but may be un-advertised. High cold cranking amps AND high minute reserve should be considered when purchasing a battery. Higher reserve rated batteries need more time on the charger. A quick two hour charge may not be sufficient to give maximum performance during cold weather.
Be aware of temperatures in which your car is operating. Very hot temperatures geometrically accelerate the internal destruction of a battery. Batteries die during the hot summer months, and if not replaced then, will certainly show up in the first cold snap of winter. Therefore, you may choose to check your battery in the fall.
If you store a battery (for your car, tractor, marine, garden tractor, etc.) for a period of time, charge the battery first, then store it in a cool, dry place on a block of wood. A 100% charged battery’s freezing point is 67 degrees below zero (F). In time, a battery does naturally discharge, and the property of the acid becomes closer to water and will freeze causing plate damage and case breakage. Therefore, charge a stored wetted battery every few months. This will keep the plates porous and prevent sulfating, which is a sealing of the plates. You should get longer service from your battery.
When your ignition key is off, make sure all other electrical components are off, as well. Headlights left on, glove box or truck lights that are on for some reason, added on radios and radar detectors that are not affected by the switch can all drain a battery. Lead-calcium constructed batteries can handle a deep drain only once or twice before its ability to retain its fully charged state is affected, and will shorten its life. Newer cars with clocks and computers with memory drain very little out of a battery, but if the car is not driven in a while, this could take its toll on the battery’s health.
If you do need to purchase a battery, do your homework. Ask for the specifications for the battery. High cranking amp output in a small case may mean lower reserve capacity, and won’t give you maximum service. Watch out for words in advertising like "delivers UP TO xxx CCA"-this may mean that batteries are grouped in a price structure, and your particular battery may be rated less than the number you see in the ad, and still pay that block price. Get the right battery that is supposed to fit in your application. Smaller batteries may not hold down properly, and can cause damage to the battery. Ask questions about warranties and how they are handled. You may purchase a five year battery, but should it fail after 3 ½ years, it may be cheaper to purchase a new battery outright than to pay adjustment costs, depending on how adjustment costs are based. Some advertisers promote a multi-year warranty period on a light duty battery. In this area, the heavier cranking amp battery you can purchase will usually assure longer life because the battery won’t have to work as hard each time it is used. Be concerned about places that sell batteries and won’t take your old one back. Batteries are termed "hazardous material" and should be properly recycled. By federal law, any business that sells a lead-acid MUST accept your old battery if you ask them to. The Battery Center always gladly accepts lead acid batteries for recycling. Most states require an exchange of the old battery at the time of purchase. When you shop for batteries, be aware the difference between a "cranking amp" (measured at 32 degrees F) and a "cold cranking amp" (measured at 0 degrees F). All manufactures require a minimum rating, at zero degrees, called a CCA. Many ads show CA, or cranking amps, which are higher numbers, but may not meet the requirement. Make sure you are getting the correct battery. At The Battery Center, you ALWAYS will get the correct battery for your application.