printable version

Battery - general information, tips for maintenance

Mounted on the car 12-volt battery consists of six cans are placed in the positive and negative plates (lamellae) immersed in a sulfuric acid solution. The main task of the current generation of an battery is required for starting the engine, the ignition / activation of the glow plugs and lighting, as well as to provide power to other board or auxiliary power consumers.

One hundred percent efficiency occurs when the battery ambient temperature of 27 ?� C, -18 ?� C impact efficiency drops to 40%, and for starting the engine is required in a little over two times more energy.

Starting capacity (starting current) shows the ability of the battery to start the car in very cold weather. It shows the current in amperes, which gives the battery for 30 seconds at -18 ?� C without the voltage drops below 7.2 volts (the minimum level required for reliable start). The higher the score, the greater the starting power of the battery.

Standby power shows the time in minutes during which the battery sends a current of 25 ampere at 27 ?� C, ie, the time during which the battery ensures the operation of all the auxiliary equipment in the car at night and in bad weather at the faulty generator.

In winter conditions, at temperatures below -18 ?� C charging efficiency of a battery decreases due to the increase in internal resistance. For short trips in the winter the energy spent battery to start the engine, does not have time to recover and the battery starts working on the wear and gradually discharged and, in the end, fails permanently.

In the summer months when long trips the engine heats up, and often happens that it is difficult to start again. In such "hot" starts sometimes less energy is consumed not require a battery than cold weather. The above is especially true for vysokokompressionnym engines with a large cylinder capacity, as well as equipped with an air conditioning system model.

Purchase a new battery

The above indicates the importance of the correct choice of the battery within the parameters of the engine and the complete vehicle.

The first thing to look for when buying a new battery - it is her performance. Such characteristics - three. First, the nominal output voltage, which has the same value (12) for all common on passenger cars, which virtually eliminates the chance of error.

When buying is advisable to check the battery load fork.

Second: Capacity, measured in amperes / hours (A / h) and is roughly determined by the supply of electricity in the battery. The choice of the value of this parameter depends on how long the battery is able to provide the ability to cranking the engine, more precisely - how much can you make attempts to start the engine. The price of the battery is almost directly proportional to its capacity. The third characteristic: the inrush current, measured in amperes (A), ie, current supplied to the starter when starting the engine. The amount of inrush current to the battery can be indicated in four different standards: Standard (for domestic battery), EN (the standard of Uniform Europe), SAE (the American standard) and DIN (Germany). Last, German standard, is closest to our guests and most European production of batteries is put "by default", ie when the system standard is not indicated. The inrush current is, the more momentum is developing starter and the more torque it is able to transfer the engine flywheel.

Ideally, acquired replaceable battery in performance must fully comply with the requirements specified in the instruction manual of the car, under which its service life will be maximized. Purchase a battery of smaller capacity can hardly be considered a good saving money as it lasts significantly less and, moreover, can lead to unpleasant trouble of starting the engine in winter. Do not buy the battery with an excessively high inrush current - a passion carries a risk of failure of the starter. If a standard does not ensure proper battery to crank the engine, it would be correct to begin to replace the motor oil - that is likely to lead to the automatic elimination of problems.

Recently, the country's market is full of poor quality goods and fakes. The battery is no exception. There are a number of features that can be reasonably likely to distinguish the original from a fake. The first and perhaps most importantly: the battery case should be required to indicate the country of origin and the manufacturing plant, it is better if the address. Second, it must indicate the date of manufacture, which is of particular importance for a sealed battery (maintenance-free) type. The package must include product data, while the availability of instruction is not strictly necessary, due to the fact that the West batteries hardly arrive in retail sales, and their installation on the vehicle is usually carried out car specialists. Third, high-quality batteries are of good appearance. The body must have smooth edges, be equipped with reliable and smooth caps, hooded protective caps pole terminals, which are often covered by a layer of a special anti-corrosion lubricant.

Charging the battery

Charging the failed battery should be done in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions charger.

Procedure after disconnecting the battery

PERFORMANCE ORDER

Connect the positive lead of the battery first, then - no. The negative wire is disconnected from the battery is always in the first place, and connected - the last! Enter security code activation of the radio. Perform installation onboard clock on the dashboard. To activate the sensor steering angle. Make the timing drive of the top hatch, and with appropriate equipment, and sliding the drive (all season) of the roof (see chap. Power supply system and exhaust). Perform synchronization of the electric windows (see chap. Power supply system and exhaust).