Category Archives: Battery care

German report highlights the need for regular battery maintenance

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We read with great interest a report from German breakdown company ADAC that revealed that a severe lack motorists undertaking basic car maintenance is still heavily affecting the number of battery related call-outs. The report revealed that in 2012 1 in 3 call-outs, even in newer vehicles were due to a faulty or discharged battery.

With modern vehicles full of complex and sensitive electrical equipment that constantly draw current from the battery, an ever increasing number of mechanical faults from new and older vehicles alike are battery related. Indeed ADAC reported that battery related faults were bucking the trend – in almost all other areas where there is a technical component there was a slight decrease in breakdowns.

It’s clear to see that the problems associated with batteries are growing rapidly in line with the increasing demands on batteries, as vehicles become ever more reliant upon them for all manner of tasks. It is a common misconception that these problems only affect older vehicles. In fact newer vehicles are also particularly at risk and that includes brand new models.

Unfortunately, many new vehicles experience battery discharge prior to delivery to the customer, resulting in a short term problem immediately thereafter and the customer feeling that there is a more significant problem with the vehicle. Similarly, if a vehicle is not used for a few days or only used on short journeys, the battery can become discharged leading to the expense of a replacement battery or callout charge. Given these problems can be simply and cost effectively resolved with regular battery maintainance, many consumers are choosing to add a battery charger to their essential garage maintenance kit.

Our unique range of smart chargers optimise the performance of lead-acid batteries by determining accurate readings of a battery’s charge and ensuring the appropriate action is taken to optimise the battery for use, thereby prolonging a battery’s life to the benefit of both the vehicle owner and the environment.

For further details on the full range of CTEK chargers and accessories visit www.ctek.com

CTEK Smart Charging App Launched

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We are proud to announce the launch of a free CTEK Smart Charging App created for both the iPhone & iPad. The App enables you to browse through our comprehensive smart battery charger range, providing quick and easy access to information on the go. The CTEK Smart Charging App features an easy-to-use interface available in 23 different languages, quick navigation, in-depth product details, and allows the user to distribute and print product sheets directly from the App.

Simply search for ‘CTEK’ to download the free application directly to an iPhone or iPad or get it from the App Store by clicking here

Key features to note are:

Products section
See the full exciting range of products and accessories on one page that also contains a brief description of each product.

Individual product view
Tap on an image of the product to get more detailed product information to help you find the best charger for your needs. Learn about how CTEK chargers use smart technology to ensure that batteries are charged to maximum capacity to deliver peak power performance every time the vehicle is started. The individual product view provides really useful product specification, information on charge times and possible applications for the product.

Documents & Resources
With this feature, users will have the ability to distribute and print detailed product details directly from their iPhone or iPad.

Over the past couple of months we have been busy working to create an exciting App platform for CTEK to reflect the ever growing demand for information on the go. We are really pleased with the ease of navigation and simplicity of our App however, this is only version one and we will be adding even more new and interesting features over the next few months!

All of our products are available to look at right now on the App, which is accessible for any iPhone or iPad from the App Store – check it out!

Here are seven good reasons…..

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So exactly why should you buy an award winning CTEK smart battery charger? Well here are seven good reasons for a start!

Performance: CTEK chargers use smart technology to ensure that batteries are charged to maximum capacity to deliver peak power performance every time the vehicle is started.

Intelligence: Using advanced, patented technology to measure the battery’s power and health, the CTEK charging system will ensure that the appropriate action is taken to maximise the power and lifetime of the battery,

Versatility: CTEK battery chargers repair, revive, charge, condition and maintain all types of vehicle battery including wet/flooded, calcium, gel, and the latest Start-Stop AGM and EFB technology

Reassurance: Battery related problems are the number one reason for breakdown assistance call-outs. Regular use of a CTEK charger will ensure that the battery is kept in optimum condition, protecting against the cost, inconvenience and frustration of unexpected breakdown

Simplicity: All CTEK chargers are fully automatic, easy to use and require no specialist knowledge or monitoring simply connect and forget. An easy to read LED display makes the charging process simple to follow.

Safety: The advanced electronics of CTEK mean it is completely safe for the user and the vehicle. No need to disconnect the battery to charge it

Endorsed: CTEK supplies chargers to the world’s most recognised manufacturers including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce.

To view our full range of CTEK chargers and accessories please visit www.ctek.com

How to look after a battery in storage…

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Whilst regular battery maintenance is becoming more commonplace as part of a regular vehicle service, batteries in storage are more often than not left unmaintained, reducing performance and lifespan. By making sure that batteries in storage are charged and maintained, you considerably reduce the risk of battery failure.

It’s a startling fact that around 70% of batteries returned during warranty are returned due to battery discharge rather than fault. Here’s some battery storage best practice:

Temperature: The recommended storage temperature for most batteries is 15°C; the extreme allowable temperature is –40°C to 50°C for most chemistries. Lead acid must always be kept at full charge during storage.

Voltage: Since all batteries gradually self-discharge over time, it is important to regularly check the voltage, and then apply a charge when the battery falls below 100% charge. Failure to do this will lead to sulphation. This occurs when the battery is left undercharged and the electrolyte solution begins to break down, converting into lead sulphate crystals that coat the battery plates, reducing the batteries ability to accept and hold a charge.

Storage: Stock should be used on a first in first out (FIFO) basis. Best practice is on wooden pallets– this is to allow circulation of air at ambient temp (if stored on a cold concrete floor this can create a heat sink). No stacking of batteries – stacking can cause damage to casings/ handles and in extreme cases shorting of the battery below.

Keep Clean: A dirty battery can discharge more quickly than a clean battery (small amounts of voltage can track across the moist dirt to earth speeding the discharge process). Always clean off dirt and moisture

CTEK chargers revive, charge, condition and maintain all types of 12V lead-acid batteries including maintenance free types and all chemistries including Wet, Calcium, GEL and AGM. Chargers are fully automatic, foolproof to connect, spark proof and reverse-polarity protected, for user safety – making them the smart choice in battery care.

Testing your battery doesn’t need to pose ‘loads’ of risk

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We recently launched the CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer, a simple to use unit, that tests with high accuracy the condition of all types of 12V lead-acid batteries. Compatible with all types of 12V lead-acid batteries including Wet, Maintenance Free, Ca/Ca, Gel and AGM, the CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer can test batteries ranging in size from 200A to 1,200A.

The tester uses a conductance test approach to battery testing. The CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer is completely safe – producing no heat or sparks, it undertakes the test without placing a load on the battery, protecting the user, the battery and ECU settings. Unlike a traditional load tester it does not require the battery to be fully charged to carry out an accurate test. I can hear you already “so what’s the difference between a conductance test and a load test?”. So here goes…..

Conductance test technology used in the CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer looks to establish the battery’s ability to produce current. It passes a very low current across the battery terminals – there is no discharge of the battery that could potentially upset the ECU or create dangerous sparks. This very passive test method is safe, solid and repeatable – the battery does not need to removed from the vehicle to undertake the test. By undertaking a test in this manner, vehicle owners are given an easily understood picture of battery capability – in other words rather than a set of figures that may not mean a great deal to vehicle owners, the CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer provides a simple explanation of battery capability that eliminates guesswork.

Traditional ‘load testing’ does exactly what it says on the tin – it delivers a ‘load’ or current across the battery cells and measures the output delivered back to the tester. This will provide an indication of battery capacity. It is worth remembering though that this method has been around a long time – certainly much longer than an Electronic Control Unit (ECU)! A load test is looking to identify any weakness in the battery by deliberately short circuiting it, placing the battery under severe stress for between 10 – 15 seconds. Apart from being an unreliable way of testing it is also potentially dangerous to the vehicle by posing risk of damage to the sensitive vehicle electronics (ECU) and to the user through sparking and gas explosion. That’s why load tests are only able to be undertaken once the battery has been removed from the vehicle.

Hope that this proves useful – click here to find out more about the CTEK 12V Battery Analyzer.

Don’t make it a jump start!

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With modern vehicles using ever more sophisticated and expensive electronics, there is an increased risk of damage to vehicles from jump starts – our advice is just don’t do it!

Here at CTEK we have always been aware of the dangers of jump starting. When a vehicle is jump-started a huge surge of voltage and current is generated that passes through the battery to energise the starter motor. This can potentially get through to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and cause irreparable damage. And we aren’t the only people aware of the dangers, many airports for example who have traditionally offered a complimentary jump start service, are insisting that vehicle owners sign a form to disclaim against any damage caused through jump starting a vehicle.

It’s very easy for a battery to go flat, especially if it stands idle for a few days and other factors such as cold weather conditions make this even more of a risk. The high power demands of modern vehicles and the drain from parasitic loads such tracking devices and alarms means that a battery can potentially become flat in a matter of days. To protect against a flat battery we recommend a regular charge to bring the battery up to maximum capacity. This will extend your battery life by as much as 300% and prevent the need to jump start your vehicle.

The CTEK Multi XS 5.0 offers a unique eight step-approach to battery care, that is simple to use and will ensure that any lead-acid battery is optimally conditioned and charged. Furthermore, there is no need to disconnect the battery before use as it regulates mains voltage to protect any sensitive electrical equipment

If you do find that you have a flat battery however, there is another way to bring it back to life without jump starting. It’s much better to use a charger to bring the battery back to life – the CTEK MXS 5.0 for example, can bring a flat battery to sufficient charge levels to start a vehicle in under ten minutes in a safe way. This is only a temporary fix however and the vehicle will need a good charge and condition to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

Including a battery charge in routine maintenance on cars and can prevent unnecessary and dangerous jump starts whilst also improving efficiency of vehicles.

 

CTEK comes out on top in GTÜ test

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We are delighted to announce that the CTEK MXS 5.0 has been identified as the top performing charger in a recent independent battery comparison test. Undertaken by GTÜ in Germany, the test compared 8 different chargers, involving 25 different test stages.

Charger functionality, quality, visual test and performance, as well as cost formed the basis for the 25 different test stages – each test stage involved chargers being awarded a pass or fail mark.

 

Charge quality

Each charger was evaluated to ascertain the quality of charging and charge retention. GTÜ awarded a pass mark to chargers that delivered a safe charge and included a voltage adjustment phase to achieve a 100% charge. GTÜ also needed to see a maintenance mode that constantly retained an optimal charge to award that all important pass mark – this was only achieved by CTEK MXS 5.0 and JMP 4000.

Battery maintenance

For long-term operation such as the winter charging of batteries in vintage cars, the devices identified as most suitable (and therefore awarded a pass mark) were those by CTEK and JMP, but also the Cartrend MP 3800 mastered this test. Chargers not awarded the pass mark failed for a number of reasons including inability to 100% maintain the battery in cold weather conditions and unsafe leads or connections.

Charger versatility

The CTEK MXS 5.0 was recognised for its versatility of charging and its ability to repair, revive, charge, condition and maintain all types of vehicle battery including wet/flooded, calcium, gel, and the latest Start-Stop AGM and EFB technology.

Battery revival

Of the top devices tested, it was only CTEK and one other charger that succeeded in restoring deeply discharged batteries with a residual voltage of 3V.

It is clear to see that the testing involved in the GTÜ independent test reflects the growing abilities of today’s chargers and so we are absolutely delighted that the CTEK MXS 5.0 has come out on top!

 

What there is to know about the lead acid battery…

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This week we thought that we would share with you some basic information about the lead acid battery.

A vehicle battery is basically a chemical accumulator which stores electrical energy generated by the vehicle when the engine is running or a standalone battery charger.

A typical vehicle battery consists of a number of series connected cells, all housed in a robust case. Each cell comprises of a cell pack with interleaved positive and negative plates and has a nominal voltage of 2V.

All the cells are connected together internally to form a single output via the battery posts mounted on the outside if the case. A typical 12V car battery consists of 6 cell elements giving a 12V nominal voltage.

The cells are enclosed and sealed with a one piece cover which is provided with an opening for filling the cells with electrolyte. In addition a venting arrangement is provided to allow the cells to breathe.

There are certain types of lead acid battery characterised by the way in which the electrolyte is stored:

Wet-cell – electrolyte is a liquid solution made up of 35% sulphuric acid and 65% water which causes a chemical reaction that produce electrons. In a wet-cell battery the battery cells are filled with this solution.

Calcium – The introduction of calcium alloys in the plates is a development that can reduce fluid loss and self-discharge. Battery cells are still filled with a solution (so the battery is effectively still a wet battery) however, the calcium alloys mean that the battery can be sealed for life and never need topping up.

Gel – A sealed battery type. The electrolyte is solidified to a gel mass by the addition of silicic acid to form sulphuric acid. The acid contained in the electrolyte increases the charge / discharge cycle capacity and therefore offers favourable conditions for recharging after deep discharge (common in leisure batteries). The solid electrolyte means there is no possibility of acid spillage.

AGM – Another sealed battery type. The absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery has electrolyte which is solidified by an absorbent glass fleece material. This acts as a separator between the electrodes and absorbs the free electrolyte keeping it in a liquid rather than a gel form. In this way the acid is more readily available to the plates allowing faster reactions – perfect for start-stop technology. This construction is very robust and able to withstand severe shock and vibration; the cells will not leak even if the case is cracked.

Hopefully we haven’t blinded you with too much science!

The good news for you is that whilst it is good to have the knowledge about the different battery types, with CTEK you don’t need to worry if the charger you are recommending can cope with the particular battery type. All CTEK chargers use patented technology to recognise the characteristics of individual battery chemistries and will revive, charge, condition and maintain any of them superbly.

Our survey identifies shift in attitudes to battery charging

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We have been undertaking a test pilot with motorcycle owners, which has identified a positive shift in attitudes to battery charging, an attitude strongly influenced by previous experiences of dead batteries.

Preliminary results of the test pilot revealed that nearly all participants had at some point experienced a flat battery – and all respondents acknowledged that battery care was worth the time; reassurance of a quick start and reduced spend on batteries were identified at the main reasons for this attitude.

The survey did identify however that whilst there is a commitment to regular maintenance charging, motorcycle owners were unaware of developments in battery technology and therefore weren’t aware of the importance of choosing the right charger – only 50% understanding the risks involved in unmonitored ‘trickle’ charging and only 25% of those surveyed knew about the dangers of sulphation, the single biggest battery killer.

Whilst it is really encouraging to see that motorcycle owners are placing an importance on winter maintenance charging, our survey really highlights the need to use the right charger. Motorcycle owners don’t just need a traditional ‘trickle’ maintenance charger but instead a charger to condition and charge and also hold a battery at maximum capacity to ensure optimum performance – this is something that can’t always be achieved by using some of the chargers out there in the market. By delivering too little charge the battery can become discharged and if the charger delivers too much charge there is a risk of the battery drying out – both of which can kill the battery. In other words – don’t get tricked by a trickle charger!

Whilst 100% of those surveyed were committed to winter maintenance charging, there was very little awareness of the dangers associated with improper summer charging – only 45% of those surveyed were committed to regular charging over the warmer months. Motorcyclists are lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to the state of their battery during the Summer months. Regular charging is still essential – it is a common misconception that the regulator will fully charge the battery, it won’t! If the battery is undercharged during the warmer weather it will still probably be able to start the vehicle as it doesn’t need as much energy to get the engine started. Motorcycle owners don’t realise therefore that their battery is becoming discharged, resulting in a flat battery at the end of the summer, the moment temperatures begin to drop.

When charging during the summer months however, consideration should be given to the way that a charge is delivered – there is big risk that you could dry out the battery through overcharging, particular if using an unmonitored trickle type charger. When a battery is getting full the current should be reduced to slowly finish filling it. A CTEK charger for example undertakes this ‘absorption’ in a unique way to safely deliver 100% charge to the battery. Many trickle type chargers will undercharge at this point – combatting the problem of drying out the battery but placing the battery instead at risk of sulphation through undercharging – the biggest battery killer.

The CTEK XS 0.8 charger was developed to offer advanced battery recovery for motorcycle batteries and a sophisticated maintenance programme for all batteries up to 100Ah.

A key benefit of the XS0.8 is that it uses ‘switched-mode’ technology to perform its functions. This advanced microprocessor controlled inverter technology offers far more flexibility over traditional ‘linear’ transformer type units which remain popular in the motorcycle battery maintenance market in particular.

The patented CTEK six-stage battery charging system maintains and conditions the battery and can be left attached indefinitely without risk of over, or under charging. Intended for unsupervised use, the XS 0.8 is simple to connect, spark proof and reverse-polarity protected to protect the user and also the battery. Furthermore, there is no need to disconnect the battery before use as it regulates mains voltage to protect any sensitive electrical equipment.

For more information or to find your nearest stockist, visit www.ctek.com 

Sister’s are doing it for themselves!

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The number of women carrying out DIY tasks around the home continues to increase, but it isn’t always because girl power means women want to do it themselves. The number one reason for women reaching for their paintbrush, spade or spanner is that have had enough of waiting for their partner to get motivated and do it, that’s according to the results of our latest survey.

31.4% of women between the ages of 25 and 74 are ‘sick of waiting for my partner to do it’ with a further 17.1% of respondents donning their DIY overalls because their partner ‘isn’t very good at DIY’. The online survey, completed by over 900 females did reveal however that 21.6% of women undertake DIY tasks because they genuinely enjoy it. A whopping 87% of women undertake some form of DIY, with activities ranging from decorating, window cleaning and car maintenance – proving that sisters really are doing it for themselves!

It’s really interesting to understand the dynamics of the home when it comes to DIY. Before undertaking the survey we were well aware that women were undertaking many DIY activities, it is certainly no longer the case that men do the hard work while ladies look on. We were surprised however to see the number one motivating factor for this.

Whilst it would be easy to rest all of the blame on men, it’s worth noting that 26% of respondents undertake DIY for financial reasons. Women are managing family budgets, sorting out the bills, and making purchasing decisions.

It’s not at all surprising however to see that over 80% of women regularly carry out DIY – indeed 21% admitted that they undertake DIY because they enjoy it. Women are after all natural DIYers, they have a great ability to multi-task and have a more patient and practical approach to problems than men.

Our survey also identified it isn’t just around the home women are rolling up their sleeves and undertake what was once considered a male task. 27% of females confirmed that they had charged their car battery with 61% saying yes they would attempt a charge if required.
With the increased complexity of vehicle electronics that requires car batteries to be charged on a much more regular basis, coupled with the developments to battery charging technology that means battery charging is a safe activity we are seeing more and more women prepared to have a go. The CTEK MXS 5.0 for example is safe and simple to use and will ensure that your car battery is fully charged  – simply connect two clips to the battery, you don’t even need to disconnect the battery from the car or get your hands dirty!
So as we start a new year, a time when we start to think about home improvements and DIY, sisters really will be doing it for themselves!!!