Tag Archives: winter

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 

1 in 4 vehicles at risk of battery failure this Winter

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Following a recent workshop survey, we estimate that as many as 25% of vehicles have a battery that could potentially fail when the freezing weather strikes – placing car owners at severe risk of breakdown, just when they need their car the most. A further 32% of vehicles are at some risk of battery failure if action is not taken to maintain the condition of the battery. This is because battery performance can reduce by 35% when temperatures hit freezing and fall by as much as 50% if temperatures go even colder. With 1 in 2 vehicles driving around with an undercharged or faulty battery it becomes more important than ever during the winter months that batteries are regularly charged.

Figures released by many breakdown companies place battery failure as the single biggest cause of breakdowns during the winter. At freezing temperatures an engine’s starting power requirement can increase by as much as 250% when compared to that of a summer’s day. Furthermore with additional drains on the battery e.g. heated screens and seats, headlights and an increase in short journeys during the winter, the battery is being placed under a huge amount of strain – no wonder breakdown companies are so busy!

Motorists are lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to the state of their battery during the warmer autumn months. If the battery is undercharged during this period it will still probably be able to start the vehicle as it doesn’t need as much energy to get the engine going. Motorists don’t therefore realise that their battery is becoming discharged. When temperatures do begin to drop, the battery won’t have enough charge to start the engine – in other words you will get a flat battery.

It’s really important that you  choose a battery charger that is fit for purpose. Many battery chargers lack the sophistication required charge batteries to 100% capacity during the colder winter months. The colder weather means that the battery electrolyte is denser which could drastically increase battery charge times or result in the battery not being charged to full capacity.

MXS 5.0 Polar uses MXS 5.0 charger with additional features developed to solve particular problems that occur when charging in extremely low temperatures. The charger’s Polar Mode is a special cold weather feature that delivers a higher 15V charge to ensure a 100% charge is achieved, quickly, safely and even in the coldest of conditions.

As vehicle technology becomes increasingly complex, so does the requirement for greater support from the battery so that it can provide optimum power to the vehicle – it is the heart of the vehicle and without regular battery charging with a good quality battery charger motorists are at huge risk of breakdown.

Start thinking about the Winter!

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The performance and lifespan of lead-acid batteries are seriously inhibited when exposed to temperature extremes whether hot, or more critically cold and as a result, effective battery management during the winter is not only essential for the wellbeing of the battery, but in ensuring that your vehicles don’t fall victim to costly call outs. But really, you shouldn’t be waiting for the Winter months to roll in – you should be thinking about charging your battery now.

Here are a few basic winter-related battery facts

  • At around 0°C a lead acid battery loses around 20% of its capacity, at -30°C it loses around 50% of its capacity (dependant on age and condition). This is due to the whole chemical reaction process within the battery slowing down leading to reduced power output.
  • Because low temperature affects the chemical reaction this means even when the vehicle is running the batteries ability to accept charge drops and the Battery doesn’t charge as quickly
  • If a battery is in a low state of charge (as above) during extreme weather it can easily freeze, which can be very dangerous if attempting a ‘jump’ start. Because of the low state of charge the specific gravity of the electrolyte within the battery is reduced so it becomes more like water so freezes more easily.
  • 85% of all battery failures are due to Sulphation (caused by a low state of charge).The more active surface area you have on battery plates the better the output, the sulphation process reduces the active plate area leading to less power output

We are all lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to the state of our battery during the summer months. 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 going. Motorists don’t therefore realise that their battery is becoming discharged. What this could mean, is that when Autumn arrives and temperatures begin to drop, the battery won’t have enough charge to start the engine – in other words you will get a flat battery.

So don’t delay, protect against a flat battery on the first cold morning by giving your battery a good overnight charge now.

Don’t let the chill spoil your fun this Winter

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It has been said by some that Winter 2011 / 2012 may well be one of the most severe in modern times. And so with this very fact in mind, and after experiencing three cold winters in the Northern hemisphere, we have decided here at CTEK to address the growing demand for chargers that can handle extreme low temperatures.

We’ve mentioned on here before that that battery performance can reduce by 35% when temperatures hit freezing and fall by as much as 50% if temperatures go even colder and the same can be said when we talk about charging. Cold batteries resist being charged, your existing charger will require much longer to fully charge your batteries.

To combat against this problem and to ensure that your batteries are optimally chargedand conditioned even in sub-zero temperatures, CTEK has launched the MXS 5.0 Polar. This funky orange smart charger is based on the same state of the art platform as the CTEK MXS 5.0 but has been adapted to solve problems that occur when charging in extremely low temperatures.

‘Polar Mode’ delivers a charge at 15V, as opposed to the 14.7V Winter mode featured on the MXS 5.0 to ensure a 100% charge is achieved. The patented RECOND mode, that can restore deeply discharged batteries, has been adapted so that it can also be used on smaller batteries such as those used in snow scooters and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). The MXS 5.0 Polar is approved for outdoor use and water resistant so it can safely be used in the rain or snow.

Don’t let the chill spoil your fun this Winter.

Don’t let this be a ‘flat’ Winter

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Our research estimates that around 1 in 3 vehicles are driving around with an undercharged battery. Couple this with the fact that battery performance can reduce by 35% when temperatures hit freezing and fall by as much as 50% if temperatures go even colder and it becomes more important than ever during the winter months to regularly charge your vehicle battery.

Across the globe, battery failure has been identified as the single biggest cause of breakdowns during the winter months. At freezing temperatures an engine’s starting power requirement can increase by as much as 250 per cent when compared to that of a summer’s day. Furthermore with additional drains on the battery e.g. heated screens and seats, headlights and an increase in short journeys during the winter, it is being placed under a huge amount of strain – no wonder so many fail as soon as we experience a drop in temperature!

To protect against a flat battery when the first winter cold spell strikes, we recommend an overnight charge to bring the battery up to maximum capacity and regular charging through the winter.

CTEK has a new generation of car battery chargers to deliver a safe, simple, intelligent approach to comprehensive battery maintenance that is fast, effective and easy to use.

Our chargers offer a unique 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

Including a battery charge just before that first cold spell, and continuing this as part of routine maintenance on your vehicle throughout the winter, will prevent unnecessary flat batteries whilst also improving the efficiency of your vehicle.

Soon winter and why women should pay more attention to battery care

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For us, living in the northern hemisphere, the change of temperature and finding ourselves in the midst of the autumn, constantly remind us of the soon coming winter. If not reminded by the change of seasons, advertisement, campaigns and multiple offers does the job of reminding us. Many of these campaigns are related to our cars and vehicles, anything from winter tires, heaters, batteries and of course chargers. We are getting closer to the moment of all these unpleasant surprises related to the flat batteries we discover the first cold winter days, and for some reason, too often on a Monday morning.

This also reminded me of a study we recently conducted in Sweden, where we are great at “do-It-yourself”. More than half of the respondents had never used a battery charger before. That is a surprising fact for Sweden, but what is it like in other countries also facing colder temperatures in their winters?

To change battery every time it’s flat, instead of charging the current one seems like such a waste, not only of money, but also time and all that hazel with it, such as delays, cancelled meetings, the stress to get reorganised, etc. Besides the inconvenience, there are also environmental arguments, and there are plenty of them such as the waste of lead and unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide when transporting all these newly produced lead-acid batteries as well as the service vehicles out there to rescue the victims of the day to mention a few.

Another curiosity extracted from the study was that the responding age groups round 40 and 50 stood out as people charging frequently, being owners of chargers or knowing a bit more about battery care and different options. It is not as strange as one might think, many in the 40’s age group have families, both adults are professionally active, busy both with their own and the children’s activities, often having several vehicles, both for transportation as well as for hobby purposes. This is a group that have found that preventive charging is far better than last minute flat batteries. The 50’s group might not be as active driving children around, but they have certainly acquired the experience and do appreciate charging a better alternative than all the other negative aspects.

One slightly disappointing issue is the lack of interest women pay to battery care and chargers. One would think that the benefits of charging with adequate chargers would lay closer to a female heart than a male. While being important decision makers/influencers when purchasing a vehicle, overseeing practicalities better than their men, it is surprising that they do not pay much attention at all to chargers. A small percentage though, when prompting on some brands, did actually recognise CTEK as a good charger. What a “sweet – sour” taste of that fact, being the only brand they recognised, but the low 4% recognising CTEK is a sad truth we have to do something about.