THE HELP / INFORMATION I WAS LOOKING FOR IS NOT LISTED!!
A.
Please give us a call on Freephone 0800 195 98 97 during office hours 8am to 8pm (Saturdays until 6pm).
Q?
Why are diesel vehicle batteries slightly more expensive?
A.
A diesel engine is typically much heavier than a petrol / LGP converted engine and needs a greater CCA to handle the extra turning force needed at startup.
Q?
Where do I dispose of my old car battery?
A.
Please visit http://www.recyclenow.com/ for more information.
Q?
Are car batteries easy to fit?
A.
If you are comfortable with basic vehicle servicing then yes! Click HERE for our Fitment Guide.
Q?
What is the vehicle alternator and why does this impact product warranties?
A.
The vehicle’s alternator is a small generator bolted onto the engine that recharges the battery while the engine is running. When an alternator fails the battery no longer gets properly charged.
The majority of ordinary vehicle batteries by nature of their construction need to be used properly. Once a lead acid vehicle battery has been left un-charged for some time (e.g. weeks as opposed to days) – it will no longer charge fully and consequently not have enough energy to reliably start the engine. A cold engine (below 5 degrees celsius) for numerous reasons will be harder to start.
Q?
How many volts should a healthy car battery read if tested?
A.
Brand new the majority of car and light commercial batteries would read about 12.65 Volts when freshly charged. Anything around 12.5 is fine across the 3-4 years of a typical car battery lifespan. Readings that show consistently below 12.4 Volts on a regularly charged / used battery indicate that a replacement is needed.
Many vintage cars (pre 1970) use 6 volt batteries, sometimes in pairs.
Q?
I am unable to check the battery – are there any other ways of telling it has a problem – other than the vehicle being slower to start?
A.
With the engine warm (e.g. after at least 10-15 minutes driving, ideally 30 or more) observe several of the following vehicle symptoms to indicate a battery that needs replacing :
- If the dashboard lights or stereo lights clearly dim or flicker in time to the windscreen wipers.
- If the electric windows operate generally more slowly / can clearly be observed to be slowing down or struggling slightly as they open or close.
- If the electronic central locking is slower to respond.
- Interior or exterior lights may not be as bright as normal.
- Internal lighting e.g. dashboard / displays clearly flicker in time to the vehicle turning indicators when used.
- Vehicle is consistently slow to start and the above symptoms show no obvious improvement with constant vehicle usage.
Q?
I’ve not used the vehicle for a while and on starting it took longer than normal – does my battery need replacing?
A.
If you haven’t used the vehicle recenly then take it out for a drive. 30 – 45 minutes or more is ideal. If this is not realistic and provided it is not mid-winter / very cold outdoors then 10 to 15 minutes around the block will just about cover it. If it is below 5 degrees celsius outside then the vehicle engine will need at least a 30 minute run.
If on returning a volt-meter reading is below 12.4 Volts [or, where present] the level indicator button on top of the battery is NOT showing GREEN then it is very likely that you will need a new battery!
Q?
What does the Ah number mean and why do some equivalent batteries have more (Ah) than others ?
A.
Ampere Hours (Ah) relate to the sustained electrical power output of the battery.
For example – a 1.4 engined car with just basic equipment (radio, sat-nav) may draw only 40 – 45 Ampere Hours (an 063 type battery with 44Ah is fairly common) .
By contrast a 1.4 engined car with added electrical equipment such as a media center with added speakers, spotlights, powered windows, electric sunroof, cruise control etc etc would need a slightly more robust / powerful battery to handle the extra load in the longer term. Our Varta Silver C6 with 52Ah would then be more suitable.
An ampere-hour is defined as an amount of electrical current of one ampere flowing for one hour. If you multiply the current in amperes by the time of flow in hours, the result is the total number of ampere-hours. Ampere- hours are normally used to indicate the amount of electrical energy a battery can deliver.
Q?
What does CCA / Cold Cranking Amps mean?
A.
Cold Cranking Amps determine how much power you have to start your car in most climates. The ‘cold’ refers to when the vehicle engine is started from cold – e.g. first thing in the morning or after a period of rest in cold environmental conditions (the engine has cooled to below 5 degrees celsius). A cold engine, as opposed to one that has just been running at optimum temperature, will take more energy to start and thus needs plenty of CCA!
Q?
What do the numbers displayed on car batteries mean?
A.
Every car battery can be categorized according to the following numbers. For a more in depth explaination about each of the following please visit our Jargon Buster section :
Voltage, usually 12 will be displayed as ’12V’ or ’12 Volts’
Amperage, displayed as a 2 or 3 digit number followed by Ah e.g. 44Ah
CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), displayed as a 3 digit number followed by CCA, e.g. 380CCA
SAE Number, the SAE number is another name for the CCA number but less commonly used.
Part Reference Number, displayed as a 3 digit UK Reference number on many batteries, e.g. “063” If you battery is a Bosch then it will have a 5 digit Bosch part number e.g. S4001. A Varta battery can have a short or a long part number such as B18 or 544-402-044.
Q?
I have arrived here via an internet search and need help choosing a car or van battery…
A.
Either click HERE to visit our Battery Finder or phone us on Freephone 0800 195 98 97* Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 6pm and we will perform a Vehicle Registration search to identify the model of vehicle you need the battery for.
( * When calling from a fixed telephone line. Mobiles are charged at local rates, generally around 10 to 15 pence per minute )
Q?
I need help with an Industrial, Commercial or other type of specialist battery
A.
For commercial and specialist type batteries including Sonnenschein, Trojan and Optima batteries please telephone us on Freephone 0800 195 98 97 Monday to Saturday.
Q?
I don’t know the exact model of my car
A.
Phone us on Freephone 0800 195 98 97 Monday to Saturday – 8am to 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 6pm and we will perform a Vehicle Registration search to identify the model of vehicle you need the battery for.
Q?
I know the model of my vehicle but it is not listed
A.
We are continuously updating our online knowledge base. If your model of car / van cannot be found please call Freephone 0800 195 98 97 from a UK Landline from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday or 8am to 6pm Saturdays.
Q?
I’m not sure that my car battery matches what I’ve found here
A.
The batteries that we sell are all very carefully matched to the vehicles on display in the Battery Finder section. Please refer to the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and Ah (Ampere Hour) FAQ details below for the relevant starting power and overall power sustainability elements of our products. If you are still unsure then please call our Freephone Number from a UK Landline.
Q?
Which brand of battery am I buying?
A.
All of the batteries that we sell online are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) branded products. Products that display our own label are reliable heavy duty equipment and are guaranteed for 4 years. We have been trading solely in batteries since 1993 and prefer our customers not only to return – but hopefully to also recommend us to others for all the right reasons!
Q?
Are your products Heavy Duty
A.
All of the batteries that we sell are Heavy Duty as standard. Each is guaranteed to perform consistently and reliably throughout its lifetime.