Battery, Alternator & Electrical
Your mornings are challenging enough. The last thing you need is your car's battery giving out on you. Since it provides electrical current to various parts of your car, the engine and the starter, it can often fail without notice, leaving you in trouble. That is why regular battery check-ups are critical in ensuring the condition of your car's battery.
All batteries in vehicles are what are called electrochemical cells, which make electricity through a chemical reaction inside the battery itself. A bunch of these "cells" are hooked together to provide roughly 12 "Volts" of electrical output from the battery . Each cell of them is made up of the metal lead and lead oxide electrodes, which are kept dipped in a weak sulfuric acid. This is why batteries are so heavy. Electrical current is supplied and then stored by the chemical reactions that happen inside the battery. Vehicle batteries are "rechargeable" and get recharged by the vehicle's alternator. Let's look at when you should replace your battery.
Symptoms of Battery Failure
To know how well a car battery is performing, you need to have the battery tested. One of our trained technicians will use a tool called a voltmeter to check on how much voltage the battery is putting out, both with and also without an electrical load applied. If the battery drops fairly far below the 12 Volt level without load, the batteries performance is not up to where it should be. One of the major reasons for a drop battery in performance is called "sulfation", which is when lead sulphate gets crystallized inside the battery during normal operation. This is one way the battery "wears out".
Besides having a dip in the voltage output, another sign of a battery that needs replacement is a cracked outer case, which then allows the electrolyte stored inside to be exposed to the atmosphere. Since there is no fixed rule or time when to get your battery replaced, when you should do it depends on a few things;
- How heavily the battery gets used
- The quality of your current battery
- The weather conditions you use it in
- The level of maintenance you've done on the battery
Experts recommend that a battery be replaced every 3-4 years. If you are concerned that your car battery is not performing optimally, or need to have it changed, do not hesitate to contact the Service Department here a Bustard Chrysler Listowel.
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Car Batteries and Alternators in Listowel, Ontario
Variety of Car Batteries For Many Makes and Models