In times like these when many of us are in quarantine and cities are in lock-down, you would think that our vehicles are naturally not the first thing on our minds.
CTEK, a global brand in the care and maintenance of vehicle batteries, is however reporting an unprecedented number of inquiries from people all over the world, asking for advice on how best to look after their battery when their vehicle is parked for a long period of time.
Tony Zeal, Global Training Manager at CTEK shares information and tips on what you need to consider and how best to look after your vehicle battery when your vehicle is not being used for longer periods of time.
- A CTEK study has identified that as many as 51% of vehicles on the road today has a battery that requires attention – by that we mean it needs charging or replacing
- Modern vehicles have lots of on-board computers and security systems such as alarms, immobilizers and trackers which means the battery can quickly die – by simply sitting on a shelf, a standard 12 V lead-acid battery will be unable to start a battery after just 6 months*, so imagine how much more quickly this will happen with all of those additional vehicle electronics!
- Reports from airport parking facilities indicate that the number of people returning to their vehicle after a one or two week vacation, to find a dead battery has increased. This situation would significantly worsen if vehicles were left for months rather than weeks.
- Proactive battery care is needed, so that when you want to use your vehicle, the battery is charged and ready to go – and you won’t need to risk jump-starting the vehicle, something that can damage sensitive vehicle electronics.
- If your vehicle is parked next to a power supply, connect a smart battery charger to your battery for peace of mind charging.
- If you are unable to attach a charger permanently, try to charge your vehicle battery once a month – if you are still using your vehicle for essential journeys consider sitting with the engine running for a little while before driving it to deliver additional charge to the battery.
- Regularly using a smart battery charger will extend battery life and maximize battery performance.
