Irregular vehicle use has long-term effect on batteries

VARTA Battery Test

Advertorial: Varta, the leading battery manufacturer in Europe, explains why garages need to start checking batteries on all cars coming into their workshop

  • Battery failure is the number one cause of vehicle breakdowns
  • Modern car electronics drain the battery even while parked
  • Many cars have not been used regularly over past 12 months

The battery experts at VARTA are recommending all garages check the status of all car’s batteries entering the workshop. This is now more important than ever as so many cars haven’t been used as regularly as they normally would have, over the last year.

Most private vehicles have clocked up fewer miles in 2020, due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and a drop in commuter journeys, and as a result batteries have faced major challenges this year. Adding to this, there was extensive warmer weather early in 2020, and then some very hot temperatures in August. This warm weather accelerates the degradation of the battery’s health, and so there are lots of cars out there with weak batteries.

Andy Cook, Technical Representative at VARTA explained: “Lots of cars have been stood still for months on end, therefore the alternator has not had chance to re-charge the battery. This along with a hot spring and summer have led to many batteries failing and leaving people stranded, particularly over the winter months where cold weather means the battery has to work harder to start the engine.”

VARTA are therefore advising that technicians should use a battery tester to determine if the battery is in a good state of health, or needs attention.

With over a third of vehicles now having a stop-start system, it’s vital that workshops have an up-to-date tester, that can also accurately test Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) and Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB). If it’s an older tester that doesn’t have the capabilities to test AGM or EFB batteries, then it’s worth upgrading; otherwise the test results will likely be inaccurate.

Cook continued: “It shouldn’t take longer than five minutes to complete a battery test, but by explaining the results to the customer, you are giving them peace of mind that the battery is in working order, or advising that it might be time for a replacement. By doing this you’re ensuring they have a functioning battery and will not be left stuck out in the cold due to battery failure.”

Batteries face greater demands than ever before, as they have to serve increasingly complex and power-hungry car electronics. Whereas digital dashboards, inbuilt screens and parking cameras used to be limited to luxury vehicles, they are now commonplace on even entry-level models, all placing additional strain on the battery.

 “Many drivers are also plugging in their mobile devices to charge them while on-the-move, again drawing power from the vehicle. This is why it’s paramount to ensure the battery is in a condition to support all the comfort and safety features; it’s the heart of the car,” said Cook.

As highlighted by GiPA, the UK is seeing an ageing car parc; there is now a greater number of cars over 13 years old on UK roads, in which the battery has either never been changed or was changed a long time ago. It’s unlikely this will change in the short term, as more car owners are postponing plans to buy a new car because of the uncertain economic situation.

VARTA have been highlighting as part of its Back To Better campaign that now is the time for a workshop to implement a test-every-battery process if they haven’t before. It’s been a challenging year for batteries, so there is an opportunity for garages to generate revenue by ensuring batteries that need replacing are done so, while also keeping customers happy the service they received was thorough and keeps them on the road.

Cook added: “Testing batteries isn’t all about profiteering it’s about offering great customer satisfaction and ensuring their car will start when they need it most. This then adds to customer retention.”

The VARTA Partner Portal provides assistance to technicians; the industry leading online platform providing OE information to help identify the correct battery for every vehicle, and with step-by-step fitting instructions. Access to the VARTA Partner Portal is available via all internet-enabled devices: after a quick one-off registration, each workshop employee has FREE and unlimited access, so you can ensure the correct battery is installed in the quickest time possible.