Starting problems are quite common, but a little attention to your battery can work wonders! We provide you with 5 tips to maintain your starter battery. That way you can save a lot of time and a large sum of unnecessary costs.
1. Avoid short-term use
A starter battery is only thoroughly charged when it's used for a minimum of 30 minutes. Short periods of use are not enough to charge your battery. Worse still, they deplete your battery. In order to correctly charge your battery, it's definitely essential that you use it for 30 minutes or longer.
2. Place your machine in a sheltered area (if possible)
The temperature has a large impact on the starting capacity of the battery. The colder the battery, the lower the starting capacity. That is why you should preferably park your machine inside. Not possible? Try to place your machine out of the wind as much as possible, or cover it with a protective cover. You will notice that this makes a huge difference.
3. When starting, turn off as much electricity consumers as possible
Starting the engine? Switch off all unnecessary energy consumers like lights, seat heating, radio ... If you switch all these functions off, your battery will have more power to start your machine.
Discover our solutions for battery maintenance
4. Check your battery on a regular basis
Prevention is better than cure A battery has an average lifespan of 4 to 5 years, depending on the type, the usage and the degree of battery maintenance. In case you notice that your battery is starting to show signs of weakness, it's best you have it checked. This way, you can have it replaced in time. With a voltmeter you can check if the voltage supplied by the battery is sufficient. When the engine is running, 14 V is standard. If the measured voltage is much lower, chances are something is wrong.
5. Connect your battery to the charger if you aren't using the machine for a while
Not using your machine for a while? Do you notice that your battery is struggling due to the cold? Then connect your battery to a trickle charger. With this type of charger, your battery is constantly charged at a low level, maintaining it in top condition.
Still having trouble starting? There are various options.
Do you have jump leads at hand and are you not afraid to roll up your sleeves? With the help of a well-charged donor car or machine, you will be able to go back to work relatively quickly. This option could take some time however.
Using a heavy duty jump starter, also called a start booster or starter, you can save a lot of time and effort. By means of a jump starter you can 'boost' you battery, always and everywhere. That way you are not dependent on other people and you will be able to go back to work within a short period of time.
Are you looking for a battery, battery charger or jump starter?
Have a look in our ‘Batteries, chargers & accessories’ catalogue or our brochure on battery chargers and maintenance
