Battery Failure Due To Reduced Usage

In these difficult times we all face, it is important not to forget about your car battery or you risk causing long term damage.

Long periods of non use or only short infrequent journeys can cause a battery to lose charge and fail; this is particularly an issue in the summer as a car battery will lose charge faster in warm weather.

• All batteries naturally lose some charge over a period of time
• Loss of charge is faster in warm weather with higher spring and summer temperatures
• Even if your ignition is switched of, alarms and electrical systems will drain your battery over time
• Short infrequent journeys will use more charge than the alternator can replace
• Over an extended period this can cause long term internal damage to your battery

This type of failure is service related and not due to a manufacturing defect and as such not covered under warranty.

So here's some additional information and tips on how to prevent car battery failure due to lack of use.

• Damage to your battery is caused by not using your vehicle or only doing short infrequent journeys so the best thing to do is to ensure that your vehicle is regularly used for journeys of over half an hour
• Clearly at the moment this will not always be possible so consider some type of battery charger to keep your battery topped up 
• Make regular physical checks of your car battery - look for dirty/corroded terminals, fluid leakage, swollen casing and loose or ill fitting cables
• Always ensure that all electrical systems on the car are switched off when the vehicle is not being used

If you have any queries or need help choosing the right replacement battery for your car please contact us on 0800 310 2100