Interesting facts about car batteries and what makes them go dead before their projected lifespan expires. If you keep your vehicle the average 5 to 7 years that most people do chances are you will need to learn something about batteries along the way.
With the average car battery only lasting 3 to 5 years and some not even that long due to harsh conditions, you may have to deal with the battery issue more than once.
Side note: A car battery can be dangerous! You should always wear safety glasses. You should always work in a well ventilated area. It is rare that it will explode but it can happen! The invisible gasses floating above can be triggered by sparks, flames or even cigarette ashes.
What shortens a batteries life?
An overcharging condition can cause a boiling condition inside the battery that eventually will reduce the amount of water and electrolyte in the cells.
Alternator
An overcharge condition can be caused by the vehicle’s on-board alternator stemming from problems with voltage regulators or even the alternator itself.
A charging system test can reveal a problem with the on board system. Also automatic battery chargers can cause this same condition when the charger does not live up to its automatic functions.
You may not be able to do anything about this next cause of a shortened battery life if you have a sealed maintenance-free battery which most of us do.
In proper electrolyte levels in the battery cells will reduce the batteries storage capacity. Electrolyte can be lost due to evaporation during hot weather as well as an overcharge condition mentioned above.
Stop into the shop today and we can tell you your batteries condition.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Lemon Law
Lemon laws are nothing new. In fact, the phrase "lemon law" is evoked pretty often during car repair conversations. But what can lemon laws really do for you? Are you protected if your car seems like a citrus? The lore is so thick involving these rules and regulations, it's worth brushing up. I found lots of helpful information on Your Lemon Law Rights.com. Even if your state is not listed, the information varies little from state to state. Might be worth a read.
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