Texas Battery Co Inc

Information may not be reliable

Basic Battery Care
There's nothing but a loud buzzing noise coming from under the hood when you try to start your car. Jumper cables get you up and scurrying to work--but you need another jump to get home. Time to pull some maintenance on the battery.

Automotive batteries have a finite life span. Undercharging, overcharging and heat all team up to degrade your battery. Poor electrical connections make it more difficult for even a good battery to do its job.

ALL CHARGED UP
Start any battery maintenance program by checking open-cell voltage, either with a dedicated battery tester or a voltmeter. With the battery fully charged and all electrical drains-dome light, warning buzzer, etc.-shut down, the voltage across the terminals should be 12.5 to 12.6 volts. If the battery is not completely charged, but still adequate to turn over the motor, you may see a voltage closer to 12.0 volts.

If the battery is discharged, you can't do any further diagnosis. Use a battery charger until the open-circuit voltage is 12.6 volts. Avoid quick-charging, as the high current can warp the plates. If the battery is deeply discharged, don't use the engine's alternator to charge it by jump-starting and running the vehicle--the alternator is not designed to produce that amount of current for that long and may be damaged. Use a battery charger. If the battery is very deeply discharged, its internal resistance will be high and it may not accept any charge. Just be sure the battery charger is putting out at least 13.5 volts, and wait. The battery's internal resistance will fall, and the charging current will rise to normal levels. Be sure to not overcharge and boil off the electrolyte. And, never let a fully discharged battery remain discharged for long--this promotes sulfation of the lead plates.

Don't leave a discharged battery in below-freezing conditions. Its electrolyte is basically just water, and it will freeze and damage the plates inside. Bring a discharged battery into a warm environment as soon as possible. Then charge it immediately, even if this means removing the battery from the vehicle or towing the vehicle to someplace where it can be brought inside.