Guide: How To Make Your Car Battery Go On & On!

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 15, 2014

Dear All

WELCOME TO MY ONE MORE NEW THREAD [:D]

Originally I wanted to write this in my primary thread - New Honda City in White – Meet My Albus!

But I felt that this is a common issue applicable to every car owner and that brought me here to meet you all.

Please do make a visit to my following threads and I am sure, you will find many interesting information which would be useful & applicable to your interest.

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/14219-my-new-honda-city-white-albus.html

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...83-exhaustive-guide-car-detailing-basics.html

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...line-shopping-abroad-customs-formalities.html

Of course, don’t miss to offer your comments that would be an inspiration to me.

*****

On that day, my colleague’s ANHC 2011 model parked always next to my ALBUS, refused to start.

One word about that car, it is deprived of owner’s attention, runs hardly 15 to 25 kms per month and most of the days not even cranked.

He called me and said, “Doctor what’s the problem with my car, please help me”

I have a handy tool- the Electronic Battery Volt Monitor which I purchased online and I could spare sometime in the evening to help him.

I put the battery monitor into the 12V socket (cigar light) and switch on the ignition, it was showing 5 volt. Yes, the battery got drained totally.

We were discussing whether to jump start the car or removing the battery to send for external re- charging.

I understood that whatever effort is taken, it is not going to serve him as he would again start and use the car only after 10 days or later. The battery is already very week and the OE warranty of one year was over and it is almost 22 months by now.

I told him to go for a better battery and advised him a short run periodically to maintain it.

He agreed and requested me to suggest a good battery

and my research began:

In the past, all those OE battery which came with the car used to last minimum 3 to 4 years and for Diesel cars it might be one year less.. But we had no different versions like what we have today. Reputed battery brands of today have from cheap to expensive varieties.

God only knows what would be the choice of today’s car manufactures!

Check up your battery specification.

The stock battery capacity fitted in Honda city is rated at 27AH (5 Hrs) / 30 AH (20 Hrs) /12V.

Even among Honda city cars, there are variation in the battery which comes with the car. See the photos below which would give the correct picture.

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE SELF-EXPLANATORY

The Type of Original Battery That Came With My Colleague's ANHC 2011 Car

One Of The Best Battery ( AMARON Pro ) In The Market Now Fitted With My Colleague’s ANHC 2011 Car

My another friend’s ANHC 2012 (April) having regular OE- AMARON battery (Note the Battery Status Indicator)

My car ANHC 2012 (December) having regular OE- AMARON battery (Note Battery Status Indicator is missing – could be a cost cutting measure!)

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF BATTERY IN MARKET FOR THE SAME CAR

Just wait, I will share with you not only more tips about batteries to make it on & on, and also about some useful gadgets.

Regards,
Dr. MUDHAN

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 15, 2014

re: Guide: How To Make Your Car Battery Go On & On!

ABOUT CAR BATTERIES HAVING A BUILT-IN HYDROMETER - COLOR INDICATOR

Some car battery also has a color indicator which displays battery status & it still requires distilled water to be added as the battery is not fully of zero maintenance.

These sealed-top batteries have a built-in hydrometer to indicate charge. The charge indicator only reads one cell, but usually shows the average charge for all battery cells. A green dot means the battery is 75% or more charged and is okay for use or further testing. No dot (a dark indicator) means the battery is low and should be recharged before it is returned to service or tested further. A clear or yellow indicator means the level of electrolyte inside has dropped too low, and the battery should be replaced.

Actually, Battery state of charge is often indicated by a float device built into the battery. It contains a small green or other color ball that floats when the electrolyte specific gravity is within a certain range. Below this range, the ball sinks. When the ball is floating, it shows as a bright green dot indicating the battery is 80 percent charged. When the ball sinks, the unit shows up dark, indicating the battery is discharged. If a light yellow color is visible, it indicates the electrolyte level is too low. The indicators fairly give us an idea what to with the battery.

If your battery is low, it needs to be recharged, not only to restore full power, but also to prevent possible damage to the battery. Ordinary automotive lead-acid storage batteries must be kept at or near full charge to keep the cell plates from becoming "sulfated" (a condition that occurs if the battery is run down and left in a discharged condition for more than a few days).

As sulfate builds up, it reduces the battery's ability to hold a charge and supply voltage. Eventually the battery becomes useless and must be replaced.

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 15, 2014

FOR A CAR BATTERY THAT DOES NOT HAVE A BUILT-IN HYDROMETER

On sealed-top batteries that do not have a built-in charge indicator, the state of charge can be determined by checking the battery's base or open circuit voltage with a digital voltmeter or multi meter. This is done by touching the meter leads to the positive and negative battery terminals while the ignition key is off.

A reading of 12.66 volts indicates a fully charged battery; 12.45 volts is 75% charged, 12.24 volts is 50% charged, and 12.06 volts is 25% charged.

The other easiest way to have with you an electronic battery volt meter which works on car cigar socket & it is really cheap and helps us to check up the status daily or periodically.

Some are exclusive battery volt meter & some are multi-functional devices wherein clock/ car cabin temperature and battery Volta meter are in built and the readings are displayed in cycle.

12V Car Auto Digital LED Multi-functional Clock time Thermometer Voltmeter Tester – can be permanently used, even while the engine is running / driving.

Price 9 to 10 dollars – available in Aliexpress & ebay.

12V-24V LED Display Cigarette Lighter Electric Voltage Meter tester For Auto Car Battery – advised to use when engine running & not at driving. But I used, no issues as the gadget can hold maximum 24 V.

Price 4 dollars - available in Aliexpress & ebay.

I have both and give you here the pictures and the active gif images for you to note the reading and display.

Simple car electronic volt meter shows the battery volt before & after starting the engine.

MTF gadget reading before cranking the engine – shows battery volt 12U and the time 12.30.

MTF gadget reading after cranking the engine while running – shows the time 12.30 / cabin temperature 30c / battery volt 14.6 U... 14.7 U. in a cyclic display.

I hope, you like my efforts and, see you next with some tips for our battery.

.

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 16, 2014

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ALL THIS JARGON – WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Each car battery tends to have a different specification and it is important to know what each of the terms mean and how they can be applied to our needs:

Ampere Hours / Ah Rating
Ampere-Hour Capacity at 20 Hour Rate (AH) – This tells you the amount of electricity that a battery will deliver during 20 hours before the voltage falls to 10.50V. Modern cars often have a lot of gadgets and electronics which use a lot of electricity, so you need to make sure that the AH is high enough to accommodate the needs of your car.
Ampere Hours (Ah) relate to the sustained electrical power of the battery or loosely speaking how much power it can supply on a constant basis.
For example - a 1.4 engine Fiesta with standard everyday equipment such as a radio, sat-nav, wipers, central locking, driving lights etc. may need only 40 - 45 Ampere Hours. A battery with 43, 44 or 45 Ah would be the right choice.
By contrast a 1.4 engine Fiesta with more electrical equipment such as a media center, extra powerful speakers, car spotlights, powered windows, electric sunroof, cd changer, heated seats etc. would need a slightly more robust / powerful battery to handle the extra load in the longer term.
Most vehicles can only take a certain size of battery. If you go for the battery option with a bit more Ah, check whether your alternator can charge it.

CCA
Cold Cranking Performance in Amps (CCA) – The higher the CCA the easier it is to start the vehicle. If you have a diesel car, or live in a particularly cold area, it is a good idea to make sure that this has a high value.
The 'cold' refers to when the engine is started from cold - e.g. the engine has cooled to below a few degrees celsius whilst the vehicle has been parked up.
Remember an older diesal car that struggles to start because the engine isn't as free turning as a newer version simply needs a battery with 5-10% more CCA than the previous battery!
Your car can take a new battery with the same or more CCA but NOT less!

Charge
The charge that a battery holds can be likened to the usable amount of potential energy it has.
Ordinary Lead Acid batteries such as car batteries need to be regularly charged and kept topped up by the vehicle alternator to keep them working properly. If, for any reason the battery's energy levels fall below a certain amount and stay there for prolonged periods of time - it will become unreliable. By contrast a mismatching alternator fitted by a bad mechanic will slowly ruin the battery by overcharging it.

Current
The current that a battery can supply (in Ampere Hours - see above) is relative to the original design of your vehicle and the amount of current it typically needs.
If you need more current or more Ampere Hours for additional electrical equipment then a sturdier battery compatible with the alternator would be more practical .

Cycle
When the battery is discharged or drained and then recharged it has gone through 1 complete cycle.
An ordinary lead-acid car battery is kept topped-up all the time by the car alternator and never runs flat. If it does - its life will be foreshortened significantly as it cannot survive being below 90% charge for very long.

Electrolyte
The battery contains a mixture of water and sulphuric acid. This allows the storage of electrical power. An electrolyte is a substance that contains ions which are electrically charged particles.

Element / Plate / Grid
The elements inside a car battery are rows of positive and negative plates. These are assembled with separators.

Envelope / Separation
Each battery element / plate / grid is separated from the next using envelope separators. The envelope separators are micro-porous and control the efficiency of energy conversion. Batteries with envelope separation usually have improved performance and a longer service life.

Lead Acid Battery
A Lead Acid Battery is a plastic box full of water, acid and lead plates. These are the most common design, are cheap to make, and for most applications they suit their purpose.
Ordinary 'Wet' Lead Acid Batteries have small 'breather' holes on the top to allow expanding gases to escape safely.
This happens when the battery is being worked hard for example your Stereo, Amplifier, Lights, Wipers, SAT-NAV, Spotlights, Heated Seats and so on are switched on all at the same time while you drive down the motorway. Whilst on one hand the power is being drained - on the other the car continues to recharge its battery.

Silver Calcium
All of our car batteries are based on Silver Calcium technology. Silver Calcium Batteries work by using internal components that have been coated with calcium silver alloy.
The benefits or silver calcium batteries are improved CCA performance (better starting power), greater resistance to degeneration via corrosion, reduced electrolyte loss (another form of degeneration) with longer product lifespan as a result.

Sulphation
Suplhation is one of the most common causes of battery failure. Suplhation happens when a battery is left to stand for a period of time in a partially charged state. Common symptoms are an egg- like sulphur smell whilst charging and cloudy electrolyte.

Terminals
The stumpy metal pegs / lugs pointing out of the top of the battery. European Standard (19.5mm positive terminal diameter) & Japanese International Standard (14.7mm positive terminal)
The majority of consumer batteries have only 2 terminals - Positive and Negative. Exceptions being Dual Terminal Batteries where the 'spare' pair of terminals can be connected to for example a winch or spotlights and so on.

Voltage
Voltage is essentially what pushes the current around.
The batteries for Indian cars (other than our industrial batteries) are usually 12 Volts (around 99%) the exception being 24 Volt units.

Length & Width
Length, where vehicle batteries are concerned, relates to across the front main sticker side of the Battery and unless stated does not include the ridge around the top. Width - From the front sticker side of the battery to the back

(Information refined by me to suit our need from this source. Lead Acid Battery Jargon Buster for Car, Leisure Batteries etc)

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Dr MUDHAN · Jan 16, 2014

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TIPS TO MAKE YOUR BATTERY LONG LASTING:

1. Refer your car manual to know the type of battery placed in your car. ANHC comes (came with! as I don’t know about ANHC 2014 model) with a battery about which the manual doesn't mention maintenance-free anywhere. It requires regular check-ups and distilled water top-ups. The A.S.S. guys do the battery test during every service & charge little amount for that. At least we should ensure that it is happening.

2. If early morning cranking is sluggish, or after driving for a 100 KM or more round trip, add distilled water to car's battery if water level is low.

3. Check the voltage when the ignition is ON and then check the voltage when you crank the engine. When the ignition is ON the voltage will be around 11.9-12.1 V and when you crank it drops down to 8-9V & picks up there after to 14V +. ( Very good, inexpensive gadgets are available today to check so)

4. If the drop is to 5 or 6V then the battery is on its end. Check the cells as whether they are able to hold the charge. If the battery is fine but the charge is not happening then the alternator could need attention.

5. There is one precaution - keep power hungry additional electrical gadgets (including a/c) on only when engine is running that means they should be turned on only after cranking the engine and turned off before turning off the engine.

6. Check your car dash display, whether 'engine cold' warning indicators are there. For ANHC wait to make the blue cold icon on the dash to disappear before moving out and then switch on the AC.

7. Keep clean the battery terminal as corroded connectors are a waste of energy & ensure always the wiring is intact ; clean by WD 40 & Coat the terminals with Vaseline if need be.

8. Before leaving the car, just have a watch whether any bulb is powered up intentionally or accidently as your fingers would have touched the switches. Many time this occurs with aftermarket fitment of fog lamps, sometimes due to switched on parking lights. Especially you have to watch the gadgets those you have taken direct connection from the battery.

9. Whenever you leave the car for service or accidental repair @ garage don’t forget to put your roof / dome lights in switch -off mode.

10. Open the bonnet once in a while, inspect the interior for over dust, loose & rusting connections, rat menace and take proactive precaution.

TAKE CARE

Regards,
Dr MUDHAN
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Dr MUDHAN · Jan 16, 2014

THE ELECTRONIC BATTERY VOLT METER DISPLAY:

Our forum web site, it seems undergoes some transformation and indicated as ‘Engine Overhaul. We'll be back!’
Actually I wanted you all to look at the working of Electronic Battery Volt Meter in real time.
Due to technical issue most of the animated ‘GIF’ pictures are inactive as on now, including mine posted in this thread.
Therefore, without disappointing you all, I made a snap shot of the display:

Simple car electronic volt meter shows the battery volt before & after starting the engine.

Multi-function gadget readings: Before ignition on – from no display to start display 000 / Clock/ Cabin Temperature/ Pre Crank Battery Volt (Pictures 1to5) and the lost one (Picture 6) Battery Volt while the engine is running … in a cyclic display.

Hope,you like it.
Regards
Dr.MUDHAN

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350Z · Jan 16, 2014

Note: Thread now live. Excellent article. Thanks!

Drive Safe,
350Z

jayesh · Jan 16, 2014

Dr MUDHAN said:

Dear All

WELCOME TO MY ONE MORE NEW THREAD [:D]

Originally I wanted to write this in my primary thread - New Honda City in White – Meet My Albus!

But I felt that this is a common issue applicable to every car owner and that brought me here to meet you all.

Please do make a visit to my following threads and I am sure, you will find many interesting information which would be useful & applicable to your interest.

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/14219-my-new-honda-city-white-albus.html

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...83-exhaustive-guide-car-detailing-basics.html

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...line-shopping-abroad-customs-formalities.html

Of course, don’t miss to offer your comments that would be an inspiration to me.

*****

Just wait, I will share with you not only more tips about batteries to make it on & on, and also about some useful gadgets.

Regards,
Dr. MUDHAN

Again a very informative and wonderful thread by you sir. [clap]

Thank you for sharing such important information with us.

My rides three years old now, I will be more careful with the way I maintain the cars battery.

patkar_a · Jan 16, 2014

Excellent article Sir,was really really informative,this time i would be more careful with my battery.
Thank you for sharing this article.
1 Thing i am adding to it,sorry if you have mentioned and i have missed it .

1)Check battery water and alternator charging Every 3/4 months and before every Long Drive.

doc1988 · Jan 16, 2014

very detailed article sir, enlightened with many new aspects thank you.

Mathew · Jan 17, 2014

Dr MUDHAN said:

Thanks Dr. Mudhan for the informative article. Your articles are complete with detailed information. I have used normal water instead of distilled water, any problem in future? What about Mineral water?

I have noticed some taxi drivers are hitting hard on the accelerator prior to ignition off, keeping more current to battery. Any impact on battery charging.

A 12V battery showing reading above 14V. Is it logical?

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 17, 2014

350Z said:

Thanks, 350Z for your support & encouragement.

jayesh said:

Thanks, jayesh for your appreciation.

patkar_a said:

Thanks, patkar for your complements. You are welcome to suggest and any good information would strengthen this thread.

doc1988 said:

Thanks, doc1988 I am happy that you find it interesting & useful.

Dr MUDHAN · Jan 17, 2014

Mathew said:

Thanks, Mathew.

Yes, as far as possible I would prefer to give complete but relevant information to fellow forum members who visit my thread, with a quest for knowledge.

I make it by integrating information = my experience & observations gathered all these 50+ years , plus information from my other professional colleagues like automobile/electrical engineers against my clarifications and from the wealth of information available in the internet, which one I feel authenticated and convincing me. I am particular in my approach that I should never mislead anybody.

It is good that you have triggered my mind over Distilled Water & 12 volt vs 14 volt issues.

Just wait to see here the complete answers as I don't want to give here one line answers.

Honestly, I don’t know the ‘taxi drivers hitting hard on the accelerator’ issue and I feel no logic in it. It would only damage the internal electrical components like brush bushes, shorten the life of alternators.

Regards
Dr MUDHAN

patkar_a · Jan 17, 2014

Dr MUDHAN said:

Absolutely right sir,i too feel the same,hitting Accelerator hard before shut down will definitely have negative impacts on Engine.Especially engines with Turbochargers.

generalmax · Jan 17, 2014

Once again [clap]

for your informative writeup.
It is science simplified .

Guide: How To Make Your Car Battery Go On & On!

Dr MUDHAN

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