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Help and Frequently Asked Questions
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*
I'm stuck, I dont know - help!
Our phone
line is open 8am to 8pm
Monday to Friday and 8am
to 6pm Saturdays - Freephone 0800
195 98 97*
( * Free when calling from a fixed telephone line such as
B.T. Virgin etc. Mobiles are charged at network local rates :
around 10p - 15p per min. )
*
Are
your
products
Maintenance
Free?
All of our
batteries are Maintenance Free Silver Calcium Technology
*
When
I
have
chosen
my
car
manufacturer
and
the model of my car - a
selection of available batteries appears on-screen. Which do I
choose ?
The selection
that appears will all fit
your car. If your vehicle has higher than average electrical
needs then choose the higher amperage (Ah)
rate batteries. Eg - The Numax
063 Battery at 42Ah and the Varta
C6
Battery
at
50Ah could fit the same vehicle depending on how
many electrical systems the car has installed.
A modern top of the range car will need more Ah because it has more
electrical devices fitted. Additions such as parking sensors, sat
nav, power speakers, electric windows, electric sunroof, powered wing
mirrors, in-car-entertainment, heated
seats and so on will inevitably need extra Ah capability from
the battery.
* I'm not sure
that
my
car battery matches what I've found here
Most vehicle
manufacturers have kept consistent patterns in the batteries that they
have
used for their vehicles, but, there are exceptions to the rule. A
previous owner or your car dealership may possibly have installed a
higher specification battery.
If you are not confident in
choosing the right battery call us
free on 0800 195 98 97 from 8.am to 8.pm and we will assist you.
Otherwise
- to be certain that your replacement
battery will match your old one you
will need to open the bonnet of the
vehicle and write down the following details :
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Approximate Length, Width, Height in Centimetres and which side the (+) terminal is
when facing the 'longest side' of the battery (usually
has
the manufacturers sticker on it) - see
diagram
>>
The terminal layout
will be [ - + ] or [
+ - ] In some cars the
battery is facing backwards, so
you'll need to bear that in mind when writing down whether or not the +
Terminal is to the Left or to the Right.
Additionally -
If the
battery has a lip around the top then do not count it when measuring
the Length and Width. Car battery length and width
measurements generally relate to the footprint
of
the
battery.
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Check that the total
Height measurement includes the
terminals.
Any other information, especially numbers / codes on the old battery
such as 075, A17 or 44Ah etc will also be worth writing
down.
Then call us
on Freephone 0800 195 98 97 (8am to 8pm, free from landlines,
local rate for
mobiles) where we will identify your battery from the measurements and
any other details that
you may have noted down.
If your old battery is the same size as the batteries on screen that
have been found via our 'battery finder' then its just a matter of
refering
to the CCA (Cold
Cranking Amps) and Ah (Ampere
Hour) FAQ details below (scroll down) to assist you when
deciding which one matches your needs.
If you would prefer to speak to somebody, are still unsure, or, are
unable to identify your battery here on the website, then please call
our Freephone
Number (8am to 8pm)
* How could I extend the life of my
battery?
There are several ways to do this :
1) When you have driven your car
home / arrived at work - BEFORE TURNING OFF THE ENGINE - switch off the
radio, lights, blowers, heated seats and any other things that can be
switched 'off'. Allow the engine
to continue to run on for a few seconds. When the car is
started the next time
the
battery will not have to share resources with the radio, blowers and so
on. By keeping to this routine of starting your car before
switching things on and then turning them off before cutting
the engine -
especially in the winter and especially
if your battery is old or your
car is difficult to start - your battery will remain trouble free for
longer!
2)
Avoid or cut down on using the air con/blower, electric windows,
lights, cigarette lighters, in-car-entertainment and so on whilst the
engine is off. Alternatively
install a battery with more Ah
capacity to
counterbalance the need.
3)
If your car has aftermarket
electrical
gear such as bigger speakers,
CD-changer or in-car-entertainment then you probably will need to
upgrade
to a battery with a bigger Ah rating.
4) Buy a battery maintenance
charger. This will make a greater difference to people who dont
use their vehicle on a regular basis.
*
Are
your
products
Heavy
Duty
?
All
of the batteries that we sell are Heavy Duty as standard. Each is
guaranteed to perform consistently and reliably throughout its lifetime.
* What does CCA (Cold Cranking Amps)
mean ?
Cold
Cranking
Amps
determine
how
much
power
you
have
to
start
your
car
in
most
climates.
The
'cold'
refers
to
when
the
vehicle
engine
is
started
from
cold
-
e.g.
first
thing
in
the
morning
or
after
a
period
of
rest
in cold environmental conditions (the engine has
cooled to below 4 or 5 degrees celsius). A cold engine, as
opposed to
one that has just been running at optimum temperature, will take more
energy to
start / 'crank' and thus needs plenty of CCA to get it moving!
You can replace
your battery with the same or more CCA
but not less!
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* What is
an Ah (Ampere Hour) ?
Ampere- hours where car batteries
are concerned are figures that contribute toward indicating the amount
of energy a battery can deliver at a constant level. An
ampere-hour is defined as an amount of electrical current of one ampere flowing for one hour. If you multiply the
current in amperes by the time of flow in hours such as 44 amps for 1
hour, the result is shown as 44Ah or
44 ampere-hours. A car battery needs some of the Ahs for
the ignition circuit coil pack (converts a small voltage to a much
larger voltage for the spark plugs) and the remaining for lights,
wipers,
radio, central locking, dashboard and so on.
A 1.2 Petrol car will need on average something in the region of 36
Ah's and
around 350 CCA. A 2.0 litre petrol will need more like 72 Ah's
and 680 CCA for example to give an idea of scale. These figures
are averages so you then need to consider the amount of electrical
equipment your car has installed.
A modern top
of the range car will need more Ah
power because it has more electrical devices fitted. (as compared to an
entry-level version of the same car) Additions such as
parking sensors, sat nav, power speakers, electric windows, electric
sunroof, powered wing mirrors,
in-car-entertainment, heated seats and so on will inevitably over-work
an under-rated battery.
If your
vehicle has higher than average electrical
needs then choose the higher amperage (Ah)
rate batteries. Eg - The Numax
063 Battery at 42Ah and the Varta
C6
Battery
at
50Ah could fit the same vehicle depending on its
specification.
If your
vehicle is mid to high spec or just has extra electrical items
installed then go for
more Ah's!
* What voltage is a car battery ?
The ceiling (topmost) voltage is
12.65
Volts for a brand new top of the range battery that has just been
charged.
Your car battery should on average hit 12.4 or thereabouts to be
considered normal. To find this out for yourself you will need a
basic voltmeter and a short journey in the vehicle to warm it up and
freshly
charge the battery. In mid winter it will take a good deal longer
to get the vehicle up to 'normal' temperature. A good rule of
thumb indicator is that
the interior 'hot air' blower is up to temperature.
If the reading is actually below 12 Volts and
you have been using the vehicle regularly e.g. covering over at least
3000 miles a year / 60 miles a week, then its time for a new
battery! If the reading is between 12.0 and 12.4 then you are
probably going to need one soon!
* Are car batteries easy to fit ?
If
you are comfortable with basic vehicle servicing then yes! Click HERE for
our
Fitment
Guide.
* Where do I dispose of my old car
battery ?
* I don't know the
exact model of my car
Phone
us
on Freephone 0800 195 98 97
(Monday - Friday, 8am to 8pm, close at 6pm, Saturdays) and we will
perform a Vehicle
Registration search to identify the model of vehicle you need the
battery for.
*
I
know
the
model
of
my
vehicle
but
it
is
not
listed
We
are
continuously updating our online knowledge base. If your
model of car / van cannot be found please call Freephone 0800 195 98 97
from a UK Landline from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
* Why are diesel vehicle batteries
slightly more expensive ?
A
diesel
engine
is
typically
much
heavier
than
a
petrol
/
LGP
converted
engine
and
needs
a
greater
CCA
to
handle
the
extra
turning
force
needed
at
startup.
* What happens with batteries ordered
after 3.30pm / over the weekend ?
This
is
explained
in
our
'Terms
&
Conditions
Of Sale' accessible via the
menu at the top right hand side of the screen.
* THE INFORMATION I WAS LOOKING FOR IS
NOT LISTED!!
Please give
us a call on Freephone 0800
195
98
97
during office
hours.
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