Car battery is a very important component of the car, this is due to modern day cars are loaded with plenty of electronic components. This is also the reason that all car owner needs to understand their car battery to ensure a peace of mind behind the wheel.

Know your battery

As we all know, most of our car battery are maintenance-free 12V lead acid batteries. These are batteries that are sealed battery that supposedly does not required any servicing once it’s being installed. For cars which have start-stop technology, they use another type of battery called the Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB). As for the premium vehicles with more advanced start-stop technology and regenerative braking systems may require Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries, as AGM batteries are designed to be more resistant to leakage and corrosion that translate to a longer lasting batteries.

When it comes to selecting the right battery for your car, Bosch AA advises to always refer to your user manual or authorised service centre to correctly identify the right battery for your vehicle. Using the wrong type of battery may be detrimental to your car. For example, a regular maintenance-free battery may experience accelerated wear if installed in a car with start-stop technology.

Prolonging your battery lifespan

In order to extend the life of your car battery, there are a several steps drivers could take to achieve that. One of the simplest methods is to check the battery health every time you send your car for a maintenance schedule. This can be done through the special tool that was used to check the battery. Starting your car regularly also recommended to keep your car battery top-up, as most car battery will discharge overtime due to the different electrical components such as the anti-theft and vehicle telemetry systems still running when the car is parked up.

Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Malaysia (Bosch AA) recommends driving continuously for 30 minutes at least one to two times a week* to allow the battery to fully recharge. Short trips can be detrimental to the battery as they make it difficult for the battery to maintain a full charge. If the owner find that a hassle, they could invest in a charging device like the Bosch C7 Battery Charger to keep the battery permanently charged to an optimum level.

It’s a numbers game

Like all automotive components and spare parts, car batteries have specifications that communicate useful information such as its dimensions, battery capacity and how long it can last. The specification that was used to monitor the car battery’s health is called the cold cranking amps (CCA) and Amp hour (Ah) values.

Workshop will always ensure the car battery are meeting the minimum requirements before recommending the battery replacement. A car battery does more than just getting the engine started when you hit the start button. Therefore, it is also important to consider other electrical equipment and accessories that draw power from the electrical system the moment you start your car before being drawn to more affordable options in the market.

Understanding the battery that best suits your car’s needs will help you get the most out of your vehicle and keep it running just the way it did right off the assembly line, even if you have to do it yourself. As with other serviceable components and materials such as fluids and filters, always refer to the owner’s manual to ensure the correct specifications for your vehicle. Additionally, Bosch AA highly recommends to only use car batteries manufactured by reputable suppliers with reliable track records in automotive maintenance and aftersales services.

To find out more about Bosch’s range of batteries, drivers can approach your friendly Bosch Car Service or Bosch Preferred Workshops (https://bit.ly/MYDealers).

For more information, log on to Bosch Autoparts Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BoschAA.MY/).