Lifting heavy batteries into their trays is the least of your worries. Being aware of the various battery technologies, matching them to the car and knowing how to code the BMS (Battery Management System) have increased complexity, let alone leaving you with the task of changing customer perceptions on pricing face-to-face.
BATTERIES & CHARGERS
Crisis management: updating your battery knowledge
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WHILE A 'DEAD' BATTERY MAY BE A DISASTER TO SOME CAR OWNERS, TECHNICIANS RISK COURTING HUGE PROBLEMS IF THEY DOWNGRADE REPLACEMENT TECHNOLOGIES. AS LOCKDOWN HARMED MANY 12-VOLT BATTERIES, ROB MARSHALL ARGUES THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO UPDATE YOUR BATTERY AWARENESS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. COVID-19 has and continues to touch our lives. As revealed in the AT special supplement during the summer (Read/ download here), batteries are probably the most affected motorcar component of the enforced lockdown. Even if you have not replaced many batteries yet, most degradation that might have developed over lockdown will become apparent as the nights draw in and temperatures drop. Banner told us that, while it experienced a surge in demand during the spring and summer months, it expects winter sales to be especially buoyant, especially as furlough schemes end and more people start travelling again for work. It reports that its manufacturing plant in Austria took steps during the summer to ensure that production output can meet projected
winter demand. GS Yuasa also reassures the aftermarket that it has taken similar measures, after experiencing, what it calls, "a dramatic increase" in battery demand, since lockdown measures were eased.
How has lockdown been a battery killer? The reasons why 12v batteries fail, when allowed to discharge gradually, are fairly complex but Yuasa supplies worthwhile reading on this topic: www.yuasa.co.uk/reducedusage. In summary, 12v batteries prefer being fully charged. Should their voltage drop below 12.5 volts, crystals build on the lead-based plate material (sulphation) that becomes either very hard, or impossible, to remove. The rate of severity depends on the rate of discharge and the length of time. The net result is a reduction of capacity. Unfortunately, many car owners have not received very sound advice about maintaining batteries during lockdown, which has worsened the situation in some cases. It may be worth Continued...
