Month: June 2019

When you lift up the engine hood on your car, you might be in for a surprise. Today’s car batteries are normally identical; a black housing with top posts for power connections are commonplace. However, you may encounter a side-post battery in your car. Explore the steps in converting a side-post battery into a top-post design. Your car battery maintenance will be easier as a result of your efforts.

1. Find a Safe Location

It’s not necessary to remove the battery from the car, but accessing these types of terminals can be difficult otherwise. Consider battery removal as your first step.

The battery must be located in a well-ventilated area without any nearby sparks, such as from a cigarette. You’ll be handling both the positive and negative terminal ends, which can produce sparks. Your working area should be free from hazardous materials.

2. Gather Your Tools

If you’ve replaced other types of battery products in the past, you probably have some of the necessary tools for these car battery terminal types.

Collect these tools together, including:

• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• Pliers
• Wrenches

Also look for post converters that will make the conversion an easy task. Clamp-on ends for the positive and negative wires are also helpful. Their installation will streamline the process.

3. Start With Cable Removal

Locate the black or negative F1 terminal. Carefully remove it from the battery. Lay the wire away from the positive side of the battery. The positive side is almost always indicated by a red color, reports the Auto Parts Warehouse.

If any metal connections between the positive and negative sides touch, a spark or shock might occur. Be mindful of the loose wires at all times.

4. Alter the Cable Ends

Remove the red or positive cable. Each battery terminal is now disconnected.

Look at the loose cable ends. Cut off each end of the cable. Strip away a half-inch of insulation from the cables to reveal the wires within.

Attach the clamp-on ends to each cable. These ends are simple to install and fit onto nearly any of today’s car battery terminal types.

5. Replace the Battery’s Terminals

Remove the side-post terminals. Replace each battery terminal with a post converter.

These parts give you a safe and effective way to convert a side design to a top-post configuration. The converters should stretch between the sides and end up along the topside of the battery. Each terminal must be made of lead for the best conductivity.

6. Reattach the Positive Side

Complete the project by reattaching the red or positive side cable to the post converter. These battery terminal types should be compatible with the clamp-on ends.

Be sure to check the connection before moving onto the next cable. The positive side should be firmly set onto the post with a firm grasp. If it’s sliding a bit with some finger pressure, the connection is too loose.

7. Connect the Negative Side

Repeat the same cable-connection process with the negative side. Be mindful of the space between your hand, the cable and completed positive side. Electrical arcing is possible if these items are simply close to each other.

Maintain as much space as possible between the positive and negative sides as you affix the cable into place. Safety is always a top priority.

8. Apply a Corrosion-Resistant Spra

The Auto Zone suggests that corrosion-resistant spray should be one of your final steps. Apply it to all battery terminal types because corrosion doesn’t discriminate among styles.

You can spray it after installing the cables or before. Most people top the finalized connections with the spray so that the terminal and cable are free from any residue as a whole.

Your conversion project may require a handful of auto parts, but the result will be a battery with enhanced maintenance possibilities. Challenge yourself with a conversion project that makes you the master of your vehicle today.

Flip any random battery over, and you’ll find many numbers and letters describing that product’s type. As if it wasn’t difficult to decipher between lead-acid and AGM batteries, you may have encountered marine battery group size descriptions. Don’t muddle around in the dark anymore. It’s time to take a hard look at this battery size chart so that it makes sense during your next purchase.

A General Description

A battery group size refers to the product’s physical dimensions, including:

• Length
• Width
• Height

The BCI or Battery Council International created this battery size chart to standardize the industry. By selecting a group 24 battery, for example, you know the exact size that you’re purchasing. Regardless of the battery’s manufacturer, the group size is a standard value to trust in.

BCI tries to minimize the number of changes to the chart, but adjustments can be made over the years. If you’re in the market for a new battery, verify the old battery’s group size and current specifications.

Associations With Amp Hours

If you compare a group 24 battery and group 27 deep cycle battery together, you’ll notice that the mp hours are slightly higher on the group-27 product. This specification difference is made on purpose by the manufacturers.

In general, a group size with a higher number has more amp hours than lower values. This fact translates to more power in your battery as the day goes on. You shouldn’t have to drag your boat into the dock because of inadequate amp hours on the battery.

Going With the “M”

Along with the group-size numbers, you might see letters printed on your battery. For marine applications, look for group sizes indicating the letter “M.” These batteries are designed for watercraft applications.

Although you may find the right group size for your vessel, don’t use a battery without the “M” designation. The internal construction won’t work in the long run for your boat. Batteries will decline with rapid ease. Don’t leave yourself stranded with an improper battery.

Customizing the Boat’s Power

You might discover that an enhanced battery might help your progress on the water. The battery’s tray, however, limits the marketplace sizes. You can change battery sizes by upgrading your tray. Pay careful attention to the surrounding items so that nothing is pinched or hindered otherwise.

Remember that there are two different batteries for marine applications, reports Bass Pro Shops. These products include:

• Cranking
• Deep cycle

Always replace each battery with the same type. The new battery might be enhanced with additional amp hours, but it contains the same functionality as the previous product.

Considering Extra Power

A clever way to add extra power to your boat is with a dual-purpose battery. This product is different than the cranking or deep-cycle battery on your boat. The dual purpose product supports your marine accessories so that you can lower the strain and costs on the other batteries.

Add these accessories to your extra battery, such as:

• Fish finders
• Fishing scales
• Radios

By removing the accessories from the main batteries, you allocate their power to the engine and critical operations.

Prolonging the Battery’s Lifespan

Every deep cycle battery that you own can have a long life if you give it a full charge each time. The battery’s internal construction doesn’t respond well to short bursts of power.

If you take the marine battery off the boat, the charging session should last between 14 and 16 hours, reports Battery University. This time period allows the battery to saturate with the electrical power so that decline is largely avoided. It’s impossible to avoid all possibilities of decline, however. Batteries must eventually wear down.

Visit Northeast Batterytoday for your battery needs. Try a group 27 deep cycle battery or other model to meet your marine needs. Our team can help you make an educated decision about power options, which will get you out on the water in no time at all.

 

Golf carts are used in a variety of different applications, from providing transportation in a gated community to monitoring security on college campuses. Regardless of its purpose, every cart has the same power needs. You don’t want your cart to end up with lackluster power at the beginning of the day. Take a few tips from the pros by learning about the latest golf cart battery charging tips. They can last long with clever care.

1. Know About Proper Charging Techniques

For the golf cart that’s always on the go, select a three-phase charger. These products are designed for charging your golf cart batteries. Battery University advises that you should avoid these charger types, such as:

• Rapid
• Fast

Follow the professionals’ golf cart battery tips by using a three-phase charger with these defined steps, including:

• Bulk charging
• Absorption period
• Float section

About 80 percent of the charger’s time is spend in bulk mode where a solid charge enters the battery. Absorption occurs during the last 20 percent of the charging time.

When a golf or car battery reaches the float mode, it merely keeps the battery’s charge at a full level.

If you tend to use the golf cart during the warmer months and store it during the winter, pick a trickle charger to make the battery last longer. These chargers connect to the battery over weeks or months at a time.

They provide enough power to the battery to keep it charged but without harming the internal components. Use trickle chargers on almost any vehicle so that they start right up when necessary.

2. Opt for Quality Products

One of the most important golf cart battery charging tips involves your purchasing power. Don’t buy a battery based on the least expensive cost. Consider the quality built into the product.

Remember that this battery must power an electric motor to get you anywhere in a hurry, reports How Stuff Works. Ideally, look for AGM or absorbed glass mat products. The electrolytes are trapped in a mat configuration, which means that liquid cannot spill from the battery.

Set the tops of the batteries in any orientation with an AGM product. This versatility is perfect for the wide variety of golf carts in the world today. Using golf cart battery water for other products is still reliable, but it doesn’t have the same flexibility as the AGM products.

Don’t forget that vibration is always an issue for golf carts. A good tip involves selection of a vibration-resistant product. The internal parts can take on the road’s challenges without a short lifespan.

By purchasing a quality product and sticking with a professional’s battery maintenance tip, these cart batteries might last for a decade.

3. Keep up a Strict Maintenance Schedule

Start out with an inspection of the golf cart battery water. Grab a jug of distilled water, and top off the battery’s reservoir. Most batteries have a line to indicate the proper level. Always avoid overfilling or neglecting the reservoir. The water protects the internal components from degrading.

Whether you drove the cart for one hour or all day long, put the vehicle on a charger each night. This strategy ensures that the battery will be ready in the morning, and it’s not dropping below 70 percent of its reserve capacity. A long-lasting battery shouldn’t be discharged to the lowest levels every day. That process puts excessive wear on the internal plates.

Be a fan of lubricants, such as petroleum jelly. Cover the terminals with this product while adding electrical tape to any exposed wires. All of these maintenance tasks will prevent corrosion, which is one of the most common reasons why a battery declines over time. Regular maintenance fights off that telltale, white residue.

 

The summer months are here, and the heat is no joke. This is the time of year to hit the open road in your favorite car. The beach, lake or river is calling. Your car’s battery, however, may not agree with your plans. Take a look at how batteries react in hot weather and what you can do to avoid any power failures. Breakdowns shouldn’t be part of your summer plans.

The Evaporation Factor

Most people are familiar with the terms “flooded” and “sealed” batteries when it comes to car knowledge. Topping off a flooded battery with water is the traditional way to maintain a long-lasting unit. However, evaporation is still a concern as a hot weather condition continues throughout the summer.

Batteries in hot weather will diminish because evaporation of the internal fluids is a constant. As the liquid disappears, so does the conductivity and charging power of the battery.

Internal Damage Continues

The fluid within a battery insulates the internal parts from extreme temperature swings. As evaporation continues, batteries in hot weather succumb to component failures. They may not happen right away, but the damage continues as each day brings on additional heat.

Parts that might decline even in the best battery for hot weather include:

• Positive and negative plates
• Separators
• Battery paste

Unless a driver diligently replaces the distilled water in the battery each week, this damage goes unnoticed until the battery ultimately fails.

Acid Leaks Leading to Corrosion

Battery components that decline within the battery will lead to acid leaks on the exterior surfaces. A corrosion free battery is healthy, but leaking acid will create constant corrosion. The terminals connecting to the electrical system hold most of the corrosion residue, which drains the battery even further. Couple the power drain with excessive temperatures, and you have a battery that’s bound to fail in the near future.

Charging System Influences

There are several components attached to the average vehicle battery that can impact its reserve capacity. The Car Care Council points out that the voltage regulator may be malfunctioning. An excessive rate of charge on the battery plus summer’s heat puts extraordinary pressure on the power cells. The result is a battery that fails prematurely.

The best battery for hot weather must have a properly operating charging system. Verifying all of these components will help you move gracefully through summer’s warmth.

Turning to AGM Technology

Currently, the best car battery for hot weather involves AGM or absorbed glass mat technology. These internal mats hold all of the battery’s components in a fixed position. There is no liquid to be lost to evaporation. For this reason alone, summer’s heat is often no match for an AGM battery.

Keep in mind that no battery is entirely immune from heat. AGM is a strong contender against extreme temperatures, but it will decline over time.

Testing the Load

Test your battery under a load if it’s more than two years old, explains Consumer Reports. Load tests put car batteries under real-life conditions so that you’ll know if they’ll work on that next road trip or not. If you expect to drive in excessive heat, and the battery is borderline bad, opt for a replacement. Your drive can be a worry-free trip as a result.

Electric-Car Drivers Beware

Electric cars have specialized batteries for their applications, but Jiffy Lube reminds you that they’re just as limited as standard batteries in the summer heat. You’ll notice that an electric car may not have as much mileage as it normally does during moderate weather. Pay close attention to the miles left on the charge to avoid any breakdowns.

When you understand the science behind batteries and heat, you can avoid most power problems. Welcome the open road today with a fully charged battery under the hood.