Battery Tips

The battery is an electrical storage box for your car. Any time you need to start your car, the battery provides the necessary energy to crank the engine.
Think of the battery, along with the rest of the charging system as the "Niagara Falls" of your car. It provides and produces all the electrical energy you car demands to run everything from the stereo and the windshield wipers to the ignition system and all the on board computers.

Batteries are made to last longer and provide more energy than batteries of only a few short years ago.

That's good news for the consumer because batteries require less frequent service and replacement.

Unfortunately, they do not last forever. When a battery fails, the alternator must work harder because of the low state of charge.

Starting motors actually draw too much current when the battery state of charge is too low. A sulfated or shorted battery can shorten the life of these two critical components.

Battery cables, terminals and connections must be kept clean. Excessive resistance can mirror a low battery charge state.

If your battery is over five years old, consider replacing it. The battery has served its useful life. Most folks don't wait until they run out of gas to fill up... In the same sense it would be unfortunate to wait for an untimely breakdown or "no start" to replace the battery.

In Western New York, that usually occurs on the hottest or coldest day of the year.