Car Batteries – Battery Fitting Near You

Car Batteries and Car Battery Fitting with WhoCanFixMyCar.com

Your car cannot operate without a fully operational car battery. It is responsible for providing the energy to start the combustion process within a car engine while also delivering the energy for the electrical components in your car such as the headlights, ECU and dashboard display.

The most common problem that a car battery will suffer will be a drain of energy which will result in a car not being able to start, however, this can be resolved by performing a jump start using jump leads connected to a secondary car.

Other problems include battery cracks and battery acid leaks.

The following text contains information on how to deal with car battery problems from replacing a car battery to having a car battery repaired and jump starting a car.

How to Change a Car Battery?

1. Buy a new car battery
2. Remove the old car battery
3. Clean the terminal car battery clamps using a baking soda solution and a wire brush which will ensure the power can be transferred from the battery to the engine properly.
4. Insert the new battery
5. Attach the positive terminal to the battery and tighten with the screws on the clamp
6. Attach the negative terminal to the battery and tighten once more
7. Close the hood and start the engine to ensure the car battery is working properly

If you would like to know how to change a car battery, this is the basic standard order. However, if you would like to read an in-depth guide on the subject, read this article for a full explanation of the steps involved.

However, as highlighted in the full guide on ‘How to Change A Car Battery’, we would advise that you leave the work to a fully trained professional who have the tools and experience to complete the work for you. Cheap car batteries can be installed in no time by a mechanic so your best option is to use WhoCanFixMyCar.com to get quotes for a car battery replacement.

How to Charge a Car Battery?

If the battery in your car is dead, you will need to jump start the vehicle using the following steps;

1. Find your jump cables
2. Line another car up and park it, leaving both ignitions off
3. Remove the caps from each battery
4. Connect the cables
5. Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery (it will have POS or a plus sign on it and it may be bigger than the negative terminal)
6. Attach the red clip on the other end to the terminal of the other car
7. Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the working cars battery
8. Attach the other end of the black clip to a surface area of unpainted metal on the car that isn’t working (somewhere far away from the carburettor or battery)
9. Try to start your engine

If the engine starts, brilliant! Take a drive around as this will recharge the battery.

If it doesn’t, go back and make sure the cables are all attached properly and let the other car run for five minutes or so.

If the car still won’t start, then it is likely your car has a major issue that you should get a mechanic to look as soon as possible.

A car battery is actively charged while a car is being driven meaning that it should only ever die if there is a fault in the system or somebody has left the lights on in the car overnight.

Cracks could also cause battery acid to leak out of the car battery which would obviously result in a car battery failure.

How long does it take to charge a car battery?

This can vary depending on the car battery as the voltage and size vary from one to another. The length of time a car battery needs to recharge will also depend on how much it is drained. If the car battery is 50% full, it may only require a few hours, however, if it is completely drained, it may take several hours of driving around to be full again.

Fortunately, a car battery does not need to be at 100% to work. A car battery simply needs to have enough power to start a car, once this has been done the car battery will naturally increase the amount of charge carried thanks to the engine delivering power to the unit.

If your car battery is dead and you jump start your car, you only need to be connected to another power source (another car battery) for around 5-10 minutes, this will give your own car battery enough time to soak up enough energy to start your car engine.

How do I know when I need a replacement car battery?

The most obvious sign that you need a new car battery will be that your car fails to start. Dead car batteries are the most common causes of a car failing to start and if this should happen, you will only need to jump start the car. However, car batteries do need to be replaced if you notice any of the following things;

1. The car takes longer than usual to start
2. The battery warning light has switched on
3. The battery fluid/acid level is low
4. The battery looks bloated or swollen
5. There is a putrid sulfuric smell in the car
6. The battery has been in use for over three years

If you have picked up on any of the above, it is time to get a new battery installed as the problems will only get worse as the condition of the battery deteriorates.

There are many issues which will cause the problems listed above, though they are mainly due to a crack opening up on the battery or the battery simply ‘going bad’, which will inevitably happen.

Which car battery do I need?

There are three specific types of car battery;

1. Lead Acid or Wet/Flooded Car Battery

A lead acid or wet/flooded car battery is the most popular type of car battery as the price of the unit is typically less than the other types of car battery. This comes from the result of a simple design and cheap materials being used to make the part. This type of battery is the one which will leak acid if it cracks as the liquid within the battery is responsible for holding the energy used to start an engine and power the electrical systems in a car.

2. Calcium car battery

Calcium car batteries are also very popular and are different than the acid battery as the charging plates are replaced by calcium alloy which reduces the potential loss of fluid by 80%. This type of battery is also able to reduce the amount of power it loses when the car is not switched on. If a lead acid battery is not charged by a car getting driven around, it will die.

3. Valve Regulated Lead Acid Car Battery (VRLA)

A VRLA car battery utilises recombination to eliminate fluid loss completely as the battery box is designed as a small pressure vessel with safety valves. A VRLA battery can also come in two designs of its own, the GEL or AGM version.

How long does a car have to run to charge a dead battery?

A car will only have to run for 5-10 minutes for the charging process to begin on a car battery. However, if you want to ensure the battery does not die again, it is advisable to drive for around 30-60 minutes to deliver enough power to the battery to survive until the next time you drive. If you drive for 5 minutes, the battery will charge but it is likely to lose its charge if you leave the car for 12-15 hours.

How long should I drive to charge my battery?

You should drive for 30 minutes to an hour to change your car battery to a suitable level. This will ensure that your car battery will retain its charge.

To charge your car battery to a good enough level, you should drive a car for 30-60 minutes.

How do you know if your car battery is fully charged?

To know when your car battery is full, you will need a tool called a multimeter which is able to measure the voltage of the car battery. A mechanic will be able to check the level of your car battery if you take your car to a garage. The car battery doesn’t have to be at 100% at all times though, so as long as the headlights are working at full capacity, you will know that your car battery is in good health.

Car Battery Replacement Near You

Finding a mechanic you can trust to do a good job and charge a fair price, is not always easy which is why we have simplified the process.

We work with a network of over 11,931 mechanics and garages across the UK so we can find competitive car battery replacement deals for you.

To find the best car battery replacement service available in your region;

1. Enter your car registration number
2. Give us a few details about your car and your requirements
3. We’ll send you a great selection of quotes from mechanics and garages in your area

You can then compare the quotes and read reviews from previous customers to find the best cheap car battery replacement in your area, before booking online.