AGA Automotive provides a new and used car battery service for all types of vehicles. There are a few types of car batteries however most cars are fitted with lead acid batteries, we deal directly with major car battery suppliers to ensure your vehicle is fitted with the correct type of battery.
We check to the condition of you battery and then recommend either a recharge or replacement depending on the diagnosis. In some cases your car battery may only need to be recharged in which case we will simply use a special charging unit to ensure you car battery life span is properly extended.
It is important to note that if you have a flat battery, the battery may actually be fine and it could be that your alternator is not working or charging the battery properly, we will also check to see if this is the case.
Interesting facts about car batteries
A car battery is a rechargeable battery that supplies electric energy to a vehicle. Commonly referred to an SLI battery (starting, lighting, ignition) they power the starter motor, the lights, and ignition system of a vehicle's engine. A traction battery is used for the main power source of an electric vehicle.
Car batteries (lead acid batteries) provide a nominal 12 volt potential difference by connecting six galvanic cells in series. Each cell provides 2.1 volts for a total of 12.6 volt at full charge. Lead acid batteries are made up of plates of lead and separate plates of lead dioxide, which are submerged into an electrolyte solution of about 35% sulfuric acid and 65% water.
This causes a chemical reaction that releases electrons, allowing them to flow through conductors to produce electricity. As the battery discharges, the acid of the electrolyte reacts with the materials of the plates, changing their surface to lead sulphate. When the battery is recharged, the chemical reaction is reversed: the lead sulfate reforms into lead oxide and lead. With the plates restored to their original condition, the process may now be repeated
Lead-acid batteries for automotive use are made with slightly different construction techniques, depending on the application of the battery. The typical battery in use today is of the "flooded cell" type, indicating liquid electrolyte. AGM or absorbed glass mat type batteries have electrolyte immobilized as a gel.
The starting (cranking) or shallow cycle type is designed to deliver large bursts of energy, usually to start an engine. The SLI batteries usually have a greater plate count in order to have a larger surface area that provides high electric current for short period of time. Once the engine is started, they are recharged by the engine driven charging system.
The deep cycle (or motive) type is designed to continuously provide power for long periods of time (for example in a trolling motor for a small boat, auxiliary power for a recreational vehicle, or traction power for a golf cart or other battery electric vehicle).
They can also be used to store energy from a photo voltaic array or a small wind turbine. They usually have thicker plates in order to have a greater capacity and survive a higher number of charge/discharge cycles. The specific energy is in the range of 30-40 watt-hours per kilogram.
Batteries intended for starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) systems are intended to deliver a heavy current for a short time, and to have a relatively low degree of discharge on each use.
They have many thin plates, thin separators between the plates, and may have a higher specific gravity electrolyte to reduce internal resistance. Deep-cycle batteries have fewer, thicker plates and are intended to have a greater depth of discharge on each cycle, but will not provide as high a current on heavy loads.
Some battery manufacturers claim their batteries are dual purpose (starting and deep cycling).
Some cars use lithium-ion batteries as an option to save weight over a conventional lead-acid battery
Common car battery faults include:
Shorted cell due to failure of the separator between the positive and negative plates, Shorted cell or cells due to build up of shed plate material building up below the plates of the cell, Broken internal connections due to corrosion, Broken plates due to vibration and corrosion, Low electrolyte, Cracked or broken case, Broken terminals, Sulfating after prolonged disuse in a low or zero charged state.
Corrosion at the battery terminals can prevent a car from starting, by adding electrical resistance. The white powder sometimes found around the battery terminals is usually lead sulfate which is toxic by inhalation, ingestion and skin contact. The corrosion is caused by an imperfect seal between the plastic battery case and lead battery post allowing sulfuric acid to attack the battery posts.
The corrosion process is also expedited by over charging. Corrosion can also be caused by factors such as, salt water, dirt, heat, and humidity in the air, a crack in the battery casing, or loose battery terminals. Inspection, cleaning, and protection with a coating are measures used to prevent corrosion of battery terminals.
Sulfating occurs when a battery is not fully charged, and the longer it remains in a discharged state the harder it is to overcome the sulfating.
This may be overcome with slow, low-current (trickle) charging. Sulfating is due to formation of large, non-conductive lead sulfate crystals on the plates; lead sulfate formation is part of each cycle, but in the discharged condition the crystals become large and block passage of current through the electrolyte.
The primary wear-out mechanism is the shedding of active material from the battery plates, which accumulates at the bottom of the cells and which may eventually short-circuit the plates.
Early automotive batteries could sometimes be repaired by dismantling and replacing damaged separators, plates, intercell connectors, and other repairs. Modern battery cases do not facilitate such repairs; an internal fault generally requires replacement of the entire unit.
