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Equipment Tests > Batteries
Batteries
Issue: May 2006
Words by Glenn Torrens
Power and the Glory
There are more to batteries than 12 volts and two terminals. Let Overlander 4WD guide you through the basics before you buy.
Most people know that a vehicle's battery is where the electricity hides while it's waiting to start your 4WD's engine and, teamed with the charging system, looks after the electrical power while a vehicle is being driven. The battery also supplies the juice required to run alarms and radio memory back-ups when the vehicle is parked, and radios, interior lights and other bits and bobs when the engine is off.
So what else do you need to know?
First up, you need to be aware of size, height and terminal location differences. Most vehicles require a specific 'format' of battery to be an easy, secure fit in the battery's standard underbonnet location and line up with the vehicle's standard wiring harness and battery terminals.
An Australian standard exists for batteries (AS2149) and in it, provides for several different case/terminal layouts to suit different cars.
There are also different designs of batteries depending on the power delivery required. Consider this:
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? Starting a vehicle's engine requires a relatively large amount of power for a short time with immediate battery recharge from the vehicle alternator.
? Camping requires relatively small amounts of power, often with long periods between charging of the battery.
? Winching requires lots of power for an extended period - from 30 seconds to an hour or more.
To cater for this, batteries are designed for different tasks. On the flipside, using a battery for a task for which it is not designed can lead to the early death of the battery. Batteries have different internals and other construction differences that affect not only their use, but also their cost, durability and longevity.
Battery types
Most of us are familiar with conventional automotive starting batteries. These factory-fit batteries are designed to start your vehicle and cater for the day-to-day electrical demands from the vehicle. They are usually constructed of a bank of cells in a plastic case, with each cell consisting of thin metal plates swimming in acid - each known as a 'flooded wet cell'.
When a regular automotive starting battery is 'run flat' (or deep cycled), it loses some of its ability to perform. Put simply, it is never the same again. Some batteries will suffer badly from this treatment, with only a handful of incidences of running 'flat' rendering the battery next to useless. And the thing is, the battery doesn't have to be 'dead flat'. Many starts, followed by only short vehicle running times (with little opportunity for the battery to recover) can dip deep into the battery's reserve capacity and do damage.
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Words by Glenn Torrens
Power and the Glory
There are more to batteries than 12 volts and two terminals. Let Overlander 4WD guide you through the basics before you buy.
Most people know that a vehicle's battery is where the electricity hides while it's waiting to start your 4WD's engine and, teamed with the charging system, looks after the electrical power while a vehicle is being driven. The battery also supplies the juice required to run alarms and radio memory back-ups when the vehicle is parked, and radios, interior lights and other bits and bobs when the engine is off.
So what else do you need to know?
First up, you need to be aware of size, height and terminal location differences. Most vehicles require a specific 'format' of battery to be an easy, secure fit in the battery's standard underbonnet location and line up with the vehicle's standard wiring harness and battery terminals.
An Australian standard exists for batteries (AS2149) and in it, provides for several different case/terminal layouts to suit different cars.
There are also different designs of batteries depending on the power delivery required. Consider this:
read on below advertisement
? Starting a vehicle's engine requires a relatively large amount of power for a short time with immediate battery recharge from the vehicle alternator.
? Camping requires relatively small amounts of power, often with long periods between charging of the battery.
? Winching requires lots of power for an extended period - from 30 seconds to an hour or more.
To cater for this, batteries are designed for different tasks. On the flipside, using a battery for a task for which it is not designed can lead to the early death of the battery. Batteries have different internals and other construction differences that affect not only their use, but also their cost, durability and longevity.
Battery types
Most of us are familiar with conventional automotive starting batteries. These factory-fit batteries are designed to start your vehicle and cater for the day-to-day electrical demands from the vehicle. They are usually constructed of a bank of cells in a plastic case, with each cell consisting of thin metal plates swimming in acid - each known as a 'flooded wet cell'.
When a regular automotive starting battery is 'run flat' (or deep cycled), it loses some of its ability to perform. Put simply, it is never the same again. Some batteries will suffer badly from this treatment, with only a handful of incidences of running 'flat' rendering the battery next to useless. And the thing is, the battery doesn't have to be 'dead flat'. Many starts, followed by only short vehicle running times (with little opportunity for the battery to recover) can dip deep into the battery's reserve capacity and do damage.
next page »
