Professional Distributor - 7
COVER STORY
THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
of battery maintenance
As battery technology continues to evolve, shops need to
be prepared and update their equipment as well.
by Emily Markham, Assistant Editor
A
t the heart of every vehicle lies the battery, a crucial component that
powers many functions - from starting the vehicle, to running its headlights, to keeping the heat going during the chilly, winter months.
" The modern battery can never
sleep; the demand for energy from
over 200 on-board computers is 24/7, "
says Tony Zeal, CTEK Skillbase training manager. " The battery has become
so essential it even has its own management system to look after it. "
Regardless of the battery's management system, routine check-ins and
maintenance are still necessary to keep
the battery in optimal performance condition. To achieve this, technicians not
only need the appropriate certifications
but the correct tools and equipment as
well. With all the developments in progress for vehicle batteries, having the right
tools on hand is more important than
ever for technicians.
UP AND COMING
For the longest time, vehicle batteries
were mostly all the same type - a wet
sealed lead acid 12V battery. But the
industry is changing, and new technology, like the absorbed glass mat (AGM)
battery, enhanced flooded batteries
(EFB), also known as start-stop batteries,
and lithium-ion batteries have emerged.
With this new technology comes new
requirements for how the batteries must
be charged and tested.
" You no longer can use your daddy's battery charger that you inherited
25 years ago, " says Gary Mackey, vice
president of global sales and marketing
for Associated Equipment. " You must
have a battery charger that is designed to
be used with each of the new technology
battery types. "
Along with the new battery types,
there has been a shift in charging voltages. Batteries are now being charged
at slightly lower voltages than before
to protect them from overcharging.
Technicians must be careful to charge
batteries on the correct setting (AGM,
EFB, Lithium) and at the proper voltage
otherwise they risk shortening the life of
the battery or damaging it beyond repair.
Other changes technicians will be
seeing in the modern vehicle are most
vehicles now have at least two batteries
in them, and very few batteries are located under the hood anymore. Most batteries are now mounted under the front
seat, under the back seat, or in the trunk,
Mackey notes.
These changes come from the
industry working towards meeting the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the California Air Resources Board's
(CARB) standards for corporate average
fuel economy (CAFE).
As vehicle manufacturers work
to meet those goals, changes to the
dual battery vehicles are coming into
play. In these vehicles, one battery is a
start-stop battery, and the other is the
auxiliary battery.
" When you pull up to the [stoplight],
the car automatically turns itself off, and
when you take your foot off the brake,
again, it automatically restarts, " Mackey
explains. " But that two minutes ... when
you're not running the start-stop battery,
[the] auxiliary battery runs everything in
the car for you. It runs the lights and the
heat and everything so that you're not
killing your regular battery. "
In the next two or three years,
Mackey believes it is likely that a person will not be able to buy a vehicle
Professional Distributor I February 2021 I VehicleServicePros.com 7
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
Professional Distributor
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Professional Distributor
The Past, Present, and Future of Battery Maintenance
Show Me Your Truck - Stocked to Sell
In Focus Products
Driving Sales - Safety Equipment & Personal Gear
Editor's Note - The Virtues of Mentoring
Most Wanted
Sneak Peek
Go Sell Something - Customer Relationship Marketing for the Mobile Jobber
Diagnostic Tech: Diagnostic Corner - Climate Control Systems
Tales From the Road - Ruler of the Rural Route
Professional Distributor - 1
Professional Distributor - 2
Professional Distributor - 3
Professional Distributor - Editor's Note - The Virtues of Mentoring
Professional Distributor - 5
Professional Distributor - The Past, Present, and Future of Battery Maintenance
Professional Distributor - 7
Professional Distributor - 8
Professional Distributor - 9
Professional Distributor - 10
Professional Distributor - 11
Professional Distributor - Show Me Your Truck - Stocked to Sell
Professional Distributor - 13
Professional Distributor - Most Wanted
Professional Distributor - 15
Professional Distributor - Sneak Peek
Professional Distributor - 17
Professional Distributor - 18
Professional Distributor - 19
Professional Distributor - 20
Professional Distributor - 21
Professional Distributor - Go Sell Something - Customer Relationship Marketing for the Mobile Jobber
Professional Distributor - 23
Professional Distributor - In Focus Products
Professional Distributor - 25
Professional Distributor - 26
Professional Distributor - 27
Professional Distributor - Diagnostic Tech: Diagnostic Corner - Climate Control Systems
Professional Distributor - 29
Professional Distributor - 30
Professional Distributor - 31
Professional Distributor - Driving Sales - Safety Equipment & Personal Gear
Professional Distributor - 33
Professional Distributor - 34
Professional Distributor - 35
Professional Distributor - 36
Professional Distributor - 37
Professional Distributor - Tales From the Road - Ruler of the Rural Route
Professional Distributor - 39
Professional Distributor - 40
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