The Garage 266 Binder

FOCUS Batteries 30
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shops should encourage motorists
to charge their car’s
battery on a regular basis.
And when a replacement is required,
fitting exactly the right
replacement is vital, one supplier
says.
Says Hella: “Counter staff
should always check whether
any extra high demand electrical
equipment has been added
to the vehicle, as this could
affect the specification. In addition,
offering to test every
customer’s battery, irrespective
of why they have come through
the door, not only promotes
good customer relations, it also
opens up sales opportunities.
“Bearing in mind that battery-related
issues remain the
most common cause of breakdown,
whatever the season,
battery health should be a
priority for workshops. Therefore,
as a matter of course,
technicians should carry out
a battery check on every vehicle
that enters their premises,
which allows preventative
maintenance to be undertaken.
Alongside this practical action,
technicians should be recommending
that customers that
use their vehicles infrequently
or make only short journeys,
charge the battery on a regular
basis, which will substantially
reduce the risk of electrical related
breakdown.”
Stop-start cars have given
Yuasa’s battery testing kit offers workshops a
useful extra revenue stream, and following on
from its ‘Always Check the Battery’ programme
around a quarter of cars (27 percent) require a
battery recharge.
The Workshop Testing Kit includes a tester
that indicates a battery’s condition and provides
a voltage reading – it also comes with some
point-of-sale material to help generate extra
income which can, in some cases, amount to
330,000 a year, Yuasa says.
“There are huge benefits to all workshops
participating in our Always Check The Battery
programme. Besides increasing battery sales
and revenue, workshops will also dramatically
the battery replacement market
a serious shake-up and
demand for them will continue
to rise as more cars fitted with
the system drift into the aftermarket.
Recognising the market’s
expansion Banner has introduced
three Running Bull replacements,
two (rated at 65
Ah and 75Ah) covering Ford
vehicles fitted with stop-start
systems. Another battery rated
at 80Ah targets VAG cars.
Banner batteries are fitted
as OE by many car makers,
including Aston Martin, Caterham,
Lotus, Morgan and Rolls-
Royce, while its EFB types are
found in small- and mediumsized
cars.
“The importance AGM and
EFB battery technology continues
to gain momentum in
the UK aftermarket and we are
confident that the new Running
Bull part numbers will help
consolidate Banner’s position
within what is an increasingly
important sector. Furthermore,
the new-to-range part numbers
not only demonstrate Banner’s
standing as a complete solutions
provider, they reflect and
support the Group’s growing
OE pedigree, says Banner UK
country manager, Lee Quinney.
But just how frequently are
stop-start batteries being replaced?
According to Ecobat,
not as frequently as perhaps
they should be, as many drivers
switch off their car’s stopstart
system which in turn prolongs
battery life.
According to Ecobat: “Because
most drivers tend to deactivate
the start/stop system,
Test each and every time
increase their levels of customer service and
satisfaction, which in turn drives loyalty and enhances
their reputation,” says Yuasa marketing
executive James Douglas.
“In our experience, the main barriers to workshops
implementing a battery testing regime can
be the initial outlay for a battery analyser and a
fear that testing will take up valuable workshop
time. Our Complete Workshop Battery Testing
Kit is a great solution. It not only provides workshops
with an accurate tester, but also the information,
guidance and point of sales material
they need to make the scheme a success. The
test itself takes less than a minute and is even
quicker after some practice.”
they are only making the number
of starts the SLI battery is
designed to make and are subsequently
lasting significantly
longer than was expected.
“As a result, AGM batteries
still do not feature greatly
in the marketplace, despite
the fact that most cars now
use them. Therefore, there is
a danger that technicians and
workshops could be unprepared
and without the correct
understanding and tools needed
to communicate with these
potentially complex AGM battery
systems. Nevertheless, by
the end of the year, 12 percent
of battery replacements will be
AGM, and by 2020, it is expected
that this will increase to a
fifth.”
Ecobat offers a range of tools
for testing, fault-finding and
installing AGM batteries, saying
any time a car is in for servicing
or repairs, the battery
should be tested as a matter of
course.
“A battery testing tool is an
essential aid for workshops as
it can provide accurate readings,
without the need to remove
the battery. The device
also tells the condition of both
AGM and SLI batteries meaning
that technicians can determine
the battery’s state of
charge, starting capacity, electrical
consumption and charging
voltage, so that they can
assess the health of the battery
and, if necessary, apply the precise
charging regime to keep it
in the best possible condition,”
Ecobat says.
“Should an AGM battery
need replacing, technicians can
turn to another tool that will
allow them install the battery
with confidence. The battery
validation tool (BVT) follows
a ‘connect and reset’ process
through a simple six-button/
LED graphics display, meaning
they can view the order
to validate the replacement.
When connected, the BVT will
go through the reset procedure
to correctly introduce and integrate
the battery into the vehicle’s
electronic systems.”
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