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 Lead-acid battery 1
Before we begin discussing this topic, here's an important note. There are, in fact, people who don't pay attention to whether they're actually saving money by doing it themselves, excluding, of course, those who
tinker with their cars just for fun. That is why it is important to ask whether my actions actually have a worthwhile effect or not.
So if you don't have a multimeter, a charger, or a battery tester, you should take a moment to consider the costs. If we set aside the cheap options, a battery from a reputable manufacturer is available for a
compact-class diesel vehicle starting at around 80 euros. Of course, we've left out all the extras here, such as the automatic start-stop system.
At the repair shop, you'll have to pay at least 50 percent more for that, all in all, it's a very tight calculation. But a battery tester costs exactly that much extra. So you're working for free and have to do the
remodeling yourself, too. As I said, this isn't a problem at all for DIYers. However, you generally won't need the battery tester again for at least eight years.
However, the devices are convenient and have the advantage of also measuring the current output. This way, you can be sure that your battery really does need to be replaced. This way, you avoid the
possibility that the repair shop will only look at your repair history and, after, say, six to eight years, replace the part almost automatically.
You can also be sure that this will prevent a particularly unpleasant test scenario from occurring, namely, starting the engine with the starter motor locked while simultaneously measuring the current.
Workshops often have little trouble letting the starter motor crank for an extended period. Why? Because it just causes him to suffer, but it doesn't actually damage him. Long-term effects are rarely
measurable with any precision and are certainly irrelevant to repair shops.
Let's move on to the second purchase: a charger. It'll cost you significantly less, partly because you don't need professional-grade equipment or a high amperage here. It's quick to test, and if it doesn't work,
just return it. That offers added value simply because it might be needed more often than once every eight years. For example, if you drove too many short trips in the winter-which you should avoid anyway.
However, it doesn't help to keep recharging a dead battery, because while the car will start that way, it won't start again after the next period of inactivity. By the way, there are devices that are so “smart” that
they don’t even try to charge below a certain voltage. However, you can get around this by connecting a voltage source, say, 9 volts, in parallel. A little over 12 volts works, because the device then indicates
that the battery is fully charged.
You may realize that you can't do without a (decent) multimeter. It makes sense anyway, since you'll need it for all sorts of things in the car. But keep in mind that if you're not particularly tech-savvy, things will
get more expensive from now on. However, the potential service life would have increased dramatically. The emphasis is on “possible,” because if it just sits in a desk drawer, its useful life decreases just
as drastically.
Well, now things are really getting exciting. How can you tell if a battery is defective if you have a charging device and a multimeter? Of course, the first step is to establish reasonable conditions for testing. So,
first, recharge it until it can't take any more. In that case, it's best to wait and give the battery 1 to 3 hours to stabilize. Now it is ready for the use of the multimeter.
It's time to measure the voltage. The exclusion criterion is practically met if you measure just slightly above 12V or less, because it really should be at least, say, 12.4. But maybe we'll let her enjoy the
upcoming summer. After all, what's actually even more important is how quickly it loses its capacity. It's hard to give exact figures here, but it should maintain this level over the next few days. Below 12V
even starting the car in the summer can be difficult.
As you can see, using a charging device and a multimeter makes the process a bit more involved, but it significantly expands the range of applications. At the very least, you can set stricter limits and, considering
ts remaining service life,
But is that possible? The first step in troubleshooting is to consult the user manual, something we rarely do anyway. What steps need to be taken after reconnecting the cable? For example, do I have
the radio code needed for that? Only once this has been completely clarified can you begin to look for the type of fastening or a possible solution. Here, too, everything has to work with the new battery-for
example, there needs to be a terminal block at the bottom.
You know what? Just bring the battery with you when you go to buy the new one. Sometimes there's even a fairly substantial bonus for the old battery. We even managed once to drive up with the old battery,
remove it, and then install the new one in such a way that no further work was needed. It would also save time compared to the workshop.
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