LONDON--January 16, 2013: The start of the New Year and spring is traditionally the time for car owners to sell up and buy a new model so CTEK, a global battery maintenance and care brand, is reminding those making a purchase to undertake checks on the battery.
Whilst many garages will undertake a service on second hand vehicles before re-selling them, checking that the battery is at its optimum charge state and also that the unit will hold its charge is not always part of the investigations. Therefore, before relying on a new car, owners would be wise to undertake their own simple checks, helping to reduce the risk of an untimely breakdown.
A smart battery charger can be used to determine the health of most vehicles' batteries -- from cars to boats, from electric wheelchairs to motorbikes -- before you take action. Just as a battery cannot operate at its full potential when under charged, an over charged battery can also prove damaging to the power source; both are issues of battery charging mismanagement and such treatment is likely to result in a battery failure, potentially years in advance of a battery that has been properly cared for.
Jan-Ulf Soderberg, head of brand and marketing at CTEK, says: "After buying a nearly new or used car, you should always undertake your own inspections on components such as the battery, tyres, oil and engine coolant. Even if the seller has said such checks have been completed, nobody wants to have an unexpected, and maybe very costly, breakdown so it really is worth taking the time to get peace of mind.
"Furthermore, if a car is being bought through a private sale, you should ask questions about the current owner's driving habits to reveal any underlying battery issues. If the driver has regularly been doing short journeys, the battery may be deeply discharged and require replacing. In this instance it may be wise to return with a smart battery charger to test the health and if findings aren't great, there may be room for negotiation on the price of the car."
