Battery support tips from Ring Automotive
Ring Automotive is urging technicians to undertake the ‘holy trinity’ of battery support with every vehicle that enters the workshop: test, charge, start.
“As the colder months creep up, it’s a well known fact that drivers will be looking at their battery and worrying about its health,” said the company.
“While batteries have to work harder in the cold, the damage to a battery is done in the summer months as the heat increases the chemical reaction within a battery, depleting its energy.
“This means it sends out a weaker charge and has a reduced capacity to crank in cold temperatures. The damage this heat causes to the battery can remain for months, meaning that when the weather turns colder as it’s doing now, it’s likely the battery will fail due to the previous effects the heat had on it.”
To react to this inevitable demand, Ring Automotive is advising technicians to adopt the holy trinity of battery care – test, charge, start – but to do this, it says, they need premium quality battery support units they can rely on.
“The first task a technician should do is test the battery to see if there’s an issue,” said the company.
“This should be done to every battery that enters a workshop, as it’s not always clear the battery is failing and technicians should be trying to prevent this before it happens.
“Ring’s new battery analyser (RBAG950) can provide a complete health check of the battery and electrical systems in both 12V and 24V vehicles, including motorcycles, cars and vans.
“Suitable for 12V lead acid, AGM, EFB, gel and LiFePO4 lithium, as well as start/stop batteries, this multi-functional analyser is able to test the battery, alternator, starter and vehicle earth, via its intuitive graphical interface.
“The battery analyser test simply carries out a battery health check and gives the user a reading detailing the state of the battery, whereas the alternator test, for both normal and smart 12V/24V alternators, will detect battery charging problems by checking if the alternator voltages fall within normal operating ranges.”
In a similar vein is the starter test for both 12V and 24V vehicles, says Ring, which checks for potential starting problems by measuring battery voltage drop during engine cranking. The final test this battery analyser can undertake is the earth test to check that the earth connections between battery, engine and chassis are in good condition.
“The RBAG950 can also diagnose if a battery is faulty or not. As is known, if a battery falls below 12.5V, then it will be in depletion mode and will have damaged the plates. So, even though the battery is not that low, the damage done is permanent. Yet, if the battery is at 12.5V or above, it can be charged and will work effectively, so there is a known tipping point for battery charging states. Therefore, Ring suggests that technicians should check every battery they get supplied to make sure it is above 12.5V.”
After testing if the battery is working efficiently, technicians should look to see if it needs charging, says Ring.
“The best way to get a battery running at optimum level is to charge it using a smart battery charger. It is the most effective method of preventing the energy sapping functions from draining the battery.
“Ring Smart Chargers will not only add charge to the battery, but due to the float mode, they can be left safely connected on a permanent basis, compared to traditional trickle chargers.”
Ring’s RSCP5024 is a complete battery support unit, suitable for 12V and 24V vehicles with mixed battery types, including lithium and start/stop.
“Slimline and light, it’s ideal for intensive use with fleets of mixed vehicles, in garages, workshops and showroom environments,” said the company.
“Using the power supply function, technicians can maintain a constant battery voltage level at both 12V and 24V for when appliances or programming and vehicle diagnostic equipment is connected and drawing power.
“Multi-chemistry and charging level selection allow the user to set the specific charge required for different battery types. Test functions provide battery and alternator diagnosis.”
The unit features an LCD display and an easy-to-navigate menu system, Ring adds, and smart charge technology which optimises battery performance and improves the ability to hold charge. It offers two dedicated charging curves, seven-stage for lithium batteries and nine-stage for all other chemistries, optimising the battery performance and improving the ability to hold charge.
“Finally, if the battery is completely dead and needs jump starting, Ring has a fantastic range of jump starters, such as its professional heavy duty Lithium Jump Starter, (RPPL1000) that is able to withstand the tough conditions in a workshop, but is also lightweight (weighs 2kg) and compact, so it can be moved quickly and easily to where it’s needed,” said the company.
“The RPPL1000 jump starter is for 12V systems with 1000A starting capacity and 1500A peak current. This jump starter is capable of performing multiple starts from just one charge and can be used for all petrol vehicles and diesel engines up to 10-litre capacity.”
