Battery protection is extremely important as it helps motorists avoid the inconvenience and expense of a flat battery. This is especially important if vehicles such as seasonal farming vehicles, classics cars and motorcycles are left standing for prolonged periods of time. 

Batteries which are left standing for a long time will slowly discharge which, if left untreated, will eventually kill the battery.

Here are our top battery protection tips to help you avoid battery failure in vehicles that aren’t used regularly.

When putting the vehicle away, either between seasons or over winter:

  • The battery should be checked for any cracks and disposed of or repaired professionally if needed.
  • The top of the battery, the terminal posts and connections should be carefully cleaned with water and baking soda to remove any dirt or moisture. Dirty or moist surfaces increase the likelihood of discharge.
  • Contact terminals should be clean, dry and lightly greased to protect against corrosion.
  • Traditional wet/flooded batteries (not maintenance free types) should have electrolyte levels checked and topped up with distilled water between the minimum and maximum levels.
  • To avoid a flat battery, maintain a constant, regular charge. If you have electricity in your garage or storage area you can use a smart battery charger that will maintain charge levels, keep the battery in good condition and ensure that the vehicle is ready when you need it.

Before restarting the vehicle:

  • Ensure that the battery terminals are clean and secure.
  • Check battery charge levels and recharge the battery if required.
  • It’s a common misconception that a jump start, followed by a long drive, fully recharges the battery from the alternator. This is not the case, as an alternator will only partly charge the battery. After this first drive, the battery will need to be charged or it will quickly drain again.

Battery protection needn’t be a chore, especially when connected to a CTEK smart charger. All CTEK chargers are fully automatic, spark proof and reverse polarity protected, and don’t need any specialist knowledge to use them.

Thanks to our patented pulse maintenance technology, our chargers can be connected to the battery for months at a time so you can simply connect and forget.