Car batteries / Starter batteries

The car battery is also called the starter battery or vehicle battery. It is a battery that supplies the starter motor in your vehicle with energy. The starter batteries can discharge and lose their efficiency over time. For this reason battery replacement is unavoidable. Only that when can be influenced.

In general, there are differences in the quality of starter batteries. High-quality branded products usually have a longer shelf life than cheap products. The highest quality original car batteries of the vehicle manufacturers, which we offer you in our shop at a cheaper price than the authorized repair shops.

In the lower part of the page we will explain the function and causes of defective vehicle batteries in more detail. We also briefly explain how batteries are properly disposed of and what the battery deposit is all about.

What function do starter batteries have?

When starting a vehicle, important assemblies must be supplied with power. These include:

• Control units
• Injection system
• Ignition coil
• Annealing unit

The required voltage for this comes from the car battery. It also supplies the starter motor with energy. During the starting process, the battery consumes around 0.2 Ah (ampere-hours) for petrol vehicles and around 0.4 Ah for diesel vehicles. Once the engine is running, the alternator is responsible for the power supply and recharges the starter battery. It takes about 5-10 minutes to drive.

In addition to the starting process, the car battery is also used to eliminate voltage peaks during normal driving and to supply energy to various consumers such as the clock, radio, etc. during stationary operation. But even in an emergency, e.g. if the engine suddenly fails, the starter battery must be used. It supplies the emergency lighting such as lights and hazard warning lights with energy and enables further start attempts.

How can starter batteries break?

Car batteries, like any other rechargeable battery, can only go through a limited number of charging and discharging cycles. This is due to internal chemical processes that gradually reduce the ability to store and release energy. These processes are favoured if the car battery is not fully recharged or even completely discharged.

Very cold temperatures, but also constant short trips (up to 3-4km) shorten the life of a car battery very much. In addition, improper use of the energy storage can accelerate wear. This includes:

• Too long service lives
• Antempered vehicle lighting
• Operation of larger consumers with engine switched off: radio, parking heater, light, etc.
• Overload of the vehicle electrical system due to additional installed loads

The starter battery is particularly strained in winter when various consumers such as radio, (rear window) heater, fan etc. are already switched on during the starting process.

What to look out for when buying a car battery?

In general, the car batteries commonly used in Europe today are 12V batteries with the rating "maintenance-free". This means that no more water has to be refilled, as was common in the past. Deciding whether or not a starter battery fits depends on the following points:

• Capacity, measured in ampere hours (AH)
• Cold start current, measured in Amperes (A)
• Dimensions of the battery in length x width x height

If the dimensions are correct, a car battery with higher capacities (Ah and A) can also be used. However, it is not advisable to use smaller batteries, as they may be used too much or do not have enough power to start the engine.

By the way, a so-called "Intelligent Battery Sensor" (IBS) is installed in most vehicles after 2008. This measures the state of voltage, current and temperature of a car battery. When the battery is changed, it is therefore necessary to register the new starter battery in the energy management system. This is the only way the system recognizes that a new battery is installed and the IBS can work properly again.

The date of manufacture is usually printed on the car battery. Ideally, a starter battery should be installed in the car within 15 months of manufacture. This is the period of time in which the voltage without charging is still high enough for direct installation. On some batteries, e.g. those from PSA, the period of time until which the car battery should be installed in the vehicle is indicated directly.

How to properly dispose of a car battery?

A battery deposit of 7,50€ will be charged for each car battery. You can either get this back from the dealer where you bought the car battery or offset it against the purchase of the next starter battery. To receive the battery deposit, it is not necessary to return the old battery.

Like all other batteries, starter batteries are dangerous goods. They must be packed carefully and must also be labelled as dangerous goods during transport, which makes shipping costs very high. We therefore advise against the independent return of car batteries and ask you to return faulty batteries to a hazardous waste collection point. Have the return of the used battery acknowledged at the collection point and simply send the receipt to the dealer. The dealer can then credit the deposit back to your account.

High battery life with original car batteries

The service life of a starter battery can be extended by correct handling. It is also possible to install a battery with a higher performance in the vehicle. Nevertheless, you should also pay attention to the quality of a car battery. Cheap products in the building market or supermarket wear out faster than the original products. In addition, you can be sure that the original car batteries of the vehicle manufacturers meet the requirements of the vehicles.

In particular for vehicles with start-stop function, completely different performance is required from the starter batteries. Cheap products cannot withstand these loads for long and must therefore be replaced much faster. That's why it's worthwhile to rely on original starter batteries. Our service team will be happy to advise you on the right choice of car batteries for your vehicle!