Car Battery - Factors You Need to Consider Before You Buy One

A battery supplies your engine with the necessary power it needs to start. To generate this power, it relies on sulphuric acid electrolyte and lead plates. A battery has 6 cells, each of which can generate about 2 volts. So, in total, it produces around 12 volts of electricity.

Along with powering the starter motor, the car battery also powers the ignition system. Also, any additional energy that other electrical components need, which exceeds the alternator’s capacity, will be supplied by your car’s battery.

Although lead-acid batteries are quite reliable, you will need to replace your battery, at best, every 4 years. When a battery approaches the end of it service span, most often it causes a delay with engine start.

So, if you are looking for a new car battery in Preston, consider equipping yourself with the right know-how first to make a better choice.

How to select the right battery

Different vehicles have different demands, which depend on their size, components and performance. Here are a few factors you must consider before buying car batteries.

1. Decide between standard flooded battery and AGM

• Flooded batteries – Also known as wet batteries, are the most common battery construction. Here, the electrolyte is in a liquid state, and the lead plates remain submerged in them. Wet batteries come cheap, but requires regular maintenance, such as electrolyte top ups. They will also need frequent recharging as they hold charge for less amount of time.
• AGM batteries – These are speciality batteries. AGM stands for absorbed glass mat, which refers to the fibreglass mesh inside the casing that holds the electrolyte. These batteries are highly impact-resistant and have the least internal resistance.

They boast lesser charging time as well. With all these benefits, they are expensive and cost more. They are easy to store and do not tend to accumulate sulphate residues. If you don’t drive daily, an AGM battery is the choice for you, as they hold their charge longer than other batteries.

2. Consider size and layout

You will need to consider the physical dimensions and the terminal locations, which depend on your vehicle’s make and model. Size and layout are usually based on your engine type and vehicle design.

3. Choose appropriate cold cranking amps

CCA is a rating system that the battery industry uses to define its ability to supply an engine with the necessary amount of power in cold temperatures. It is the number of amperes a 12-Volt battery can generate at -17° C while maintaining a minimum voltage of 7.2 volts.

4. Battery reserve capacity

You can identify this factor on the battery body as RC, short for reserve capacity. Reserve capacity is an indication of the duration a battery can operate without any recharging. Amp hour is a similar specification, but it refers to the amount of energy a battery stores.

A thorough engine diagnostics in Preston from a reputed auto garage will enable the technician to understand your vehicles power requirement better and recommend you with a battery of appropriate specification.

Top auto garages such as Preston Tyre Bay sell batteries suitable for all kinds of vehicles. They also provide services such as engine diagnostics, brake repair and tyre repair.

The Essentials of Brake Repair for Every Brit Car Owner

Brake repairing is one of the most essential tasks of maintaining a car. With regular check-up of your brakes, you will have control over your safety. Along with good driving habits, having some knowledge of the braking system can help in accurate maintenance. Before you visit a garage for Brake Repair in Preston, consider reading this post.

Types of Brakes:

1.    Mechanical Brakes

Hand brakes use this mechanism. This operates with a lever that activates a set of steel wire connections which create a tension in the brakes. The brake shoes hold the drum from rotating and hence, negating the momentum of rotating wheels.

2.    Hydraulic brakes

Hydraulic brake system uses brake fluid to transfer pressure from the brake pedal to the pads or shoe. When you press the pedal, brake fluid transfers this pressure to the brake pads. These brakes follow the law of hydraulics, utilising fluids of carrying viscosity to generate the necessary force for your car brakes to function.

3.    Power Brakes:

Power brakes are a notch above standard hydraulic brake systems. They have a booster located between the brake pedal and master cylinder, which helps in activating the brakes. Two types of power-assisted mechanism exist: vacuum-assisted and hydraulically assisted.

4.    Air Brakes:

Air brake systems consist of air compressor, air reserve tank, check valves and safety valves. It is similar to hydraulic brakes, the key difference being the medium of force transmission. Here the air works as the medium, applying the necessary pressure to the wheels.

Apart from these above constituents, modern brake system comes equipped with advanced technologies such as the EBD (Electronic Brake-force distribution or Electronic Brake-force limitation) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System). It is advisable to leave these systems to experts in case of service requirements. However, these sophisticated technologies don’t develop faults that frequently. It’s the mechanical components which need most of the repair works.

Brake Maintenance Tips

Remember the following tips:

·         Whenever you are stopping at high speeds, always try and downshift while pressing down the brakes. This will take some of the functional pressure from the brake shoes and its other vital parts.

·         Never go to service stations who say they can ‘repair’ the most important brake parts. Brake components need replacements, not repairs.

·         Make sure to top up the brake fluid levels.

·         If possible, ensure that you get your brakes looked at once every 6 months. This is especially necessary if you drive on semi-urban and rural roads.

·         Get hold of your car owner’s manual. It will show you how to take good care of your brakes.

·         Always opt for the best brake replacements even if they are costlier than standard ones. You will get good service over longer spans of time even if you have to shell out a bit more.

 Hopefully, this information will help you to better administer the next brake repairing process. If you live in Preston and are looking for brake repair services and Engine Diagnostic in Preston, you may consider visiting a reliable auto garage like Preston Tyre Bay.

Pirelli Shows Off New ‘Golden Groove’ Safety Technology Aimed to Revolutionise Current Standards

Pirelli, the Italian powerhouse with a fondness for manufacturing tyres as well as influencing modern culture, is at it again. This time, it has brought its latest technology, dubbed Golden Groove, to several countries in the Middle East. 

With this new expansion, Pirelli’s intention of regaining its top spot in the global tyre manufacturing business seems to be en route to fruition. A company, which calls itself ‘Tire Profiles’(using the Americanised version of the spelling), was the first to introduce this new technology. Tire Profiles is a creation of the well-known MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co., a provider of very high-end garages and vehicle-specific software.

In a sense, Pirelli is the first major player to adopt ‘Tire Profiles’ Groove Glove technology. Read on to know how it may redefine the humble tyre in even the smallest hamlets in the UK, including the best tyres in Preston.

What’s the big deal with Golden Groove?

Lack of real-time information on how their tyres are performing is asignificant safety hazard which many motorists across the world face. Golden Groove promises to address that situation. 

 

What Golden Groove does is it measures and delivers tyre-related details. This new technology focuses primarily on five different areas:

• Suspension
• Tyre pressure
• Alignment issues
• Wear and tear of tyres, and
• Tyre replacement recommendations
  
  
  
  
  

How does Golden Groove help you?

This latest technology helps determine the tread depth of a tyre; it is accurate to a tenth of a millimetre. Working in the background is the Groove Grove algorithm which measures the capabilities of your existing set of tyres at a speed of 110 mph and compares these measurements with an identical set of new tyres.

These measurements are then used to calculate vital data like the condition of the existing tyres, which in turn points out the braking quality. Thousands of points of contact on the tyre are measured simultaneously to check if a replacement is imminent. 

 

This same technology also helps the driver keep a tab on the rate of wear and tear of the vehicle’s tyres.

Significanceof Pirelli’s adoption of new technologies

Pirelli has, in a sense, had as much influence on tyre renaissance as its native city, Milan, had hundreds of years ago in human history. With Pirelli adding this new technology to their arsenal, they have the potential to become the company that manufactures the safest tyres. In fact, this Italian icon has already started delivering this new technology to many countries in the Middle East.

Looking for a brighter future

Pirelli intends to introduce Golden Groove to most European countries soon. This new technology promises to bring enormous safety implications in the near future. It means that you might find safer and more efficient tyres next time when you decide to buy a new set for your car. Reliable retailers like Preston Tyre Bay will stock these factory-fresh models.