Collections
Collections
A collection is a short route through the reference for a specific situation. Instead of reading everything in a row, you follow a few pages in a convenient order. There are three collections for now: getting the battery ready for cold weather, looking after the battery when the car sits for long periods, and choosing a new battery by the specs in your manual.
Checking the voltage in autumn takes a couple of minutes, while a winter morning with a car that won't start can cost you half a day. Checking the battery in advance is almost always easier than dealing with it later.
Collections include only published pages of the reference. We do not add links to shops or garages and do not compile rankings: the purpose of a collection is to help you understand what to check and what to ask a specialist.
Before winter
For anyone who wants to face the first frosts with a reliable start. In the cold a battery delivers current less readily, so an undercharge that goes unnoticed in summer makes itself felt in winter.
- Five-step battery checkBasics
Inspection, terminals, resting reading and decision: a short plan on the home page.
- How to charge a car battery at homeBasics
If the reading shows an undercharge, top it up safely and as the manual says.
- Answers about signs of a flat batteryIn depth
What slow cranking and dim headlights during starting mean.
Car sitting unused
For anyone going away for a long time, laying the car up for winter or driving only rarely. Even without any trips, a battery gradually loses charge.
- Self-discharge and parasitic drainBasics
How natural loss of charge differs from a fault.
- Answers about storageBasics
How to store a removed battery and why it should be charged before storage.
- Section: "Seasons and storage"In depth
An introduction to the topic with links to related pages.
Buying a new battery
For anyone who has decided to replace their battery. We don't recommend brands; we only explain which specs to check against your vehicle's manual.
- Glossary of specsBasics
Capacity, cold cranking amps, polarity and size in plain words.
- Answers about replacementBasics
How to choose a battery by its specs and what to do with the old one.
- Section: "Design and types"In depth
How a standard battery differs from AGM and EFB.
Related pages
- Guides
How to charge a car battery at home: preparation, steps, mistakes and a checklist. The article catalogue is here too.
- Sections
Four sections: battery design and types, testing and charging, seasons and storage, safety.
- Questions
Short answers on signs of a flat battery, charging at home, storage, replacement and recycling.
Sources
- Akb Video reference pages
- Vehicle owner's manuals
- Training materials on automotive electrical systems
Information is current as of the date the page was prepared. Batteries differ in design and maintenance requirements, so the final word always belongs to the manual for your vehicle, for the battery itself and for your charger.