Sections
Reference sections
The reference is organised into four sections. The first explains how a starter battery works and how the different types compare. The second covers checking your battery's condition and charging it without causing harm. The third deals with the cold season and storage when the car sits unused for long periods. The fourth brings together safety rules and information on recycling.
Most battery trouble comes down to three things: undercharging, dirty terminals and the cold. Get those sorted and you have answered the lion's share of questions.
The sections cover issues every driver runs into sooner or later: why the car is slow to start, how to tell whether the battery is still good, whether you can charge it yourself and where to take an old one. We do not publish repair or teardown instructions, and for anything beyond routine care we recommend seeing a specialist.
Design and types
A standard lead-acid car battery has a nominal voltage of 12 V: inside, 6 cells of 2 V each are connected together. There are also variants such as AGM and EFB, which cope better with frequent starts but need a suitable charging mode.
- Glossary: cell, electrolyte, plates
The key words that help you read the label and the manual.
- Collection: "Buying a new battery"
Which specs to look at and why the battery type should match your manual.
- Answers about replacement
How to tell a battery is worn out, and what can happen if you get the polarity wrong.
Testing and charging
A multimeter is the simplest way to find out what state your battery is in. And charging at home is safe as long as you keep the area ventilated and follow the charger's manual.
- How to charge a car battery at home
A practical article: preparation, step-by-step procedure, mistakes and a final checklist.
- Five-step battery check
A short plan on the home page: inspection, terminals, resting reading and decision.
- Answers about signs of a flat battery
What slow cranking means and why a reading right after a drive is misleading.
Seasons and storage
In freezing weather a battery delivers current less readily and the engine is harder to turn over. When a car sits unused, charge slowly drains away by itself and through the car's onboard systems.
- Collection: "Before winter"
What to check before the first frosts so you are not left without a start one morning.
- Collection: "Car sitting unused"
How to store a battery in the car or removed from it when you won't be driving for a while.
- Self-discharge and parasitic drain
How natural loss of charge differs from a wiring fault.
Safety
The electrolyte in a lead-acid battery is a sulphuric acid solution, and hydrogen may be released during charging. Hence a few simple rules: protect your eyes and skin, ventilate, and keep flames and sparks away.
- Answers about handing in an old battery
Why it must not go in household waste and where to take it.
- Scope of the practical guide
What we deliberately leave out and when you need a specialist.
- Glossary entry on electrolyte
What to do if the solution gets on your skin or in your eyes.
Related pages
- Guides
How to charge a car battery at home: preparation, steps, mistakes and a checklist. The article catalogue is here too.
- Questions
Short answers on signs of a flat battery, charging at home, storage, replacement and recycling.
- Reference
A driver's glossary: cell, electrolyte, polarity, capacity, cold cranking amps, self-discharge and more.
Sources
- Vehicle owner's manuals
- Training materials on automotive electrical systems
- Russian Federal Waste Classification Catalogue (FKKO)
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.