STORAGE BATTERY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12116, 18 April 1925, Page 14

STORAGE BATTERY

ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

Most motorists are guilty of paying tittle attention to their car battery, and, considering its importance, this is surprising. The abuse and neglect that some batteries have to stand is amazing, but the bill has to he paid.and shorter life of battery naturally follows. The cost of a battery is an expensive item, and few new motorists realise this until they are faced with having to buy a new one, after a season or so. With careful use a highgrade battery should last from three to five years. It is not the battery makers' who are responsible for short-lived accumulators, but the car manufacturers and the users. All hut a very fewcars nowadays are sold on a price basis; that is to say, the question of - price has to be very carefully considered and manufacturing costs cut to the lowest limit. Naturally, the accessories and fittings, amongst which are included the electric batteries, are subjected also to this cost cutting, with the result that the batteries in the majority of eases are of insufficient capacity to accomplish in a satisfactory manner the, work demanded of them bv the average, driver. It is, indeed, nothing short of' marvellous what some of these small batteries will stand in the way of abuse and overloading, though the inevitable result is always apparent in a greatly shortened effective life. CORRECT LOCATION.

Another important point is the correct location on the car. The car maneracturer is very often to blame for tK way in which the -batteries are carried on the® car. To obtain the best results 1 they should be located where they are least subject to vibration and whei-* they are easy of access for inspection and removal by the driver. Neither of these conditions presents any insuperable difficulty, yet one very seldom sees an effort made to comply with these points. Even the provision of handles or straps for the lifting of tho accumulators out of their, container is comparatively rare, and one is often undsri the necessity of lifting the accumulators by the plate lugs on top—a horrible piece of maltreatment. The means oi attachment of the cables to the terminals ia usually faulty, being either troublesonie to disconnect or not making a sufficient effective contact. - Another charge which must he laid against both car and battery manufacturers is that no means is provided for enabling the driver to ascertain the condition of the battery with respect to charge. All he knows is that if the starter functions correctly and the lamps give a good light there is some charge in the accumulators, and if the starter refuses to function and the lamps give a poor light, the accumulators may he run down. In consequence, to be on the safe side, most drivers keep the charging switch on practically all the time they are driving, and perpetually overcharge the battery; which, although not so injurious as running the batteries too low, does in time have a deleterious effect on the plates and calls for frequent additions of distilled water to make up for the rapid evaporation and "boiling” away of the electrolyte. And this necessity for distilled water is seldom attended to with .the required regularity, and damage to the plates is liable if they are not kept covered with electrolyte. The driver’s share of tho responsibility for accumulator troubles may be summed up in two words—abuse and neglect. Many people persistently overstrain their batteries by using the starter on a stiff, gumiued-up engine in cold weather, and also by prolonged use of the starter when tho engine fails to 'start for any reason. Of course, if manufacturers supplied batteries of really sufficient capacity this treatment would not constitute abuse, but as matters are, when batteries of the smallest possible size are fitted, ill most certainly is abuse, and invariably must have a damaging effect. One thing is certain. Due attention to your battery will pay in extended life and service. *