The risk of keeping a vehicle stationary for several weeks or months can be extremely costly, regardless of the vehicle age or manufacturer. The most common issue a vehicle encounters after being off the road and out of use for as little as a couple of weeks, is battery failure. Drivers are aware that they should often check tyre pressure and tread, engine oil and coolant, but surprisingly battery health is too often neglected and is not thought about until it’s too late.

The average cost of a domestic vehicle battery replacement in the UK,  including labour, is upwards of £150 and for AGM battery this cost can easily double. This is a cost which no one will be pleased to have to find the money for, and is a cost which can be easily avoided by thinking ahead, and preparing your household vehicles for being off-the-road for an unknown period of time. UK breakdown organisations continue to report that battery failure is the primary reason for vehicle defects, so don’t run the risk of getting stranded.

Rotronics specialises in battery management solutions nationwide. We supply and service battery chargers to the emergency services, breakdown organisations, distribution services and Public Transport. We work hard to keep vehicles in good working order through battery management maintenance programmes. With over 26 years of expertise in our field, we wanted to share some tips with you on how to maintain your vehicle/s battery health during any unprecedented downtime.

• Do not fall into the trap of thinking that by running your vehicle for a few minutes, or taking for a short drive a few times a week will maintain its health. This is a myth, and doing so can cause bigger deterioration of battery than not driving it at all.
• Reduce the need for a jump starts by ensuring you have a suitable battery charger to hand.
• Practice good housekeeping by ensuring your vehicle lights are switched off. If you have a keyless entry then keep your keys stored away from the car to stop ECU (electronic control units), being activated.
• Leading on from the above, if you have an integrated garage keep keys out of range of the vehicle.
• Keep your battery charged at all times.

When you begin your research for a battery charger, there are several things to take into consideration. Working with commercial fleets and transport companies for 26 years, we’ve seen first-hand the detrimental effects of not investing in the correct equipment, these effects are the same for domestic vehicles.

• We strongly advise choosing an intelligent smart charger so you don’t run of risk overcharging your battery – subsequently causing severe battery damage.
• Ensure the charger is suitable for the type of battery you’re charging (i.e. AGM or lithium etc.)
• Choose a charger with a minimum of 7amp charging capability. For vehicles which will be stationary and not in use for some time, it’s incredibly important that your battery charger does not fail you when you need it the most. A 7amp charger boasts the feature of being able to quickly charge even the most deeply discharged batteries.
• Select a charger where charge time is reduced. In case of emergencies, you certainly would not want to wait longer than you need to get your car back on the road.
• Make sure it’s user friendly. Ideally, you’ll need one which just needs single operation, simple to use and without an array of modes or options to select from. Keep it simple, and keep it quick.
• We often hear of people wanting to keep their charger plugged into their vehicle, to ensure the vehicle is ready to go at any given point. Now this may or may not be important to you personally, but it’s certainly a factor to consider.
• Make the investment. Cheap chargers are commonly available, but like any serious purchase – you will only get what you pay for. Remember that you’re not just paying to charge your vehicle’s battery, you’re paying for the assurance that your car will be ready for you whenever you need it – especially in times of emergency.

Our recommended charger for customers wanting assurance that their vehicle battery remains in top condition whilst being off the road, is the CTEK XS700. This charger is fully automatic, simply plug it in.