Masterparts offers a full range of maintenance-free car batteries.
These batteries don’t need topping up with fluid and are resistant to corrosion, resulting in longer battery life.
What does a battery do in a car?
The battery is the car’s power bank. It provides the electricity to crank the engine, and maintains a stable charge to keep it running.
Without a battery, the vehicle won’t start.
In addition to delivering electricity to the ignition system, the battery works with the alternator to power the electronics – the lights, windscreen wipers, air con, GPS, sound system and so on.
The battery’s role is to regulate the voltage fed to the electronics system. That way, it prevents electrical surges that can damage the car’s electronic control unit (ECU).
How does a car battery work?
A standard car battery consists of plates of lead, alternating with plates of other materials. These plates are suspended in an electrolyte solution consisting of sulphuric acid and water.
Each cell of the battery contains a positive, lead plate and a negative, antimony or calcium plate. A chemical reaction between the two plates creates electrical energy.
Turning on the ignition of the car activates the chemical reaction within the battery. The electrical current travels from the battery, through the starting system, and starts the engine.
Symptoms of flat or faulty car batteries
The average life span of a car battery is three to five years.
Thereafter, batteries deteriorate to a point where they are no longer capable of generating sufficient electricity to power a car.
As the safe operation of a vehicle is reliant on a fully functioning battery, it’s advisable to replace the part at the earliest sign of malfunction.
Common indications of a battery’s impending end of life are:
- slow cranking engine
- low battery fluid levels
- dim or failing lights
- rotten egg smell
- corroded battery terminals
- swollen or misshapen battery casing.
Anyone can change the battery of a car. It’s simple DIY vehicle maintenance that doesn’t require specialised skills or equipment.
Maintenance-free car batteries
Maintenance-free batteries have a longer lifespan than conventional lead-acid batteries. They are sealed, maintenance-free systems that do not require regular fluid top ups.
Modified design features include deeper fluid reservoirs, and thicker and more durable battery casings.
In these types of batteries, the negative plates within the cells consist of calcium, rather than the standard antimony.
Calcium plates prevent gassing and the associated water loss. The electrolyte fluid does not overheat and expand, compromising the integrity of battery casing.
High-quality automotive car batteries for sale in South Africa
We offer door-to-door delivery. Alternatively, visit any of our branches in South Africa or in Windhoek, Namibia.
Car batteries in and around Cape Town:
Car batteries in KwaZulu-Natal:
Car batteries in Namibia:
Along with maintenance-free car batteries, Masterparts stocks a comprehensive range of automotive components – so you can complete a full repair with one stop. Contact us if there’s a part you need and we’ll do our best to assist.
