It is well known that batteries suffer in the Winter, we highly recommend being PROACTIVE when it comes to battery maintenance in the cold, harsh winter months.

The cold winter weather can reduce the battery’s performance by 50%, causing many cars not being able to start up, let alone warm up! The AA have recorded between December and February their top call out reason was battery failure. Power demands increase during colder weather due to the use of heaters and lighting etc. This puts a large strain on the battery and if a vehicle’s battery is in poor condition you can expect to be stuck with a non-start.

So, what can you do to prevent battery failure in winter? Here is our top tips!

Offer a battery health check

Our top tip is simply to be PROACTIVE. Reach out to your customers and offer them a battery health check. Maintaining the battery is a simple yet vital to prevent vehicles from breaking down. By offering your customers a health check you have the opportunity not only to charge for the testing but also recharging/maintenance and battery replacement if required. Being PROACTIVE around battery management has the following benefits…

• Opportunity for testing and charging
• New battery sales
• Less breakdowns

This is a win win scenario, as your workshop will increase revenue and your customers will be avoiding unnecessary breakdowns.

Carry out a Visual Inspection

When the vehicle is in your workshop carry out a quick visual inspection. The battery could be in perfect condition yet other external factors could affect the battery’s performance.

First off check the terminals. Are there any signs of corrosion around the terminals. Corroded terminals can cause current to be restricted and not flow as it should. This can easily be rectified by cleaning the terminals. If it is severe the battery may need replacing.

Check the connections. Are the connections to the vehicle sat correctly and tight enough? Over time the connections will naturally loosen. If the connections disconnect the vehicle will suffer the same consequences as battery failure. Give them a quick check and tighten if needed.

These checks are quick yet extremely effective.

Test and Charge

Ensure your workshop is equipped to test and charge batteries effectively. Do you need to invest in new equipment? Does your current equipment need servicing or calibration?

Give all your equipment a check over and if it does need servicing get it done sooner rather than later. If you have Midtronics or CTEK equipment we can help with servicing, go to our repair page for more information.

We recommend testing every single battery that enters your workshop. Then offer charging the battery to your customers.

Use ROBIS Battery Diagnostic Report

Most customers don’t have any understanding of how batteries work and the consequences of battery failure. Most battery testers come with a printer that provides a small print out with the battery test results printed. To customers, this provides no benefit without a trained  technician to advise them. Without the correct knowledge customers may decide to avoid having their battery maintained or replaced.

To make understanding battery health easy we have designed and developed the Battery Diagnostic Report on ROBIS (Rotronics Online Battery Information System). By using a compatible battery tester you can quickly and easily produce an easy to understand battery health report with easy to read and understand descriptions. All you have to do is carry out a battery test, Log into ROBIS and then download the report.

This report gives your customers insight into their battery that they would’ve never had before. Battery replacement or maintenance opportunities will be increased due to customers understanding the importance of maintaining their batteries.

If you want to boost your battery maintenance opportunities this winter get in touch with one of our experts. From service and support to developing your battery management programme, we are here to help.