We recommend against adding any additives not authorised by SuperCharge as they may cause impurities and may be detrimental to your battery. You should, however, add water only to accessible battery types, which require regular topping up. Remember to use distilled water only and be careful not to overfill.
Automotive lead-acid batteries are recyclable and should not be disposed of in a general waste bin. You can hand over your old batteries to any of our SuperCharge resellers or representatives and we will ensure they are recycled by an authorised company. SuperCharge Batteries is a member of Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) and we are committed to the responsible recovery of used lead-acid batteries.
What’s inside the battery makes a difference. Batteries are built with plates made of lead, alloys and lead oxide. Throughout its life, plates are charged and discharged thousands of times. The quality of the materials, workmanship, and special design features in the manufacturing process can make a significant difference in a battery’s performance. Calcium lead alloys, demineralised electrolyte, and durable separator materials are just a few of the internal components that distinguish the quality of batteries.
SuperCharge batteries have special applications (automotive starting battery, motorcycle, deep cycle, dual purpose, marine battery and others) suitable for your needs
A starting battery is designed to deliver several hundred amperes of power to the starter motor within a few seconds. The power comes off the surface of the plates inside the battery. A battery with more plate surface and less resistance will deliver more instant power. Alternatively, a deep cycle battery is called upon to deliver a long, slow discharge of fewer amperes, for several minutes or hours, in deep cycle applications like trolling motors, etc. Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and are designed for discharge cycles. It is not recommended to use starter batteries for deep cycle applications as it will reduce battery life or may cause sudden death of battery due to shorted cell. Likewise, a deep cycle battery is not suitable for starting as it will not give enough power for cranking an engine. .
Sealed valve-regulated (SVR) technology encompasses both gelled electrolyte and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. AGMs are mostly used in special applications where spill-proof / leak-proof design is required.
Yes. Recharging a wet lead-acid battery produces hydrogen and oxygen gas. While spark retarding cover/vent caps help prevent external explosions, sparks occur when jump starting, connecting or disconnecting the charger or cables and igniting the gas. Inadequate ventilation, poor connections and batteries not properly maintained may trigger causes of explosion.
Battery replacement may be necessary if you experience any of the following: loss of power in cold or extended starts, slow or interrupted turnover of the starting motor, or if the battery discharge light on the vehicle instrument panel is lit. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should have your battery and/or electrical system checked. You can always look for a SuperCharge representative or reseller for more information.
Heat and vibration are the most harmful elements to an automobile battery. However, many other factors can cause failure, such as: corroded cables and terminals, lack of electrolyte maintenance, sulfating, alternator/regulator malfunction, and electric shorts.
If a battery was discharged quickly then it should be recharged quickly, and a slowly discharged battery should be recharged slowly. The main concern is to not overheat nor overcharge the battery.
All batteries contain sulfuric acid and can generate explosive gases. Read and follow all warning labels before charging a battery. Be sure to charge in a well-ventilated area.
It is important to follow the charging instructions to ensure that the battery is returned to a full charge as battery chargers vary by manufacturer. For best results, charge the battery as soon as you know it is discharged.
AGM and Gel batteries require lower charging rates compared to regular flooded lead-acid varieties, and are usually charged at constant voltage.
Warning: Once a battery has been fully charged, it should be disconnected from the charger immediately. Continuing to charge a fully charged battery will severely damage the internal plates and shorten battery life.
When charging lead-acid batteries, the temperature should not exceed 45 degrees C. At this point it should be taken off charge and allowed to cool before resuming the charge process.
CA/cranking amps determine how much power you have to start your car in most climates. The basic job of a battery is to start an engine; it must crank, or rotate the crankshaft while at the same time maintaining sufficient voltage to activate the ignition system until the engine fires and maintains rotation. This requirement involves a high discharge rate in amperes for a short period of time. Since it is more difficult for a battery to deliver power and that the engine requires more power to turn over when it is cold, the Cold Cranking rating is defined in international test standards as: The number of amperes a lead-acid battery at -17.8 degrees C, can deliver for 30 seconds and maintain at least 1.2 volts per cell-volt battery. In other words, CCA/cold cranking amps determine how much power you have to start your car on cold winter mornings.
Reserve capacity is the time in minutes that a new, fully charged battery will deliver 25 amperes at 80 degrees F and maintain a terminal voltage equal to, or greater than, 1.75 volts per cell. This rating represents the time it will continue to operate essential accessories if the alternator or generator of a vehicle fails. In other terms, it is a battery’s ability to sustain a minimum vehicle electrical load in the event of a charging system failure. Under the worst conditions (winter driving at night), low beam head lamps, windshield wipers, and defroster while driving at low speeds.
Heat increases the rate of evaporation, which causes a loss of water from the electrolyte. Extreme heat also increases the rate of self-discharge and promotes the corrosion of the positive plate grids. Extreme cold dramatically reduces the speed at which chemical reaction can occur, while increasing electrolyte resistance. It is important to keep batteries at a full charge during periods of extreme cold. Those in a discharged state are susceptible to freezing, which can cause damage to the plates and container. Automobiles demand more from a battery in freezing temperatures as the motor oil thickens and makes the engine harder to crank. Heat is the number one killer of a battery. Although it increases the performance in the short-term, life is drastically reduced over time
When a battery is discharged (flattened), the car’s alternator will try to recharge it as best it can. This added load on the engine will use more fuel
No. Using a car battery to run a fridge will reduce the life of the battery and it will eventually fail. If you are running a fridge, the best option to use is a ‘deep cycle’ battery. These are designed to produce a small amount of power over a long period of time. Usually rated in Amp Hours, deep cycle batteries are designed to be drained and then recharged. Ideally you should run with two batteries, main battery (automotive) for starting the car and an auxiliary battery (deep cycle) for the accessories.
Starting and other lead-acid batteries are perishable. As they discharge, soft lead sulphate crystals are formed in the pores and on the surfaces of the positive and negative plates inside the battery. When a battery is left discharged or under charged for a long time period, or the electrolyte level is below the top of the plates, some of the soft lead sulphate re-crystallises into hard lead sulphate (called “lead sulfation”) which unfortunately cannot be reconverted with recharging. This process is responsible for more than 80% of failures of deep cycle lead-acid batteries. The longer sulfation occurs, the larger and harder the crystals become, lessening a battery’s ability to be recharged.
Premature failures are generally related to one or more of the following causes:
- Overcharging or high heat under the car’s hood, resulting in loss of water (50% of cases), increased positive grid corrosion or plate-to-strap shorts.
- Sulfation resulting from loss of water, undercharging or extended periods of non-use
- Deep discharges
- Incorrect application/wrong size battery
- Excessive vibration caused by a loose hold down clamp
- Using tap water, as opposed to distilled water, leading to impurities
- Freezing due to a discharged battery
As with most manufactured goods, a battery warranty covers the consumer against faulty materials and workmanship. To claim a warranty, proof of purchase is required. Once the battery has been declared defective (and if it is still within the specified warranty period) it will be replaced with an equivalent product at no cost. The warranty period for every battery will be indicated on the product as well as in the application manual. Be advised that your warranty will not be honoured if the battery has been subject to abuse, neglect (failure to maintain water levels or failure to use distilled water), a faulty charging system, overcharging or other indications of improper use. Installing a battery with lower capacity than originally specified by the manufacturer will likewise void your warranty.
A life cycle test, is conducted in a laboratory under a controlled environment with discharge and re-charge cycles set at a certain rate. It does not reflect the different situations that the car battery is subjected to in real life situations. Warranty is the measure of the manufacturer’s belief on the service life of its batteries.
No. New vehicles with additional accessories and equipment are designed for a calcium battery. Moreover, its charging system’s higher voltage output compared to old vehicles is designed to charge lead-calcium batteries.
