Breakdowns are a major headache for Fleet Managers especially in the current big freeze that the UK is experiencing; with hours of time on the road lost and costly call-out charges to factor in, the pressure is on workshops to make sure that vehicles are in the best shape possible to avoid potentially expensive problems and failures.

There are several things that can affect battery performance.

• Cold weather can cause staring problems
• If the vehicle is only doing short "start-stop" trips, there is insufficient journey time to recharge the battery 
• Winter conditions will create extra drain on battery reserves with the use of heaters, demisters, windscreen wipers etc
• Batteries that are stored in the workshop can lose power over time 

But smart operators - the ones who will thrive in the chaotic conditions of wintry roads and in the chill wind of the credit crunch - know that these problems can all be easily prevented, simply by following a few simple steps:-

Test at every opportunity: 24v battery sets work as a pair, in order to prolong their life and efficiency they must be balanced. An unbalanced set of batteries will result in one being overcharged whilst the other will be undercharged resulting in both batteries having to be replaced much earlier than expected.

Charge batteries at every opportunity: Heavy duty truck batteries are cycled more often and deeper than passenger car batteries and as a result require more attention. A battery that is fully charged will have a voltage of 12.72v, anything over this will be surface charge. Sulphation and damage to batteries is critical when a battery voltage reaches 12.4v and below. Vehicles leaving a workshop with low charged batteries will not charge sufficiently during their working routine.

Save money, save time : Ensuring batteries are tested, balanced and charged at every service interval will prevent your vehicles from breaking down with battery related problems, prevent premature failure of batteries and associated costs of replacing them earlier than they should be and prevent unnecessary costs associated with "roadside" jump starts and call out costs for battery related breakdowns.

Invest to save : Take advice from the professionals...Rozone are the UK`s leading supplier of battery power management solutions and we are specialists in consultancy, training and technical support.