Lasalle Auto Centre Battery Service
Automotive batteries range in shapes and sizes, but their operating principles are surprisingly similar. The modern automotive battery is a lead-acid storage design. Basically, it’s an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. When the battery is placed under a load, like when the ignition is switched on for example, the device converts stored chemicals into electricity, and the current flows through the wires to its destination. The battery is important to your vehicle’s performance so it’s equally important to make sure that you a) have a proper fitting battery in your vehicle, and b) that it is working properly so it won’t cause you expensive repairs and leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere. When you bring in your vehicle for service or maintenance, we offer complimentary CAA battery testing to make sure it’s running efficiently.
Did You Know?
- About 97% of lead in spent batteries is recyclable?
- An automotive battery contains about 21 pounds of lead, three pounds of plastic and one gallon of sulphuric acid. When a spent battery is recycled, all these elements can be reclaimed and reused in new batteries.
- Lead costs are on the rise, so recycling spent batteries not only protects the environment but also reclaims valuable lead and plastic for manufacturing, saving energy and money on raw materials.
Maintenance Tips
- Always wear protected goggles or a face shield.
- Use a lead-lined or non-metallic container to hold electrolyte.
- Always pour acid slowly into water, not water into acid.
- Add small amounts of acid to the water and then stir slowly until acid is fully mixed with the water.
- Never lean over a battery when charging, testing, or jump-starting an engine.
- Always disconnect the negative cable first and reconnect it last.
- Make sure you are in a well-ventilated are when you are charging a car battery.
- Never charge or jump-start a frozen battery; let it warm to at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit.