At Rudler Car Transportation & Storage we know what it takes to store vehicles safely. We can do this for various makes and models, including rare vintage cars. Our goal is to ensure that there is no damage to any aspect of a car. We can use various products to do this, including battery conditioners.
Car batteries won’t last forever, no matter how well you look after them. In fact, some people have the misconception that they will last longer if they don’t use them as much. Surprisingly though, the opposite is true. Not using the battery properly can result in sulfation. This could ultimately ruin the battery’s ability to hold a charge.
What happens?
The sulfation occurs because of sulfur ions in the acid in a battery. When the chemical reaction occurs, the ions can be freed and crystallise. If you continually deprive the battery of charge, this will result in stable deposits on the negative plate of the battery. That compromises the effectiveness and will eventually mean it will not take a charge.
You may be able to tackle the issue if you act quickly. As long as it is only soft sulfation, overcharging the battery may help. However, you have to be very careful here. You must not overcharge to the point where you damage the battery anyway.
Sadly if it is hard sulfation there is no chance to remove the crystals and restore the battery. The deposits on the plate will simply be too hard. This happens if you leave a battery for a long period without charging it properly.
Using battery conditioners
If you are planning on putting your vehicle in storage or know you will only be doing the odd short journey, you need to think about the sulfation. The lack of driving here means the battery won’t be getting the recharge it needs. You will need to take steps to preserve it or you risk ruining it.
One thing a lot of people do when they are in this situation is choose battery conditioners. These relatively simple devices can be really useful for tackling the problem. They prevent batteries from going flat, using small low voltage pulses to continually keep the charge up. The pulses can even help to reverse the sulfation on some batteries if it is only slight and soft.
Find the right model
At Rudler we have several models of battery conditioner to choose from. They are from leading brand CTEK, so people can buy and use them with confidence. In fact, we utilise them often on many of the vehicles stored in our own facility. As a result, we can attest to how good they are.
If you want to try battery conditioners yourself, whether with a vehicle you store at home or with us, please ask. We are happy to offer advice and recommend the right model for you.