Banner and Duracell Car Batteries Now In Store
We are excited to announce that we now stock Duracell® and Banner car batteries!
Duracell quality batteries have established themselves worldwide, offering the highest starting power, further increased cold start characteristics, optimised current consumption capacity, improved chargeability as well as a long service life.
Banner have been producing car batteries since 1937 and are the preferred original equipment choice of Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Lotus, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, VW and many more.
Our Duracell Advanced Batteries come with a 5-year guarantee, and Banner Starting Bull Batteries are guaranteed for 3 years.
Have you ever had your car battery checked?
If the answer is ‘no’, you could be signing up for a winter call-out.
Chilly winter weather can have a negative effect on the life of a car battery due to the chemical processes within it taking place more slowly.
The onset of colder days also means that the demands placed on it increase. We turn on the lights more often and ramp up the heating. Clever car designs make the life of a battery harder. Power steering, electric windows, heated seats and start-stop technology all put extra strain on it.
Battery blues
Batteries are the root cause of many motorist headaches during winter. According to the RAC, breakdowns caused by car batteries are the number one cause of call-outs. In 2015, 70,900 of battery call-outs to the RAC were due to the battery becoming non-serviceable, but 38,600 were the result of a battery that simply needed re-charging.
Free Battery Checks
The easiest way to find out if you are in danger of a battery breakdown is to get your battery tested – and you can get it done for free.
We offer a free battery check, and if your battery does need re-charging, the team can help you out. If a new battery is needed, we can also ensure that the right one is fitted.
Fitting the wrong battery means it won’t have the correct CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) rating and it won’t give your car the power it needs. We can check that the battery with the right rating is fitted so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary breakdowns. All of our batteries are fully guaranteed and some are covered for up to five years.
You can either take the battery away to fit yourself, or for a small additional fee we can do this for you.
A well-timed battery check can keep you running through winter with no problems.
Keep the power
Once your battery has been recharged or replaced, you can keep it going for longer by following a few tips:
- The cold makes it harder for the engine to turn over, which puts added strain on the battery. Keeping your car out of the worst of the weather can therefore be a big help. If you have a garage, make the effort to put your car away at night as this will protect its battery from the lowest temperatures.
- When starting from cold, switch off as many additional power-guzzlers as possible and step on the clutch. To conserve the battery, while driving, use as few energy-consuming functions as possible.
- Fully-synthetic, low-viscosity engine oil spreads more quickly and can make the engine run more easily after a frosty night, but always follow the recommendations for your vehicle. We stock a wide range of oils in store and can help advise you which you need for your particular car.
- Taking your car on a regular, reasonably long journey is another key tip as lots of short journeys won’t charge up the battery. Over Christmas, many of us huddle at home, but this can cause problems when it is time to get behind the wheel again. Unsurprisingly, the first Monday after Christmas is traditionally the biggest breakdown day of the year. To avoid falling into the same trap, remember to take your car for a spin.
All batteries will need replacing at some point, no matter how well cared for. However, getting it checked and re-charging it if necessary means that you may be able to avoid being stranded this winter.
Contact your local branch and ask for a free no-obligation battery check.
