Frequently asked questions

There are a number of factors to consider when determining how often a battery needs to be replaced. These include vehicle type, region or climate, and driving habits. If your current battery performance is unsatisfactory, you may need to upgrade your battery to suit your particular situation and needs.

Your battery may need replacement if you experience any of the following:

1. Battery loses power in cold or extended starts and/or
2. Turnover of the starting motor is slow or interrupted and/or
3. 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.

The most harmful elements to an automobile battery are heat and vibration. However, there are numerous other factors that can cause battery failures, such as corroded cables and terminals, lack electrolyte maintenance, sulfation, alternator/regulator malfunction, and electric shorts.

Yes, they are 100% recyclable. BayBat Batteries makes a conscious effort to collect old batteries and ensures they are safely disposed of to keep NZ clean and green.

You should check the battery terminals for signs of corrosion. Clean the terminals and attached cables of any dirt and corrosion to ensure a good connection and proper starting. By removing any oil and dirt from the battery’s casing, you will reduce the risk of short circuiting.

BayBat Topstart Calcium batteries are 100% maintenance free and never require topping up.

First, you should check the automobile owner’s manual for proper size and minimum recommended cranking amps. You can also consult a battery application guide by looking up correct make, model, and year to determine the proper group size for your vehicle.

Never use a battery with a lower capacity rating than is recommended by the manufacturer. Using a battery with a higher capacity is never detrimental, and is recommended for older vehicles to improve starting and provide longer life for the battery. The increased rating will not affect the starting and charging system.

We're always happy to ofter advice and help you if you come and visit our Tauranga store.

These batteries are designed to provide “deep cycle” power – making them very different from ordinary car batteries. Starting a car requires a high amount of energy for a short period of time (about 5 seconds).

Only a small amount of the battery’s capacity is used. Once the engine starts running, the battery is recharged quickly by the alternator, which carries the basic electrical load.

On the other hand, deep cycle batteries supply a relatively low amount of current for a long period of time. They are specially designed to power electric trolling motors and other electrical accessories in boats and RVs. Unlike ordinary car starting batteries, they can be run down and recharged (deep cycled) repeatedly with minimum loss of capacity.

When a car starting battery is deep cycled, it loses capacity very rapidly and in some cases has lost its useful capacity in 50 cycles (discharges and recharges) or less. These limitations make car batteries a poor investment when used for marine and RV deep cycle applications. A single deep cycle marine/RV battery will outlast 2-4 car batteries.

Yes! Deep cycle batteries are specially designed with denser active material and thicker plates to

withstand deep discharge-recharge service. They are also reinforced by envelope and glass mat separators to reduce shedding of the active material and damage from the jolting vibration of a boat on choppy water.

Car batteries, on the other hand, use porous active material and thin plates so that high-amp energy can be quickly delivered for maximum starting power. Repeated cycling weakens the positive plates and makes the active material shed from the grids. Thus, in repeated deep discharge-recharge applications, the capacity of the car battery drops below desired levels in about 50 cycles. They are not built to withstand the heavy buffeting experienced by marine batteries. They are simply designed to do a different job.

A starting Battery can be likened to a “sprinter” and a deep cycle battery more like a “marathon” runner.

When jump starting a car it is important to make sure you shield your eyes and face from the battery at all times and follow these steps:

1. Connect the positive [+] cable to positive post of discharged battery.
2. Connect other ends of the same cable to same marked post (positive)
3. Connect second cable (negative [-] ) to other posts of booster battery.
4. Make the final connection on the engine block of the stalled vehicle away from the batter. Stand back.
5. Start vehicle and remove cables in reverse order.

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.

Battery chargers vary by manufacturer and it is important to follow the charging instructions to ensure that the battery is returned to a full charge. For best results, charge the battery as soon as you know it is discharged.

For charging an average fully discharged automotive battery using a 10-amp automotive charger, it will take approximately 8-10 hours at 80 degrees Fahrenheit to reach full charge.

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.

Heat is the number one killer of a battery. Although it increases the performance of the battery short-term, life is drastically reduced over time.

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. BayBat’s calcium batteries are designed to tolerate heat and are resistant to thermal runaway.

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. Batteries in a discharged state are susceptible to freezing, which can cause damage to the plates and battery container.

Automobiles demand more from a battery in freezing temperatures as the motor oil thickens and makes the engine harder to crank.

Reserve capacity is the time in minutes that a new, fully charged battery will deliver 25 amperes at 80 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain a terminal voltage equal to, or greater than, 1.75 volts per cell. This rating represents the time the battery will continue to operate essential accessories if the alternator or generator of a vehicle fails.

Put another way, reserve capacity 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), this minimum could require current for ignition, low beam headlamps, windshield wipers, and defroster while driving at low speeds.