PSA Update: Battery Tech

John Suit — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:38:20 +0000

Last week I posted an article on battery death in newer cars, and what to do to prevent it. Because of the feedback I got on that subject, I wanted to address more solutions to this problem. I found a reason why automobile manufacturers are still using lead-acid batteries, what other battery technology is being used, and what it will take to bring car battery technology into the 21st century.

Optima Yellow Top - Deep Cycle Battery

For consumers, you can follow the tips in the previous article, or buy a “deep cycle” car battery. Optima is a popular brand, and their “Yellow Top” battery is of the deep cycle variety, which could help you. I recommend talking to your dealer or mechanic, who should also be able to recommend a good battery for your car. Some online research may help as well, if you’re so inclined. HowStuffWorks.com has a great article on batteries, if you’d like to have a better understanding, and they clearly explain it.

Now back to the manufacturers. If you look at the batteries in today’s cars, you’ll notice that once you pull the cover off of them, they look a lot like they did 40 years ago. In other words, battery technology for cars just hasn’t improved all that much since we switched from 6-volts to 12-volts in our cars. Meanwhile, cell phone batteries have gone from being huge bricks in the 1980′s to slim wafers today, all the while providing energy for more and more powerful phones, as well as giving longer talk life.

So why don’t automakers research and develop adapt these improvements to their cars? Some are starting to. The first hybrid vehicles had Nickel Metal-Hydride or NiMH batteries powering them, but the problem was their power to weight ratio. They just don’t store enough juice for how much they weigh. Newer hybrids are coming equipped with Lithium Ion batteries, which are much lighter and far more powerful than NiMHs, although most, if not all hybrids also have a separate starter battery, only for starting the car’s engine and getting it to start charging up the hybrid battery packs.

Porsche's Lithium Ion Starter Battery

Porsche offers Lithium Ion batteries for the higher trim levels of its iconic 911 sports car as well as the Boxter convertible. Weight savings is their goal here. There is a drawback to Lithium Ion batteries though; when the temperature dips below freezing, they lose their power quickly, which could leave a driver stranded. This is where NiMH batteries shine; when it gets cold out, they can still start your car. Porsche knows this, and for those buyers that get the Lithium Ion battery, a standard lead-acid battery is also provided for cold-weather use.

Some automakers have resorted to using two traditional batteries in their cars, and tying them together to give the car’s electronics a longer running time, similar to the way your extended phone or laptop battery gives you an extra few hours of use. BMW puts two batteries in the trunk of some 7-Series sedans, which are required by the extra electronics that car comes with. If you know of any other vehicles that come with dual battery setups, drop me a line.

So what have we learned? That automakers don’t have a viable replacement for the current lead-acid batteries they’ve been using for decades, although in some cases they use two batteries to power the car’s electronics. Also, until researchers find a solution for the cold temperature problems with newer batteries, we’ll have to continue with what we’ve got.

by John Suit

Thanks to Anna and others for their feedback!

Battery Image Sources: Send a Friend Auto Care, Optima Batteries, Porsche

PSA: Got a dead battery?

John Suit — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:28:15 +0000

For many decades, the only electronics in cars were their radios, lights and ignition systems. Then came power windows and locks, followed by fuel injection, which introduced computers to the automobile. Then sensors galore, and with them, more computers. Nowadays, satellite navigation, touch screens and high-powered sound systems are standard or optional on most vehicles. With all the new electronic gizmos that automakers have added to their products, it’s no wonder that car batteries die quicker. Not to mention motorized seats and mirrors.

Today's more powerful headlights drain the battery faster when the car's engine isn't running.

With all of the electronics in cars these days, I am getting more and more questions of, “John, why doesn’t my car start after sitting for a week or so?” The answer to this question lies in the car’s electrical system. For those of us that have more than one car, the nicer car probably stays parked during foul weather or when driving it isn’t practical. Anybody who owns a convertible which mostly sees weekend duty should be nodding their heads in recognition. The people that own a weekend car may only drive their car a few thousand miles a year, mostly on the weekends. That leaves an entire week between drives, or longer in some cases.

Complex in-car entertainment systems also drain batteries quicker.

What does this do to the car? Traditionally, not much. After a couple of weeks, the tires may be slightly out of round, causing a rough ride for the first few miles until they warm up, but if you have a car with a lot of electronics built into it, you could be looking at a dead battery when you go to start up your “toy.” This is because some of the electronics in newer cars run even when the car is turned off. Things like the radio and clock, and perhaps even the GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) may run constantly. These continuous drains on the battery can cause it not to start if not recharged on a regular basis. In the past, headlights and interior lights were the most common reason a car’s battery died.

The solution to this problem is usually one of two things: you either hook up a battery tender, which feeds a little bit of electricity from your home to the car’s battery, keeping it topped off, or you have to drive it more often. Battery tenders are easy to get, but may not be the solution some people want to hear – maybe it’s just not convenient for them, or they don’t have a garage to store the car and plug in the battery tender. Driving also makes sure that any moving parts that need lubrication get that activity. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, backing out of your driveway, going around the block, and then parking the car for 20-30 minutes with the engine running, is enough to keep the tires from going out of round and make sure all the moving parts … well, move. Running the engine after going around the block allows the car’s electrical system to recharge the battery. Even if you can’t drive the car (say, it’s been a week, but there’s snow on the ground, and you don’t want to risk it), you can let the car sit in the driveway and run, to at least keep the battery charged up.

I have a close friend who owns a 2008 BMW 535xi, fitted with all the electronic bells and whistles BMW offers on a 5-Series car, and he averages less than 100 miles per week of driving. Sometimes the car goes a week or more without being driven, at which point my friend notices the clock has reset itself. A call to the BMW dealership revealed that the car shuts down “non essential” electronics when the battery’s charge gets below a certain point. The clock is the most noticeable of these, but depending on charge, the radio settings and other user-configured electronics will revert to their factory defaults. While the battery has enough power to start the engine, he has to reset the clock and other settings if the car isn’t driven for a week, which I think is ridiculous. I gave him the solution I outlined above, so we’ll have to see how that works for him.

by John Suit

Battery Image Source: Send a Friend Auto Care

Road Reality » electronics

PSA Update: Battery Tech

PSA: Got a dead battery?