Part Focus: Batteries, Diagnostics / Brands: Ring
How updating battery check practices can help avoid chasing phantom diagnostic errors. By Alan Povey Ring Technical Support & Training manager.
Over the last year we have seen an effect on vehicle systems due of low usage and limited mileages - I have seen this myself, in past years I would have covered 20,000 miles, in the last year this has dropped to 5,000 miles. We know that when the natural loss of power in a battery, in particular with AGM & EFB batteries on stop-start vehicles, drops below 80% there is a loss of function within the vehicle systems. In the past if a vehicle required a jump start because of a flat battery, once started the vehicle would be left running until the battery was charged or in worst case the battery would be disconnected and put on charge overnight. With modern systems leaving the vehicle running will not put enough charge into the battery. AGM & EFB batteries need to be on a smart charger if the vehicle is to be stood for long periods. Another issue with modern vehicle battery requirements is that future electric and hybrid vehicles will require new charging equipment to support the vehicle’s battery while conducting maintenance and diagnostic work. This makes having a check system for when a vehicle is brought into the workshop vital, so as to ensure the correct equipment is used and requirements are met to avoid any potential misdiagnosis.
Typically when a vehicle arrives, in general a mechanic will check the vehicle for the basics (i.e. tyres, wipers, lights, brakes, general vehicle damage etc), then start with a vehicle diagnostic check. While not wrong, a vital part of any vehicle system check has been missed, the battery. By first testing the battery you can assess the state of charge. By doing an alternator test, earth and starter test, one can in particular on stop-start vehicles, understand if the vehicle systems are functioning correctly. Then put the system on a smart-charge while conducting a diagnostic check on the ECU systems. In reality any fault code then diagnosed will have more relevance to how the vehicle is performing rather than just being down to a problem caused by insufficient charge.
As we move forward to new vehicle systems and performance these new practices will become common, especially when dealing with yet higher voltages and more complex electronics. Ultimately this will save time lost to incorrect diagnosis which often leads to fitting expensive parts that don’t cure the issues on the vehicle.
Ring Automotive provide cost-effective tools for the latest vehicles and continue to develop new products for the future.
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