Battery Service/Test
Performing a Battery Service/Test will:
- Determine the current condition and functionality of the battery
- Helps maintain proper alternator operation
- Help to increase battery life and reliable starting.We Recommend a Battery Service/Test once a year or every 15,000 miles.
Service typically includes:
- Inspecting the battery, battery cables and terminals
- Cleaning the battery surface and terminals
- Performing an open circuit voltage and load test and treating the battery terminals to help prevent corrosion.
Other Battery Related Services
Battery Cables and Terminals provide the necessary electrical path to transfer the battery power to the entire vehicle. Replacing the Battery Cables and Terminals will provide longer battery life and alternator operation.
Service typically includes:
- Removing the battery cables and terminals
- Cleaning debris from the battery
- Installing new battery cables and terminalWe will properly tighten cables and terminals to factory specification and treat battery terminals to help prevent corrosion.
Battery Replacement Service includes:
- Removing the old battery
- Cleaning debris from the battery holder
- Installing new battery
- Properly tightening cables and hold-down clamps to ensure battery will not move
- Treating battery terminals to help prevent corrosion.
- Replacing the Battery will provide quicker starting; proper alternator operation and provide peace of mind that your vehicle will start.
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Battery Repair Services in San Antonio, TX
Your car’s battery is vital to its operation. It helps start your vehicle, charges itself, and runs your electronics inside. It’s also the only source of power when you turn the electronics on in your car without starting your engine. It is in charge of keeping your car functional, constantly using, and recharging. All of this work eventually wears down on the life of the battery. As such, it’s important to make sure you take care of your battery and replace it when you need to. AAMCO of San Antonio North provides professional battery services for drivers throughout San Antonio. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
We conduct battery maintenance checks for your car at our shop. This includes visual inspections and a test. Visual inspection includes checking out the terminals, cables, and battery fluid. When you bring your vehicle to us for a routine oil change, we include this service. Otherwise, we recommend testing the battery every 5,000 miles. We use a load-testing device to check the voltage of your battery and the charging system. Different vehicles, makes, and models require different voltages, which we account for during our testing. We’re equipped and experienced to handle all types of vehicles in our shop.
If you get in your car and the dome lights don’t come on, and your engine refuses to start, chances are you have a dead battery. Your vehicle also may tell you with light indicators when your battery needs charging or has a problem. There can be a problem with the battery itself or the alternator. The alternator charges your battery while you drive. Remember, if your battery is dying, avoid using any electronics in your vehicle, such as radio, navigation, or charging your phone.
How Do I Know if My Battery Failed?
Your car’s battery is one of the most affordable parts to service and replace. If you’re experiencing electric issues in your car, it’s a good idea to check that first before moving onto more labor-intensive and costly repairs and parts. The following are signs you should bring your vehicle into our shop for an inspection or replacement:
- Stalling before the engine turns over when you start your car
- Starter cranks but engine doesn’t start
- Starter doesn’t make any noise
- Key turned in the “on” position, but engine isn’t running
- Dome lights don’t turn on
- Electric accessories fail
- You find yourself jumping your vehicle or having to charge your battery often
- Charging system warning light illuminates
Step 1: Open the Case
A major challenge in opening the case was these security type screws that have the thread poking in the middle of the nut and the slot is on the outside of it. Since I didn’t have an appropriate screwdriver, I managed to improvise and use two smaller screwdrivers to push on the two slots at the same time.
Luckily, the screws were not very tight and I managed to open them.
The leather strap on the top was held in place with rivets, so in order to keep it intact I wiggled the case and I managed to open it without removing the strap.
On the inside, I immediately saw that the charging indicator was completely broken off and some of the posts that keep the components in place were also broken. However, regarding the electrical components, nothing seemed visually damaged and the transformer was looking excellent without any signs of heat or impact damage.
Step 2: Inspect the Circuit and Principle of Operation
To learn how the charger worked, and how it was built, I used my multimeter to trace out all of the connections, and also I did some voltage measurements in different parts of the circuit.
The transformer is wired directly to the mains input on the primary side of the windings and the secondary winding has a middle tap for the 6V output so the secondary winding has three wires coming out of it.
One of the wires goes directly to what seems to be the bridge rectifier and the other two are soldered to the voltage select switch that was mounted on the top.
The switch is then connected to the other input on the bridge rectifier where on its output, the positive wire was directly connected and the negative wire was connected through a piece of a metal strip that acted as a current shunt.
The charging indicator was connected across this shunt and was basically measuring the voltage drop across it when a lot of current was drawn to charge the batteries.
My initial suspect was the broken charging indicator as I thought that it might be somehow shorting the circuit and thus reducing its output voltage so in order to test that I desoldered it from the circuit and measured the voltages again but nothing changed.
Step 3: Test the Output of the Transformer
To verify that the transformer was working properly, I completely removed it from the circuit and I measured the output voltage on the entire winding and on the half tap as well. The voltage measured about 8V on the half winding and close to 16 on the entire winding which meant that the transformer was good and something else is the issue.
Now, the only thing left to check was the bridge rectifier so I measured each diode separately and it seemed to be working. However, its construction is a bit exposed so over the years the material that makes the diodes have developed a relatively large voltage drop, cutting the output at half on the charger.
I decided to replace it, so, I sourced a new bridge rectifier, that can handle up to 50A and got to remove the old one by desoldering all of the wires.
Since I’ve never worked with such a style of a bridge rectifier, I made the mistake to assume the placement of the connections since one of the AC and the positive output connection were marked. I made the assumption that the other two are on the same side as the marked ones but in fact, they were diagonally opposite.
Unfortunately, when I first connected the charger, with a wrongly connected rectifier, the diodes shorted the output and the magic smoke was released. Baffled, I opened the datasheet and learned about my mistake, so I bought a new rectifier and replaced it again.
So, note to self: make sure to always check the datasheet first, when faced with a new part.
Step 5: Install New Bridge Rectifier
The installation of the new bridge rectifier was really simple as it was a lot smaller than the old one. Since I don’t have wire crimps to add connectors I added solder directly to the pads on the rectifier and soldered the wires.
One lead from the transformer is soldered to one of the AC pins on the rectifier, while the other two are soldered to one side of the switch. The other two contacts on the switch are soldered together and then they are soldered to the diagonally opposite side of the rectifier to the other AC connection.
The output leads are soldered on the other pins where the positive wire is soldered directly to the rectifier and the negative goes first to a resettable fuse and then to the negative connection on the rectifier.
Car Battery Replacement and Installation
Let’s face it: you can have the most meticulously maintained vehicle on the road, but it won’t start without the right battery – properly installed and appropriately fitted – for your driving needs. From ignition to door locks, your car battery allows you to get from point “A” to point “B.”
Tire Works offers auto battery replacements and battery services, including:
- A free battery check to ensure the battery output is within manufacturer’s specifications
- Cleaning of the battery terminals and application of an anti-corrosion protectant
- Removal and proper disposal of your old battery if needed and replacement with a high-quality battery
How Your Car Battery and Electrical System Actually Work
Tire Works Total Car Care would like to provide a brief overview of the electrical system that makes your transportation possible:
Composed of a series of lead plates submerged in a 35% sulfuric acid/65% water solution, your 12-volt battery houses a chemical reaction that releases electrons through conductors, producing electricity, which is then channeled into your vehicle’s electrical system. The battery supplies electricity to all of the electrical system components, including the essential power required to start your vehicle. In periods of high demand, the battery also supplements power from the charging system.
Charging System
The charging system is the life force of your vehicle’s electrical system, consisting of three main mechanisms: the alternator, various circuits, and the voltage regulator. The alternator:
- Provides power to the electrical system, and
- Recharges the battery when the car is running.
The circuits act as conduits for electrical power. The voltage regulator controls the voltage passed through the circuits. Remember, all of these components require consistent attention and maintenance. It’s not just your battery that needs to be replaced; if any components fail, your power source is reduced to a lifeless, twenty-pound paperweight.
Starting System
It may seem obvious that the starting system turns your vehicle’s engine on, but did you know that this process consumes more electrical power than anything else your car does? The starting system consists of three components working one after another. These components include: the ignition switch, the starter relay (or solenoid), and the starter motor.
Turning the ignition causes a small amount of current to pass through the starter relay, causing a stronger current to flow through the battery cables and into the starter motor. The starter motor cranks the engine, forcing the piston to create enough suction that draws a fuel and air mixture into the cylinder. The ignition system creates a spark that ignites the mixture and your engine starts. Contact us for a battery replacement or electrical system repairs.
Disconnecting the Old Battery
Provided your car’s battery is in an easy-to-reach location such as the engine bay or the trunk, removing it is a fairly painless process.
“Disconnect the negative terminal first and then disconnect the positive terminal,” Hines tells us. The reason it should be done in that order, he says, is to mitigate the risk of electrocuting yourself. “Let’s say you have the battery connected in the vehicle and the battery still has voltage, and you put a wrench or a ratchet on the positive terminal and then touch the body of the car. Then you’re welding,” he says, laughing.