WITH temperatures below freezing and snow falling, national motor factor GSF Car Parts is encouraging garages and road users to stay on top of car battery health.

Research from battery manufacturer GS Yuasa reports that 37% of batteries require attention on UK roads*. Batteries are of the first vehicle components to suffer in cold weather, so a battery testing kit can be one of the best assets in a garage’s toolbox to help keep drivers on the road.

Leading motor factor GSF Car Parts has a nationwide network of 180 branches, supplying independent garages with parts, specialist training, garage equipment and tools such as GS Yuasa’s ‘Always Check the Battery’ kit, which allows technicians to evaluate the battery health in less than a minute and obtain a substantial revenue stream as a result through charging or replacing a faulty battery.

GSF Car Parts Product Director Carl Boland said: “Battery condition can often be overlooked because there may be no obvious warning signs to a defective or discharged battery, but it’s crucial to keep on top of it to avoid unexpected problems for road users.

“For an independent garage, regular testing of battery conditions is a great way to increase revenue and customer satisfaction in no time at all, especially since a garage that performs these routine checks could save a driver from being left stranded with a flat battery.”

GSF Car Parts offers a comprehensive range of batteries to suit all consumer needs, stocking DriveTec and GS Yuasa for most of the UK car parc with excellent availability across all 180 branches and GSF’s retail website gsfcarparts.com.

GSF Car Parts Sales and Operations Director Paul Wright added: “Sustained sub-zero temperatures will see the combination of planned service bookings and unplanned work significantly increase for garages. That’s why we’re here to give garages the tools and products they need to avoid any nasty surprises and keep their customers on the road.”

Even though cold weather may be the turning point for common battery issues, warm weather can often be the trigger for the degradation process. Many drivers believe that cold weather harms a battery, but it’s actually heat which causes the failure in the first place.

Optimal battery temperature is 20c, so when summer temperatures rise to over 30c, this accelerates battery ageing. The effects can go unnoticed in the warmer months, but when an engine needs more energy to start in winter, problems arise.