The history of batteries is often debated among scientists due to ancient artifacts found in the middle east. One thing's for certain, the advances in battery technology in the last two centuries have had a tremendous impact on everything around us. Without battery technology, portable electronic systems, including your car, wouldn't exist! The following batteries were all huge turning points and advancements in battery technology: 250 BC-224 AD Baghdad Battery Battery Materials: Terracotta Pots, Copper Cylinder, Iron Nail, Acidic Juice The Baghdad Battery was likely used to gold-plate silver objects between 250 BC and 224 AD! Although this hasn’t...

Did you leave your lights on? Are you stranded because of a dead battery? Are you helping a friend that is stranded? Many times a car doesn't start, simply due to a dead battery. Some obvious signs of a dead battery are:  Clicking noise when you try to start the car Sluggish turnover No turnover No dash, radio, or cab lights Light switch is on when entering your car Hopefully, you've prepared for car trouble and have a pair of jumper cables in your trunk! If not, call up a handy friend and follow these steps: Find the battery terminals on both cars. Most...

Changing a car battery is a basic skill that all drivers today should have. When you purchase a battery at a local business, many of them will change your car battery for free. If your battery is in extremely bad shape, it’s possible that your car won’t make it to the battery store. In that case, you’re going to need to change your own car battery.   Tools you’ll need: Battery Terminal Wrench Most battery terminals are 5/16” or 10mm. Using a specialized rubber-handled wrench will help prevent accidental grounding with other metal parts. A combination wrench will also work....

Rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries have many of the same properties, with a few minor differences. Before 1859, there were no rechargeable batteries. The popular lead-acid battery was the first rechargeable battery, and was the first of its kind. We still use lead-acid batteries in our cars today. The original lead-acid battery paved the way for the extremely popular sealed lead-acid batteries used in thousands of applications; ranging from golf carts to powered wheelchairs. These lead-acid batteries are now vibration resistant, and properly maintained batteries will hold their charge for a very long time. Rechargeable batteries are all around us. They...

Corroded batteries can cause bugs in any electrical system. In vehicles especially, corroded battery cables and battery terminals will cause reluctant starts, dim headlights, and poor audio quality through your speakers. Dozens of customers have arrived at our shop looking to replace a battery they believe is faulty. They are often surprised at how easy they can clean the corrosion and put new life in back into their battery! It’s important to understand why batteries begin to corrode in the first place. The green and white corrosion you see is a bi-product of the chemicals in car batteries. The simple...