Why Your ‘New’ Battery Might Need Extra Care Before Use
So, you’ve taken delivery of what’s supposed to be a brand-new car battery, but it doesn’t seem quite right. You’re not alone - it’s actually fairly common for new batteries to arrive less than perfect, and there’s a clear reason behind it.
Fitting a battery nowadays isn’t as quick as it used to be. Modern vehicles often demand more time and attention during battery changes, and if the battery itself isn’t in peak condition, the process can quickly become frustrating, slower, and more costly than expected.
The Real Story Behind a ‘New’ Battery
Most automotive batteries aren’t made nearby — instead they travel long distances from factory to port and then on to parts departments or dealers. During this journey they can sit in storage for a long time and be exposed to a wide range of temperatures and conditions.
Once they arrive and are unloaded, further delays getting them to you can take their toll. All this transit and time in storage can mean that by the time a battery is in your hands, it may have lost a significant amount of charge and simply isn’t at peak performance - despite being labelled ‘brand new’.
What You Should Do Before Installation
Because of this, a new battery often needs to be charged, and in some cases conditioned, before it’s fitted or offered for sale.
Using a suitable battery charger will bring the battery up to its proper state of charge before it goes into a vehicle. If you’re dealing with several batteries at once, a bank charger that cycles through each battery and takes them through bulk and top-off charging stages is especially useful. Once each battery is fully charged, these units will switch to maintenance mode to keep them ready for use.