How the cold affects your car battery

As winter is in full swing, car owners face the challenges posed by cold weather conditions. Among the critical components affected, the car battery takes center stage. In this technical article, we will delve into the science behind how cold weather affects car batteries. Understanding these effects can help car owners take proactive measures to preserve battery health and ensure reliable vehicle performance during harsh winter months.

30 januar 2025

5 Essential Winter Battery Care Tips to Avoid Being Stranded

As the cold weather sets in, many drivers may not realize that frigid temperatures can have a significant impact on their car batteries. Cold weather can lead to decreased battery performance, making it crucial to take steps to ensure your battery remains in optimal condition. Here are five essential tips from CTEK to help you care for your car battery during winter, keeping you from being stranded in the cold.

23 januar 2025

Cold Weather Charging Myths: What Really Happens to Your 12V Battery in Winter

As winter approaches and temperatures begin to plummet, car owners often find themselves facing battery problems. A lot of misinformation circulates about how cold weather affects 12V batteries, particularly when it comes to charging. To help you navigate through the confusion, we’re debunking some of the most common myths about charging 12V batteries in freezing temperatures and offering science-backed facts that can help you take proper care of your vehicle’s battery.

16 januar 2025

Winterizing a car: Charging is Critical

As winter approaches, many vehicle owners face the important task of preparing their cars for the cold months ahead. Winterizing your car is essential for ensuring it stays in optimal condition while it's stored or used in freezing temperatures. While many focus on engine fluids and tire pressure, one of the most critical but often overlooked aspects is the battery. Ensuring your battery is properly charged and maintained can make all the difference in how well your car survives winter storage and how quickly it will be ready to use again in the spring.

04 november 2024

Why Your Alternator is Not Enough for Charging Your 12V Car Battery

When it comes to maintaining the health and longevity of your car's 12V battery, relying solely on the alternator might not be sufficient. Many drivers assume that as long as they keep their vehicle running, the alternator will take care of the battery charging needs. However, this assumption can lead to a misunderstanding of how car batteries and alternators function, potentially resulting in battery failure or reduced battery life. If you’re using a battery charger like CTEK’s CS ONE you are better prepared for the road.

26 september 2024

Decoding the time equation: How long does it take to charge a 12V car battery?

Charging a 12V car battery might seem like a daunting task, but with the right knowledge and tools, it becomes a breeze. At CTEK, we're committed to making battery charging as straightforward and efficient as possible. Let’s dive into the factors that affect charging time and introduce you to a revolutionary charger that simplifies the entire process.

24 september 2024

Cheaper, cosier and just as beautiful: Five destination dupes for an unforgettable holiday

From Amsterdam to Paris and Venice - many popular destinations are often overcrowded, overpriced and therefore not very inviting for a relaxing city break. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives that are just as beautiful and authentic as their famous doppelgangers - but without the crowds. According to Expedia, these so-called destination dupes are particularly popular this year. Discover five charming destinations that are on a par with their great role models.

10 september 2024

How does heat affect the car battery?

As summer heats up, it’s not just our bodies that need extra care—your vehicle’s battery requires special attention to stay in top shape. High temperatures and long road trips can put extra strain on your battery, so understanding its unique needs during the summer is crucial. Fortunately, the CTEK CS ONE smart battery charger is here to help keep your battery healthy, no matter how hot it gets.

21 august 2024

Holiday trend: Coolcation. These holiday destinations will cool you down

The summer holidays are just around the corner: in the past, this meant "off to the south and after the sun". But record heatwaves have been dampening the desire for hot temperatures for some years now. Instead, so-called "coolcations" are the order of the day: holidays in cooler, more temperate climes. We present four destinations.

25 juni 2024

Here are the worst pre-season mistakes you can make as a motorcycle owner

The days are getting longer and the cold winter days can soon be counted on our fingers. The motorcycle season starts in May, which means that the bike needs to be checked just in time to take it out on the road again. Last year, the Swedish Transport Agency recorded 29 fatalities in motorcycle accidents and over the last five years the average is 29 fatalities per year. To help prevent fatalities and encourage safe motorcycling, CTEK has investigated the worst mistakes a motorcycle owner can make before it's time to take the bike out again.

03 juni 2024

Motorcycle Maintenance Perspectives: Insights from Mirsad and Tom from CTEK

In the world of motorcycling, ensuring your bike is well-maintained is paramount for safety and enjoyment on the road. Mirsad Fazlic and Tom Verta, two employees at CTEK, share their perspectives on motorcycle care, dream trips, and the tools they rely on.

27 mai 2024

How to jumpstart a car – the safe way

Facing a dead car battery can be a frustrating experience, especially when you're in a hurry or far from help. Jumpstarting a car is a common solution, but traditional methods involving jump cables and jump starter packs can pose risks to your vehicle's electronics and battery. Enter the CTEK CS FREE Adaptive Booster and Battery Charger, a revolutionary device that not only powers up your flat battery swiftly and safely but also acts as a portable battery charger, ensuring your vehicle batteries remain in peak condition wherever you go. In this article we’ll learn how to jumpstart a car the safe way.

21 mars 2024

How To Charge A Car Battery – CTEK Explains

The 12V battery in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car plays a crucial role in powering various electrical components, such as lights, radio, and the vehicle's computer system. Charging a 12V battery in an ICE car is a straightforward process that can be accomplished with a compatible battery charger. Regularly maintaining your vehicle's battery can extend its lifespan and help prevent unexpected starting issues. So, how do you charge a car battery? In this guide, we will discuss the steps to charge a 12V battery in an ICE car effectively.

04 mars 2024

The Cold Reality: How Frigid Temperatures Impact Car Batteries

As we are in the middle of the winter, car owners brace themselves for the challenges posed by cold weather conditions. Among the critical components affected, the car battery takes centre stage. In this technical article, we will delve into the science behind how cold weather affects car batteries. Understanding these effects can help car owners take proactive measures to preserve battery health and ensure reliable vehicle performance during harsh winter months.

23 januar 2024

Winter Storage Wisdom: Keeping Your Ride Ready for Spring's Return

Embarking on summer drives with your seasonal car or motorcycle is a unique joy. Yet, if the thought of stowing away your cherished vehicle for the winter has crossed your mind, CTEK offers valuable advice for intelligent winter storage. This ensures your vehicle's battery remains in optimal condition, poised for a seamless start when spring arrives.

16 november 2023

Prepare your car for winter with a simple yet crucial step —charge your battery!

In Sweden, all car owners must transition to winter tires by December 1st. What many overlook is the impact of cold weather on the car battery. The colder it gets, the more crucial maintenance charging becomes, especially for vehicles covering shorter distances. While the switch to winter tires is routine for most, it's time to include another seasonal activity — basic battery maintenance. Car owners can ensure trouble-free journeys and a longer-lasting vehicle by taking a few simple steps.

09 november 2023

CTEK’s Training Manager answer frequently asked body shop questions

Did you know that around 75% of vehicles stored in a workshop have a battery that needs attention? By that we mean it needs charging, conditioning and in certain cases replacing. With modern vehicles relying on sophisticated and costly electronics, lead-acid batteries are being used under more challenging conditions than ever before. As a result, battery care has become a pressing issue, particularly as inadequate maintenance leads to a rapid decrease in battery life.

21 september 2023

CTEK reveals - Astonishing numbers of vehicles are entering the workshop with discharged batteries

As the owner of a workshop, it is crucial to consider various factors when vehicles come in for service or diagnostics. These factors become even more important when taking into account a recent European survey carried out by battery management specialist CTEK, where over 700 workshop employees participated. Almost 20% of the technicians surveyed said that out of 10 vehicles arriving at their workshop, 3-5 have a battery problem – so up to 50%.

01 august 2023

Find my car battery – A CTEK guide

You are probably visiting this page because you don’t know what battery type (or chemistry) you have in your vehicle. You are not alone! We are often asked how to find this out, and as we told you when we returned the results on our charger selector tool, if you know what battery type you have, our charger selector tool can help you identify a product that exactly matches your vehicle, battery type and budget.

18 juli 2023

Don’t let the summer fool you - Charge your 12V battery!

As the summer heat intensifies, it's not just our bodies that need extra care and attention; our 12V vehicles also require special consideration to ensure optimal performance and reliability. With scorching temperatures and extended road trips on the horizon, it's essential to understand the unique charging needs of your vehicle during the summer season.

04 juli 2023

How to charge a mild hybrid

Mild hybrids are vehicles equipped with both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and a small electric generator / motor, which assists the engine during starting, cruising or hard acceleration. The 48V battery which powers the hybrid system is recharged using the vehicles kinetic energy through regenerative braking. The generator captures the energy during coasting and braking to be stored and used for restarting the engine and acceleration. Even though the electrical system is recharged by generative breaking, you still need to charge the 12V battery. You need the 12V system for almost all of the functions in your car such as air conditioning, lights, opening of the doors, the radio, windows etc.

18 april 2023

How to prevent a dead battery in the middle of the lake

It’s the perfect sunny day to go boating. You’re out all day enjoying the warm weather and the beautiful water. You are about to head home but when you try to start the engine, the engine won’t start. The battery is dead and you don’t have a battery charger with you. Action needs to be taken to arrange for a service call which is both time-consuming and expensive. However, if you had CTEK’s CS FREE with you, a dead battery would not be a problem.

14 mars 2023

Charging your battery for a smooth spring start up

Preparing your vehicle for the upcoming spring is a must for every vehicle owner. If your vehicle has been stored all winter, it needs some maintenance to make sure that it’s ready to go as soon as spring comes around. So how can you best prepare your vehicle for a smooth transition into spring and protect against that frustrating dead battery on the first sunny day of the season?

21 februar 2023

How much does it cost to charge your battery?

With the rising cost of electricity and the increasing cost of living, one of the most shared questions we’re being inquired these days is “how much does it cost to charge my car battery?”

13 februar 2023

How to be environmentally conscious with a petrol or diesel car

CTEK’s top tips for reducing your carbon emissions, if you’re driving a petrol or diesel car.

25 januar 2023

CTEK’s guide to avoid ghost faults in the workshop

When a vehicle arrives for fault-finding or repair, the first thing you will do in most cases is connect it to a diagnostic tool, to find out where the fault is. But if the battery is not supported and has low voltage, an incorrect error code may be reported by the diagnostic tool – this is known as a ‘ghost fault’. It happens because the vehicle is trying to protect the unsupported battery, which it does in many cases by shutting down the systems it does not really need, like the radio, the air conditioning, or the start/stop function – and that is recorded as a fault.

27 desember 2022

Don’t get stuck out in the cold this winter

With the first flakes of snow appearing in the sky and temperatures set to plummet, urgent action is needed to make sure your car battery is fully charged, so you don’t get stranded out in the cold and dark with a flat battery this winter.

12 desember 2022

Battery support – a necessity for the workshop

Battery support is an essential part of modern workshop practices, and this applies to all workshop services, even in minor cases. As our vehicles are technically advancing, the need for battery support increases.

CTEK’s advice for worry free motoring

CTEK, the leading global brand in vehicle charging solutions, has some great advice on how to keep your battery healthy, so that you can enjoy worry free motoring this winter.

11 november 2022

Embracing the drive-through culture

With today’s busy lifestyles, time has become an even more valuable asset. We want to make the most of our days and we usually stop for quick errands throughout the day. We are getting more and more used to click and collect, drive-throughs and even quick stops at the gas station to get our coffee. Although this may be efficient, it can have a severe damage on your vehicle’s battery.

28 oktober 2022

4 tips for extending vehicles battery life

With a global shortage of new cars and ongoing concerns over the increased cost of living, we are seeing motorists hanging onto their vehicles for longer. For these older vehicles, additional care needs to be taken to keep the vehicle’s battery in peak condition. CTEK has the following tips for drivers of older cars, to keep their vehicle batteries in the best of health, extend battery life by up to three times and avoid the cost and inconvenience of vehicle breakdown.

24 oktober 2022

Wise winter storage for smooth spring start ups

There’s nothing quite like hitting the open road in your classic or sports car, motorbike or boat during the summer months. But with autumn just around the corner, if you’re thinking about putting your treasured vehicle away for the winter, CTEK, the leading global brand in battery charging solutions, has some useful advice for wise winter storage that will keep your vehicle battery in tip top condition, ready for a smooth spring start.

20 oktober 2022

How regular battery maintenance can save you money

With fuel prices and the general cost of living increasing rapidly, many drivers are looking at ways to save money and make their budgets stretch further.

23 september 2022

Getting your head round battery support in the workshop

Today’s automotive workshops are facing up to a number of challenges. The current economic climate doesn’t help but even so, a lot of the issues that workshops frequently come up against have been around for a while.

31 august 2022

No power at your storage location? No problem

Batteries which are standing for an extended period will inevitably slowly discharge over time and, if left long enough, will go flat. And that’s something commonly experienced with occasional use vehicles that spend lots of time in storage or sitting on the driveway. The answer is, of course, to hook it up to a battery charger and maintainer – but what happens if you park your vehicle somewhere that doesn’t have a power outlet?

05 august 2022

Shmee150 takes delivery of ‘CTEK READY’ Zenvo Hypercar

Luxury car collector and social media phenomenon, Tim Burton, Shmee150 recently unveiled his first hypercar at the recent UK-based Goodwood Festival of Speed - a bespoke 1,360 bhp Zenvo TSR-S in Lilla Perlemore (Mother of Pearl Purple).

29 juli 2022

Don’t let summer be one big breakdown

Today’s motorist knows the importance of proper maintenance procedures on their vehicle in preparation for the winter months, but are placing their car at risk of breakdown during the summer months due to lack of vehicle maintenance that’s according to CTEK the leading global brand in the care and maintenance of vehicle batteries.

27 juli 2022

Drivers are Keeping their Cars for 12+ Years

With rising new and used car prices and a shortage of cars at dealerships, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has recently reported that EU cars are now on average 11.8 years old, whilst research firm S&P Global Mobility recently reported that the average age of vehicles on U.S. roadways hit a record high of 12.2 years in 2021, increasing for the fifth straight year in a row.

22 juli 2022