Interstate Batteries is once again championing technicians by equipping them with essential information needed to keep vehicles in good shape for when Americans ride the roads again. Under the direction of its Research Lab Manager Jeff Barron, it has recently released guidelines for repair shops to help consumers navigate the implications of sitting car batteries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to an Interstate Batteries’ study, testing and proper diagnosis play a major role in customer satisfaction, with 84 percent of consumers wanting to fix a battery before failure. To turn consumers into repeat customers during a time when repair shops need the business, Interstate Batteries prepared a simple list of steps for service advisors and technicians to follow.

• Asking a customer questions is essential to pinpointing when the “no-start” or cranking issue began. Questions can include, “Can you describe this vehicle’s frequency and duration of use over the past three weeks?” and “How have you stored the vehicle while in nonuse? Was it connected to a battery maintainer or charger?”
• After gathering information, test the battery with any conductance tester, such as the IB Pulse.
• Next, charge the battery completely and allow it to sit for several hours off the charger to allow the surface charge to dissipate.
• Then, retest the battery with the conductance tester.
  • If it comes back as a “good” battery, explain to the customer how key-off drain affects vehicles in nonuse: “Computers draw power from the battery to keep the memories alive for your driving habits, throttle position sensor, transmission modules, mass air flow sensor, etc.”
  • If it comes back as a “bad” battery or “replace,” share the results with your customer and proceed through your normal warranty process.

For vehicles that have not gained a lot of mileage over a period of three weeks or longer, the likelihood of a dead battery increases by roughly 50%, making it a leading cause of car trouble. In fact, nearly one in four car batteries will need to be replaced on the road this year, but more than half of consumers do not test their batteries every year or don’t know if their batteries have been tested according to a study by Interstate Batteries.

“When a vehicle isn’t used for long periods of time, there’s a lot that can go wrong with its battery,” said Barron. “Our team of experts is sharing insight on how to keep this top-of-mind as we know the importance of your vehicle getting you from point A to point B. Customer satisfaction and peace-of-mind are imperative during times like this, and we want to serve our industry the best way we can.”  

Interstate Batteries’ two-year partnership with Universal Technical Institute – to whom it provides the latest battery and battery testing technology and curriculum support to help students excel in the classroom – is further evidence of the company’s commitment to investing in this growing workforce. During the pandemic, the company has remained steadfast in its efforts to support continuing education for the auto technician workforce, including providing online content with unlimited, free access on its website.

Check out Interstate Batteries’ insightful blog posts for technician and consumer tips at InterstateBatteries.com/Blog.