Car batteries. Snoozefest, right? Unlike toys, cars come with batteries included and chances are you don’t give your battery a second thought. That is, until something goes wrong.

Battery failure can range from a mild inconvenience through to a terrifying safety threat, as these recent real-life stories from AA staff demonstrate:

“Saturday morning, just before lunch. We were about do the supermarket run, everyone bundled into the car, seatbelts on. I went to start the car and it made a few sad sounds but then… nothing. Fortunately, I’ve been an AA Member for 15 years and know who to call when something like this happens. In less than half an hour, I had someone from AA Roadservice to help.

“The Roadservice officer gave me a jumpstart, but also checked the health of my battery: it wasn’t great. Turns out the battery was the original one that came with my car, so it was about seven years old. It had lasted pretty well – apparently three to five years is expected for New Zealand conditions – but it was definitely time to replace it.

“Happily, the AA Roadservice officer had the right type of battery that I needed on hand, so they were able to fit the new battery for me, make sure everything was up and running, and take the old battery away for recycling. I even got an AA Member discount on the new battery, so I got to benefit from my AA Membership twice! I’m so grateful that they were able to get me back on the road so quickly.”

Meagan

But sometimes the stakes can be a lot higher when a car battery fails.

“It was the second to last day of term and I’d just bundled the kids into our 2017 Nissan Leaf for what I was hoping would be a smooth run to school. As usual, the car was chaotic as the kids brought their collection of soft toys and drawing items for the five-minute drive, so I didn’t have time to notice the battery warning light flickering on the dashboard.

“Putting the car into reverse, I also chose to ignore the interesting noise that came from the front of the car and started to glide into the driveway. Everything was normal until I put my foot on the brake and… nothing. Absolutely NOTHING. It’s like the car had taken over and was driving itself. I went into pure panic mode as the car was slowly driving itself onto the street with my kids in the back seat.

“In a split-second decision I realised I would have to steer the car into something solid, very solid. I turned the wheel and with the crunch of the car hitting a concrete wall I’d never felt so much relief.

“Once the car was stationary and the kids were safely bundled into our Kia to be driven to school by a much calmer Dad, I went into solution mode. Within the hour AA Roadservice had come to collect my crumpled Leaf to take to EV Enhanced in Christchurch. A thorough inspection revealed that the 12V battery in my EV was completely dead. This was news to me, I thought EVs only had the one big battery. But no, I learned that because mine was kaput it caused the brakes to fail.

“Well technically the brakes didn’t “fail” – this is vital tip for any Nissan Leaf owners – the flat battery meant that the first ¾ of the brake pedal wasn’t doing anything. If it does ever happen to you, put your foot down so hard on that brake!”

Caroline

As our modern cars are bigger, heavier and loaded with more technology and electrical systems than in the past, they need a reliable power source.

In the past, changing a car battery was a relatively straightforward job. But newer, tech-laden vehicles are a different story, as disconnecting the power source means that multiple electrical systems can be affected or need to be reset.

So, get a professional to change your battery to make sure it is correctly coded and that the power source to your vehicle’s electrical systems is not compromised.

What does AA Battery Service offer?

AA Battery Service stocks a wide range of high-quality batteries for all vehicle types and works with AA Roadservice to provide roadside help to drivers who have battery-related problems.

In an emergency the AA can come to you in most parts of New Zealand, replace your battery, provide a jumpstart, or give you other options to get you on the road again.

If you need to replace your car battery:

• Contact AA Battery Service to book a replacement
• Visit your nearest AA Auto Centre
• Or check the AA website to find AA Battery stockists all around New Zealand

Learn more about AA Battery Service

AA Battery Service - Emergencies and replacements | AA New Zealand