In a surprising find, a Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Survey has revealed that only one percent of women indicated that they are able to troubleshoot their vehicles when they experience a breakdown, as compared to 48 percent of men…

The survey, conducted by Bosch – a leading supplier of automotive components for the aftermarket, polled 350 Malaysian drivers aged between 18 and 55 to glean insights into car battery management habits among Malaysian drivers, which also revealed battery failure as the main cause of vehicle breakdowns.

“Our survey shows that 70 percent of vehicle breakdowns were caused by battery malfunction. This can pose not only an inconvenience but also a safety risk to all drivers, especially women if they are stranded all alone” said Pang Yoon Kong, country manager of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket in Malaysia.

The survey also found that 84 percent of women turn to family and friends while 12 percent of them call auto assist organizations when their cars stall due to battery failure. “According to the survey, there are still many female drivers who are not aware of how they can prevent car breakdowns caused by car batteries. At Bosch, we strongly believe in empowering drivers, especially women, to possess more knowledge about their cars and be able to identify early signs of battery failure,” said Pang.

Five signs of a failing car battery:

• Slow engine crank

The cranking of the engine is sluggish and takes longer than normal to start

• Dashboard Warning Light

When the battery power is weak, the engine warning light on the dashboard appears

• Having to jump battery

Replace the battery if the vehicle has been jump-started more than three times in a week

• Swollen battery case

Car battery exposed to excessive amounts of heat may swell and results in shorter life span

• Smells like rotten eggs

As a car battery contains sulphuric acid, it may vent a foul smelling gas, much like rotten eggs, when it has been internally shorted, frozen, or overcharged. Have the battery inspected as soon as possible as the sulphuric acid leakage may damage other car parts.

29 percent of women drivers, compared to 22.6 percent of men, are still using lead-acid batteries as opposed to maintenance-free ones, as the survey revealed.

“More drivers now prefer maintenance-free batteries, compared to lead-acid batteries which require constant and regular maintenance on the driver’s part. Maintenance-free batteries have more advantages as they typically have higher cranking power and charge capacities, recharge faster, and last longer. Drivers are able enjoy a stress-free driving experience without worry about battery water levels at different states of charge,” added Pang.

Bosch batteries are available at authorized dealers nationwide, log on to http://startwithbosch.com/my

Featured Image from GarageWireUK.

Supplementary Image from FireStoneUK.