Battery Specifications
Designation on the battery «12 V / 40, 60 or 70 Ah» indicates that it produces a voltage of 12 volts. Behind the slash is the nominal capacity of the battery, which is measured, according to the regulations, for 20 hours of battery discharge. In practice, it is better to rely on only 2/3 or even half of the declared capacity.
More important than the capacity are the technical data on the operation of the battery in the cold, when it is especially difficult for the starter to crank the engine. The corresponding parameters are indicated on the battery: eg 250 A/60 RC. The first number indicates the discharge current that the battery will deliver at -18°C for 30 seconds, with the battery voltage not dropping below 7.2 V. The second number is the time in minutes that the battery voltage drops to 10.5 V with a load of 25 A and an ambient temperature of 22°C.
Battery capacity
If you leave your Renault 19 with the lights switched on, about 30 watts are consumed. In practice, after about 14 hours the battery will be discharged. When the alarm is on, there is enough energy for approximately 6 hours.
The effect of temperature on the battery
Batteries react worse to cold, the less energy they have. A fully discharged battery is so susceptible to cold that it can even freeze (at around -15°C) and break. If the battery is fully charged, then it tolerates the cold relatively well. In this regard, we strongly recommend that you check the battery charge before the cold season.