Complex Car Electronics Mean More Malfunctions

Seasonal demands for replacement car batteries show no signs of diminishing, says battery expert Varta. In fact, despite new automotive technology and sophisticated control systems, the number of breakdowns caused by electronic malfunction has increased by 20 per cent over the past two decades. An evaluation of 1.9 million breakdowns handled by the German ADAC motoring organization in 2004 revealed that electronic-derived breakdowns account for 36 per cent of all call-outs.

Over the same period, breakdowns due to other causes have decreased. 20 years ago, the causes were much easier to diagnose – the starter motor packed up or the carburettor failed. Nowadays electronic control units are able to detect mechanical problems early before the car comes to a halt.

With electronics now controlling so many automotive components, says Varta, it is increasingly difficult for the average driver to locate the reason for being stranded at the roadside. And things are likely to get more complicated – in 2004 electronics accounted for 25 per cent of all the parts in a car, but Varta (which supplies batteries for over 60 per cent of new cars sold in Europe) expects this to rise to 35 per cent by 2010.

Admittedly, today’s cars are much more reliable than in the past, but the control units that contain diagnostic tools can be temperamental and function incorrectly if the power supply is inconsistent, such as when charging the battery. Whatever the cause of the problem, it always seems to impact on the battery – ADAC statistics show that, since 1996, the number of battery failures has doubled from eight to 16 per cent.

No matter how good the battery, even the strongest will fail if the electronic control units forget that they should ‘sleep’ – and not consume energy – during extended periods of idling. The consequences can be equally detrimental if something as simple as touching the door handle activates other functions, such as comfort and driver aids; the electronics are activated and the battery is drained.

Winter driving and cold starts on the way to work place even greater stress on the battery’s ability to cope. In recent years, more powerful calcium-silver car batteries have displaced traditional lead-acid designs to cope with advances in automotive technology. Many of these sealed, no-maintenance batteries have a condition monitor, like Varta’s Magic Eye, to tell drivers at a glance whether the battery is healthy, needs charging or is about to fail, but for drivers who are unsure, Varta specialists offer free battery tests.