Winter is rarely kind to car batteries.
Cold weather, shorter journeys and long periods parked in the garage can all contribute to a battery gradually losing charge. For performance cars, classic vehicles, weekend cars and cherished cars that may spend weeks at a time off the road, battery maintenance becomes particularly important.
That is why Paramount Performance has introduced its new 6V / 12V 2A Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer — a compact intelligent battery conditioner designed to keep your battery charged, monitored and ready whenever you want to use the car.
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Why do car batteries suffer over winter?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a parked car is doing nothing.
Modern cars can continue consuming electricity even when the ignition is switched off. Alarm systems, immobilisers, control modules and other electronic systems can continue drawing a small amount of current from the battery.
Leave a vehicle standing for long enough and that gradual discharge can eventually leave the battery too weak to start the car.
Cold weather makes matters worse.
A battery that appears perfectly healthy during summer can become considerably less effective when temperatures fall, while starting a cold engine can require more energy at precisely the point when battery performance is reduced.
For a car that is driven every day, regular journeys normally help replace some of that energy.
But what about the car that isn’t used every day?
That is where a battery maintainer comes in.
Perfect for performance cars, classic cars and weekend vehicles
If you own a performance car, classic, prestige vehicle, sports car or weekend toy, there is a good chance it spends significantly more time parked than the average family car.
You might use it every weekend during summer and barely touch it during December and January.
That is exactly the sort of use where maintaining the battery makes sense.
The Paramount Performance Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer is particularly suited to vehicles that spend prolonged periods parked, including performance cars, classics, collector cars, show cars, prestige vehicles and cars placed into winter storage. (Paramount Performance)
Instead of discovering a flat battery when the first sunny weekend arrives, the battery can be kept monitored and maintained while the vehicle is not being used.
Is this a trickle charger?
People often search for a “car trickle charger”, but modern smart battery maintainers are considerably more sophisticated than traditional trickle chargers.
An old-style trickle charger essentially supplies a small continuous charge.
The Paramount Performance charger instead uses a microprocessor-controlled 9-stage charging programme.
It checks the battery, manages current and voltage during charging, recognises when the battery has reached full charge and then enters a maintenance phase where it continues monitoring battery voltage. If the voltage subsequently falls sufficiently, charging can resume automatically. (Paramount Performance)
So while people may commonly describe it as a trickle charger, “smart battery charger and maintainer” is a much better description of what it actually does.
9-stage intelligent battery charging
The charging process isn’t simply ON or OFF.
The built-in intelligent charging programme incorporates battery diagnosis, pre-charge preparation, soft-start charging, automatic current selection, controlled constant-current charging, absorption charging, battery monitoring, full-charge detection and maintenance charging. (Paramount Performance)
Once connected correctly and set to the appropriate 6V or 12V mode, the charger manages the charging cycle automatically.
This makes it particularly useful for owners who simply want to connect their car while it is being stored and allow the charger to manage the battery condition.
6V and 12V battery charging
The Paramount Performance Smart Battery Charger supports both 6V and 12V batteries.
That makes it useful across a particularly broad range of vehicles.
Most modern cars use 12V electrical systems, while 6V compatibility can be useful for older classic vehicles and other specialist applications.
The charger provides up to 2 amps of charging current and is designed for compatible batteries ranging from 1.2Ah through to 120Ah. (Paramount Performance)
Which battery types can it charge?
The charger is designed for a range of conventional automotive battery technologies including:
- Lead-acid batteries
- Sealed lead-acid batteries
- Maintenance-free batteries
- AGM batteries
- 6V batteries
- 12V batteries
- Battery capacities between 1.2Ah and 120Ah
It is important to note that this particular charger is not designed for lithium batteries. (Paramount Performance)
If you are unsure which type of battery is fitted to your vehicle, check the battery specification or speak to Paramount Performance before connecting a charger.
Automatic battery diagnosis
A useful feature of a smart battery charger is its ability to recognise that something isn’t right rather than blindly continuing to supply power.
When charging begins, the Paramount Performance charger checks the battery voltage and condition.
The system can identify circumstances such as incorrect connections, reverse polarity, unsuitable voltage selection, excessively low or high battery voltage, poor terminal connections and batteries that fail the initial condition check. (Paramount Performance)
If the charger detects a problem, its error indicator provides a warning rather than continuing with the normal charging programme.
Built-in battery charging protection
Whenever electricity, batteries and stored vehicles are involved, safety matters.
The Paramount Performance Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer incorporates protection against a number of common charging problems, including:
- Reverse polarity
- Short circuits
- Open circuits
- Sparks
- Overheating
- Current overload
- Overcharging
- Incorrect connection
- Excessive voltage
- Battery faults
The charger also features clear Power, Charging, Charged and Error LED indicators, making it easy to see its current status. (Paramount Performance)
Battery maintenance during winter storage
For many owners, this is probably the most important feature.
Once the battery reaches full charge, the charger does not simply keep forcing maximum charge into it.
Instead, it switches to maintenance operation and continues monitoring the battery.
If the battery voltage subsequently falls sufficiently, the charger can automatically begin charging again. (Paramount Performance)
That is particularly useful for a car that may remain parked for several weeks over winter.
Rather than periodically discovering the battery is flat and then charging it from empty again, the aim is to maintain it in a healthy charged condition throughout storage.
Why battery maintenance matters on modern performance cars
Modern performance cars can be particularly sensitive to low battery voltage.
They may contain dozens of electronic modules, security systems and computer-controlled systems.
A weak or discharged battery can therefore mean considerably more than simply having to jump-start the engine.
Low voltage can sometimes result in warning messages, stored faults and electronic systems behaving unexpectedly.
Keeping a rarely used vehicle’s battery properly maintained is therefore one of the simplest preventative measures an owner can take.
Classic car battery charging
At the opposite end of the technological spectrum, classic cars benefit too.
Older cars may have fewer electronic systems, but many are driven infrequently and can spend months stored through winter.
The charger’s selectable 6V and 12V operation makes it useful for both modern cars and many older vehicles.
For classic-car owners looking for a battery conditioner or winter battery charger, that flexibility makes this a particularly useful piece of garage equipment.
A small investment in looking after your car
Performance and classic car ownership can involve some significant expenditure.
Tyres, servicing, insurance, detailing, storage and maintenance all form part of keeping a special car in good condition.
Against that background, a quality battery maintainer is a very simple piece of preventative maintenance.
Connect the vehicle properly when it is going to be parked for an extended period, allow the intelligent charger to manage the battery, and the car should be ready when you next want to enjoy it.
No scrambling around for jump leads.
No discovering a dead battery on the first sunny morning of spring.
Just a battery being properly looked after while the car is parked.
New from Paramount Performance
The new Paramount Performance 6V / 12V 2A Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer is available now.
With intelligent 9-stage charging, 6V and 12V compatibility, automatic battery monitoring, maintenance charging and extensive built-in protection, it makes an ideal addition to the garage for anybody storing a performance, classic, prestige or occasional-use vehicle.
If your pride and joy is going into the garage this winter, don’t forget about the battery.
Look after it now — and make sure the car is ready when you are.
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6V / 12V 2A Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer | Paramount Performance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best battery charger for a car stored over winter?
For a vehicle stored for extended periods, a smart battery charger and maintainer is generally more suitable than repeatedly allowing the battery to discharge and recharging it manually. A smart maintainer can monitor battery voltage and automatically maintain charge when required.
Can I leave a smart battery charger connected?
The Paramount Performance charger includes an automatic maintenance mode specifically intended to monitor battery voltage after charging and resume charging when required. Always follow the supplied operating instructions and vehicle/battery manufacturer’s guidance. (Paramount Performance)
Is a battery maintainer the same as a trickle charger?
Not exactly. “Trickle charger” is commonly used as a generic search term, but a modern smart maintainer actively monitors battery condition and controls the charging cycle rather than simply supplying a continuous low charge.
Will this charger work with AGM batteries?
Yes. The product is specified for compatible AGM as well as conventional lead-acid, sealed lead-acid and maintenance-free batteries. (Paramount Performance)
Does it work with 6V and 12V batteries?
Yes. The Paramount Performance charger has selectable 6V and 12V charging modes. (Paramount Performance)
What size battery can it charge?
The specified battery capacity range is 1.2Ah to 120Ah, with a maximum charging current of 2A. (Paramount Performance)
Is it suitable for lithium batteries?
No. This model is specified for compatible lead-acid and AGM battery technologies, not lithium batteries. (Paramount Performance)
Is it suitable for classic cars?
Yes, particularly where the vehicle spends prolonged periods parked. Its 6V and 12V capability also makes it useful for a variety of classic-car applications.