Automotive Batteries

SuperCharge automotive batteries are engineered with a cutting edge technology providing reliable assurance of its superior performance and convenience. It offers the widest range of Maintenance Free and Low-maintenance automotive batteries.

Maintenance Free Battery
SuperCharge maintenance-free automotive batteries are designed using the advanced technology that can withstand the extreme driving conditions in Australia. The unique composition of the EXG calcium plates extends the battery's shelf or useful life and significantly reduces water loss. No need to top-up water, truly a "FIT and FORGET" battery. Accessible Battery
SuperCharge low-maintenance automotive batteries are manufactured in superior technology providing exceptional starting power. The water loss is lower than most common batteries. Backed up with a nationwide warranty that comes at a value for money price.

Marine Products

SuperCharge marine starting battery range has been among the leading marine batteries through the years. Powered with the Expanded Grid Technology (EXG), the SeaMaster gives boating enthusiasts the power needed to meet the demands of their marine application and the heavy pounding of the rough seas.

Marine Maintenance Free Battery
SuperCharge maintenance free marine battery delivers superior starting power and reserve capacity with longer service life. It can withstand the vibration and shock of boating with a long warranty guarantee. No need to top-up water, truly a "FIT and FORGET" battery. Marine Accessible Battery
SuperCharge low maintenance free marine battery is a reliable starting battery recognized with its high cranking power. Able to resist impact and rough water vibration.

Starting/Deep Cycle Batteries

SuperCharge starting plus deep cycle batteries are used for a vast number of purposes to suit the needs of the consumers. The difference is how much power is delivered and how long it needs to be delivered.

Deep Cycle Batteries
SuperCharge deep cycle batteries provide power to electrical accessories, such as lights, trolling motors or winches. It is built to provide a low, but steady level of power for a longer period of time. MRV Batteries
SuperCharge starting and deep cycle batteries are designed for more than starting, better able to sustain constant accessory loads. Powered by Expanded Calcium Grid (EXG) Technology, it can tolerate high temperature, resist vibration and provide high cranking power and reserve capacity.

Today, 50% of the 300-million unit North American and European battery markets consist of Expanded Grid Maintenance-Free Batteries, which have been growing by nearly 15% every year. This same trend is happening in Asia as Asian OE Manufacturers are now requiring Expanded Grid Batteries. In contrast, the growth of expanded grid batteries in the 4.7-million unit Australian market is only just beginning. Whilst the total Australian battery market is growing by 4%, the Expanded MF market is growing by 30% every year, and is expected to nearly double its size every year in the next 3 years. And SuperCharge is all set to lead the market growth and shift through their premium battery product, the SuperCharge Gold Series Maintenance-Free, powered by EXG Technology.

EXG Technology is an advanced, fully-automated process that uses continuous rolled strips which are then compacted under high pressure, sliced, expanded and cut into grid strips. Compared to ordinary gravity-casted grids, EXG Technology calcium grids have a more compact grain structure and are inherently stronger. This makes them less prone to heat and corrosion and ensures more efficient current conductivity and cranking power, as evidenced by the battery’s superior specification ratings.

On top of that, the unique chemical composition of the EXG calcium plates extends both the battery’s useful life and shelf life and significantly reduces water loss. And because EXG plates are engineered to be shorter in height, the battery has more space for acid, thereby completely eliminating the need to top up and making the SuperCharge Gold Battery truly "Maintenance-Free".

Other batteries using hybrid antimony or calcium grids claim to be "Maintenance-Free." But because water loss is more evident in these batteries, they need to have constant access through the covers to top up the acid levels, hence negating the maintenance free claim.

The SuperCharge Gold MF Battery continues to set the standard in terms of Maintenance-Free battery technology. On top of its superior specification ratings, the Gold has other unique advantages for resellers as well. It has a longer shelf life, meaning it can hold charge and stay on your shelf for a longer period of time.

And as an assurance to resellers and car owners of the battery's quality and service life, the SuperCharge Gold Series battery carries with it as much as 36-month nationwide full replacement warranty - the longest guarantee period in the market today.

Battery Preventive Maintenance

Causes of Battery Failure

Major cause of premature battery failure is lead sulphation. Using tap water to refill batteries can produce calcium sulfate that also will coat the plates and fill the pores. Recharging a sulfated battery is like trying to wash your hands with gloves on. When the active material in the plates can no longer sustain a discharge current, the battery "dies". Other causes of battery failure are as follows:

   1. Deep Discharges
   2. Vibration   3. Heat
   4. Under-Charging
   5. Non-Use
   6. Over-Charging

In cold climates, normally a battery “ages” as the active positive plate material sheds (or flakes off) due to the expansion and contracton that occurs during the discharge and recharge cycle. Brown sediment, called sludge or “mud”, builds up in the bottom of the case and can short the cell out.

In hot climates, additional causes of failure are positive grid growth, negative grid shrinkage, buckling of plates, or loss of water.

Accessible Batteries

   1. Maintain correct electrolyte level- add only distilled water to within ½ inch from the top of the separator. The plates need to be covered with electrolyte at all times. Avoid over-filling especially in hot climates, because heat causes the electrolyte to expand and overflow.
   2. Remove corrosion from both end of each battery cable and both terminals.
   3. Clean the battery top
   4. Check the alternator belt tension
   5. Check battery hold-down.

The preventive maintenance frequency is dependent upon climate and battery type, but you should perform this at least once before cold weather starts and once a month in warm weather.

Battery Testing

1. Inspect
Visually inspect for obvious problems: loose or broken alternator belt, electrolyte levels below the top of the plates, dirty battery top, corroded or swollen cables, corroded terminal clamps, loose hold-down clamps, loose cable terminals, or a leaking or damaged battery case.

If the electrolyte levels are low in non-sealed batteries, allow the battery to cool and add distilled water to ½ inch over the separator.

2. Recharge

   Accessible batteries

   Recharge the battery to 100% State-of-Charge. If the battery has a difference of 0.03 specific gravity reading between the    lowest and highest cell, then you should equalise it.

   To equalise, increase the charging voltage, add 5%. Heavy gassing should start occurring. Take specific gravity readings in    each cell once per hour. Equalisation has occurred once the specific gravity values no longer rise during the gassing stage.

   Maintenance free batteries

   If the hydro-eye is showing red, charge battery until it reaches 12.8 volts.

3. Remove Surface Charge

Surface charge is the uneven mixture of sulfuric acid and water along the surface of the plates as a result of charging or discharging. It will make a weak battery appear good or a good battery appears bad. You need to eliminate the surface charge by one of the following methods

   * Allow the battery to sit for between four to twelve hours to allow for the surface charge to dissipate

   * Turn the headlights on high beam for five minutes, shut them off, and wait five to ten minutes

   * With a battery load tester, apply a load at one-half the battery’s Cold Cranking Amps rating for 15 seconds and then wait       five to ten minutes.

4. Measure the State-of-Charge

Revision still waiting for June to provide on Temperature Compensation and table.

Accessible: For Non-sealed batteries
Check the specific gravity in each cell with a hydrometer and average the readings. For sealed batteries, measure the Open Circuit Voltage across the battery terminals with an accurate digital voltmeter. This is the only way you can determine the State-of-Charge. Some batteries have a built-in hydrometer, which only measures the State-of-Charge in ONE of its six cells.

Maintenance Free: For Sealed Batteries
If the State-of-Charge is BELOW 75% using either the specific gravity or voltage test or the built-in-hydrometer indicates “bad” (usually dark), then the battery needs to be recharged BEFORE proceeding.

* If there is a .050 (sometimes expressed as 50 ‘points’) or more difference in the specific gravity reading between the highest and lowest cell, of an accessible battery you have a week or dead cell(s).

* If the battery will not recharge to a 75% or more State-of-Charge level or if the built-in hydrometer still does not indicate “good” (usually green, which indicates a 65% State-of-Charge or better), buy a new one.

* If a digital voltmeter indicates 0 volts, you have an open cell.

* If the digital voltmeter indicates 10.45 to 10.65 volts, recharge first. If the battery doesn’t recover you probably have a shorted cell. A shorted cell is caused by plates touching, sediment (“mud”) build-up or “treeing” between the plates.

5. Load Test

If the battery’s State-of-Charge is at 75% or higher or has a “good” built-in hydrometer indication, then you can load test the battery by one of the following methods:

   * Turn the headlights on high beam for a few minutes.

   * With a battery load tester, apply a load equal to one half of the Cold Cranking Amps rating of the battery for 15 seconds.Battery voltage should not drop below 9.8 volts during the test period.

6. Bounce Back Test

If the battery has passed the load test and after the load is removed, wait ten minutes and measure the State-of-Charge. The battery is okay if it has retained 75% State-of-Charge.

If the battery bounces back to less than 75% State-of-charge (1.225 specific gravity or 12.45 Open-Circuit-Voltage), then recharge the battery and load test again.

If the battery fails the load test a second time or bounces back to less than 75% State-of-Charge, then you should replace it because it lacks the necessary Cold-Cranking-Ampere power.

7. Recharge

If the battery passes the load test, you should recharge it as soon as possible to restore it to peak performance and to prevent lead sulfation.

Deep Cycle Battery Care

1. Batteries should be kept clean, free of dirt and corrosion. Where accessible, regularly check that the plates are covered by approximately 4mm of electrolyte. Add distilled water if necessary.

2. Ensure battery cables are intact, connectors are tight and vent caps are kept in place. Battery should be stable during vehicle operation. Regular vehicle voltage and system checks are recommended.

3. Use only Stainless Steel Nylock Nuts for attaching connectors to a threaded post. Make sure the Eyelet/connector contacts well to the lead base. Do not put washers underneath the Eyelet/connector. Tighten until the Eyelet/Connector and lead base are flat with good contact; afterwards tighten by half a turn. Do not over tighten.

4. The full performance of your deep cycle battery will not be reached until the battery is cycled several times (20-50 cycles, depending on the type). Temperature can affect the battery performance.

5. Do not discharge your battery below 11.5 volts. Excessive discharge will significantly shorten battery life and may void warranty.

6. A weak battery will cause premature failure of companion batteries. Do not put a new battery in a pack which has had at least 50 cycles. Either replace the entire lot or replace defective battery with a good used battery.

7. Extreme temperatures can substantially affect battery performance and charging. Cold reduces battery capacity and slows charging. Heat increases water usage and can cause overcharging.

8. Deep cycle batteries need to be equalized periodically. Equalizing is an extended, low current charger performed after the normal charge cycle. This helps keep all cells in balance. Actively used batteries should be equalized once a week. Manually timed charges should have the charge time extended approximately 3 hours. Automatically controlled chargers should be unplugged and reconnected after completing a charge.

9. Batteries self-discharge when stored. If seasonal use is anticipated, we recommend the following:

      a. Completely charge the battery before storage

      b. Remove all electrical connections from the battery, including series/parallel connectors.

       c. Store the battery in cool and dry place.

      d. Boost every two months

10. Use a Calcium capable battery charger or Calcium setting to ensure Calcium content batteries are recharged correctly.

Battery Myths

Storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge it

All lead-acid batteries will naturally self discharge. The rate of self discharge is most influenced by the temperature of the battery's electrolyte and the chemistry of the plates. Some experts believe that storing car or deep cycle batteries on a colder concrete floor might actually slow down the leakage rate because the floor acts as a heat sink.

Driving a car will fully recharge a battery

Generally, idling the engine or short stop-and-go trips during bad weather or at night will not fully recharge a car battery. When a dead battery needs to be recharged, it is best to use an external battery charger because you could over heat and damage your vehicle's charging system.

A battery will not explode

Charging a wet lead-acid battery produces hydrogen and oxygen gasses as electrolysis of the water occurs. While spark retarding vent caps help prevent external battery explosions, sparks occur when jumping, connecting or disconnecting charger or battery cables and ignite the gas causing an explosion. Lose terminal clamp is the most common cause of explosion during starting.

A battery will not lose its charge sitting in storage

Depending on the type of battery and temperature, batteries have a natural self discharge at a 1% to 60% rate per month. Over time the battery will become sulfated and fully discharged. Higher temperatures will significantly accelerate this process. A battery stored at 35° C will self-discharge twice as fast than one stored at 23.9° C.

Maintenance Free" (Ca/Ca) batteries never require maintenance

Though MF batteries don’t require addition of water, there is still a need to check for the following: correct charging system, tight connections, corrosion between terminal clamps and posts and flayed or damage cables.

Test the alternator by disconnecting the battery with the engine running

A battery acts like a voltage stabilizer or filter to the pulsating DC produced by the alternator. Disconnecting a battery while the engine is running can destroy sensitive electronic components or the charging system because the peak voltage can rise to 40 volts or more. In the 1970s, removing a battery terminal was an accepted practice to test charging systems of that era. That is not the case today.

Pulse chargers, desulfators, aspirins or additives will revive sulfated batteries

Most battery experts agree that there is no conclusive proof that pulse chargers work any better than constant voltage chargers to remove sulfation. They also agree that there is no evidence that additives or aspirins provide any long-term benefits. Short term gains are achieved by increasing the acidity (Specific Gravity) of the battery.

On really cold days turn your headlights on to "warm up" the battery up before starting your engine

While there is no doubt that turning on your headlights will increase the current flow in a car battery, it also consumes valuable capacity that could be used to start the cold engine. Therefore, this is not recommended.

Car batteries last longer in hot climates than in cold ones

Car batteries last an average of two thirds as long in hot climates as cold ones. Heat kills car batteries and cold reduces the battery's starting capacity .

A larger capacity battery will damage my car

A starter motor will only use a fixed amount of current from the battery, based on the resistance of the motor. A larger CCA, RC or AH capacity battery supplies only what is required. It will not damage your vehicle; however, using batteries with higher or lower voltage or physically too tall could potentially cause harm.

Bad batteries will not harm the charging system or starter

A bad or weak starting battery causes additional stress on a charging system, starter motor or starter solenoid. It can cause premature failures to other electrical components on the starting circuit due to compensating for the voltage or current.

Use tap water to refill batteries

Use only distilled, de-ionized or de-mineralized water to replace the lost water in batteries because using tap water can produce calcium or magnesium sulfate crystals that can fill the pores and coat the plates. In an emergency, use rain water because rain water does not contain calcium or magnesium .

Battery FAQ

1. Is a 36 Month/3 Year Warranty something new in the world market?

The 3 Year warranty has been in the USA and Europe for several years now. The battery manufacturers in these countries have moved to this warranty period to respond to the growing need of better and higher quality batteries that would give consumers true value for their money.

2. How important is CCA and RC?

CCA is an international standard for measuring the performance of the battery and Australia is no different. CCA measures the cranking capacity of a battery at a fixed temperature. This standardized system of measurement has been adopted to be the only true comparison of starting power between batteries.

RC is another worldwide standard for measuring the performance of the battery. RC measures how many minutes a battery can supply the electrical load of a vehicle once the charging system has failed. The more accessories are added in the vehicle the higher the RC requirements are needed.

Both CCA and RC are the benchmark measurements that Original Equipment Manufacturers and Automotive Electrician/Mechanics use to determine the appropriate replacement battery for the vehicle.

And in both categories (see battery comparison table), the SuperCharge Gold Series is proud to be among the leaders in the industry. SuperCharge is the best of both worlds as with the EXG technology it has been able to gain superior CCAs and RCs responding to increasing demands of the modern vehicle.

3. Will the SuperCharge Gold Series last the 36 Months?

SuperCharge released its 36 month warranty battery 5 years ago and the track record of our product service life has been very good, and it continues to improve. This is testament to the continued dedication of our manufacturing plant to improve in technology, quality and production processes.

And this has given SuperCharge the confidence that the SuperCharge Classic and Gold will last the distance and push the benchmark in battery life in Australia even further.

4. What is a valid warranty?

The warranty for batteries, like for most manufactured goods, is a warranty against faulty materials and workmanship.

Proof of purchase is needed to claim warranty. As soon as it is determined that the battery is defective and is within its specified warranty, due to faulty manufacturing, it will be replaced with an equivalent battery free of charge.

The warranty period in months for each product type is indicated in each of the battery as well as in the application manual.

The guarantee is void if the battery has been subjected to overcharging, abuse, faulty vehicle charging system, neglect, failure to maintain acid (water) levels, tampering of markings or broken or removed vent plugs. Failure to use distilled water when topping up a battery will also void warranty. Installing a battery that has a lower capacity than is originally specified by the manufacturer of the equipment will likewise void warranty. Warranty periods indicated are for private use only. A 12-month warranty applies for commercial use. A 6-month warranty applies for taxi use

5. Why the change in Labels?

SuperCharge has launched its 2 major product lines with new and higher CCAs, new and longer warranties thus it’s a whole new SuperCharge Classic and SuperCharge Gold. And the new label is the look that would bring these product lines into the next 20 years.

6. Is it true that vehicles will have a hard time charging Calcium Batteries?

New vehicles because of the additional accessories and equipment are designed to require a fully sealed calcium-calcium battery, as evidenced by the new vehicles coming from Europe and Asia. Holden is also releasing its new models with fully sealed calcium-calcium batteries.

Moreover, the charging system in these vehicles are designed to charge calcium-calcium batteries and at times will boil a below specification conventional antimonial battery.

7. Is a Life Cycle test an accurate measure of battery life?

A life cycle test, discharge and re-charge cycles, is conducted in a laboratory under a controlled environment with fixed environmental variables, which does not reflect the different situations that the car battery is subjected to in real life situations.

Warranty is the true measure of the manufacturer’s belief on the service life of its batteries. Manufacturer’s Warranty considers real life applications and considers a wide variety of variables and is the real measure of assurance and confidence on the battery’s expected performance.

8. Why use a completely sealed battery?

Safety. No acid handling lessens the risk of accidents. Wet batteries are also less hassle and work for battery re-sellers, as there are no pre-selling activities to do such as acid filling and boost charging.

9. What is the difference between the old conventional SuperCharge Classic and the new accessible calcium SuperCharge Classic?

The new SuperCharge Classic in most of its sizes now uses the EXG technology. This allows the SuperCharge Classic to produce higher power (CCAs) and last longer as evidenced by its increased warranty period from 24 months to 30 months on the Popular Australian, Japanese and European range.

At the same time, the SuperCharge Classic retains its character as a heavy duty accessible battery fit for extreme conditions. It remains to be a battery where consumers can check the electrolyte levels and make adjustments if they see the need for it.

10. Aside from the new CCAs, Warranties and Labels, is there anything else that’s new with the SuperCharge line up?

Yes. The Popular Australian and 4WD SuperCharge Classic comes now with a new generation fold down handles and coin top cover allowing easier product handling, vehicle fitment and safer access to the electrolyte solution.


If you have any questions regarding our batteries, please phone us on please phone us on 1300 737 244 in Australia or 0800 188 122 in New Zealand.