FACTS & FICTION

Especially in the world of motoring, which for many people is an enthusiasts' D-I-Y world, rumours spread easily and many stories are told about what is good for your car or bike, and what you should or should absolutely not do to keep it in shape. Some stories are true, many are doubtful and some are plain nonsens; often caused by insufficient technical knowledge, "hear-say", or some suppliers' eagerness to sell.

In this chapter we help you to separate the facts from fiction.

Charging and discharging of batteries

There is a persistent rumour that every battery should be discharged regularly. However, this goes ONLY for nickel-cadmium battieries like that in your mobile phone. Where batteries for vehicles are concerned, it is ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.

Gel and lead batteries, as used in vehicles, should NEVER be discharged!

On the contrary:

To keep gel and lead batteries in good condition, the voltage should never be below 9,6 Volt. As soon as the voltage is lower than 9,6 Volt a chemical process will start, causing irreversable damage to the battery.

Moreover, the loading cycle must be such that the battery is always loaded to its maximum and not to only 80% (like most "automatic" chargers).

If these two conditions are met the battery will have a maximum (although not unlimited) life time and - which may be even more important -  it is always ready for take off! You can fullfill these conditions by using a proper charger.

Carcovers and condensation

Some suppliers of carcovers state their covers will prevent condensation on the car. This is in fact absolutely impossible and they either don't know what they are talking about, or they just try to talk you into one of their products.

Condensation:

Condensation takes place when humid air gets in contact with a colder surface. The moisture in the air will condensate on the colder surface. This can happen both indoors and outdoors. Putting a (even breathable) carcover over your car (or bike) will not stop this process of nature. It would rather be a miracle for a carcover to change the rules of  nature.

A quality carcover has excellent breathable properties which allow condensation that has occurred, to escape again through the cover. Remember however, that this condensation first needs to be evaporated before it can leave the cover.

If you have a very damp garage it is highly recommended that you use a specially designed storage system instead of a carcover, as only storage systems can prevent condensation!

Carcovers and cotton

Cotton used to be a popular material for carcovers and you can still find partly or even 100% cotton covers.  Cotton is a nice soft material with excellent breathable features, however...

although at first glance cotton has the perfect features for a cover, there is one feature that ruins it all: cotton is highly HYGROSCOPIC, in other words, it attracts and absorbs moisture from its environment. When using cotton as a carcover in an unheated room, you will find that quite often the cover feels damp, which doesn't help to keep your vehicle in good shape. Cotton or partly cotton covers can only be used in perfectly dry, heated garages: in any other circumstances cotton should be avoided.

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