Half-century ago, used car shoppers recognized RH&WW in the classified ads as radio, heater and white wall tires. That was about the limit of options on most cars. Smokers could install a cigarette lighter. Air conditioning? Forget it! Electrical systems were 6 volt. That's all a car needed. Not even windshield wipers were electric. They were powered by vacuum from the engine.

Our appetites for all the "bells and whistles" demanded more electricity and , in the mid-50's, manufacturers upped the 6-volt systems to 12. Then came higher demands brought on by air conditioning, electric windows, seats mirrors, sun roof , high powered sound systems, lumbar seats, electric fans (instead of engine driven fans) on the cooling system's radiator, electric fuel pumps instead of engine driven, heated windshields and mirrors, GPS, various computer functions and more. 

Battery designs keep improving; they're lighter and they hold up better. But they're still 12 volt batteries being worked to the max. For these reasons and more, automotive designers are considering higher voltage systems, possibly 42 volts rather than 12.

But no matter how powerful the battery, it can't deliver the current to do the job with faulty connections. Accumulated corrosion, the white stuff on the battery's terminals, causes it to act dead. It can neither deliver power to the starter and accessories nor can it accept a charge from the alternator.

Eventually, it not only plays dead, it is dead. To prevent your hard working battery from letting you down, says the Car Care Council, keep the terminal connections free of corrosion. Special cleaners and protective material are available at your auto supply store.

Brought to you as a public service by Car Care Council. Visit the Council's web site: www.carcarecouncil.org.