According to a Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Survey, Only One Percent of Women Drivers Can Troubleshoot Car Breakdowns Without Assistance - Especially Battery Failure

I have been informed that by the people at Bosch Automotive Aftermarket that they recently conducted a survey which reveals that only one percent of women indicated that they are able to troubleshoot their vehicles when they experience a breakdown. When it comes to the opposite sex,  48 48 percent of men can troubleshoot their vehicle problems. Even for simple things like car battery failure. This is somehow not surprising. Nor is it a sexist remark. Why? because it was concluded after the results of a survey and not plucked out of thin air. 

The survey, conducted by Bosch which is a leading supplier of automotive components for the vehicle aftermarket sector, polled 350 Malaysian drivers aged between 18 and 55 with more emphasis on battery management habits among Malaysian drivers. The survey, aside from stating that women don't know what sort of vehicle breakdown issues they were having, also revealed battery failure as the main cause of vehicle breakdowns. 

Mr. Pang Yoon Kong, country manager of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket in Malaysia said that, “Our survey shows that 70 percent of vehicle breakdowns were caused by battery malfunction. This can pose not only an inconvenience but also a safety risk to all drivers, especially women if they are stranded all alone.”

The survey also found that 84 percent of women turn to family and friends while 12 percent of them call auto assist organizations when their cars stall due to battery failure. According to the survey, there are many female drivers who are not aware of how they can prevent car breakdowns caused by car batteries failures. According to Mr Pang, "at Bosch, we strongly believe in empowering drivers, especially women, to possess more knowledge about their cars and be able to identify early signs of battery failure,"

Further findings also indicate that 29 percent of women drivers, compared to 22.6 percent of men, are still using lead-acid batteries as opposed to maintenance-free ones, as the survey revealed. “More drivers now prefer maintenance-free batteries, compared to lead-acid batteries which require constant and regular maintenance on the driver’s part. Maintenance-free batteries have more advantages as they typically have higher cranking power and charge capacities, recharge faster, and last longer. Drivers are able enjoy a stress-free driving experience without worry about battery water levels at different states of charge,” added Pang. 

Choose your car battery properly seems to be the point Bosch Automotive Aftermarket wants to stress. Preferbly maintenance free ones, by Bosch of course....since it is their survey. I do wish they reached out to more than 350 people but then again, even if they did inverview 3,500 people, they could have reached to the same conclusion in this case. 

So here they have some tips Bosch Automotive Aftermarket would like to share with you folks out there....

Five signs of a failing car battery: 

• Slow engine crank
  The cranking of the engine is sluggish and takes longer than normal to start
  
  
•  Dashboard Warning Light
  When the battery power is weak, the engine warning light on the dashboard appears
  
  
• Having to jump battery
  Replace the battery if the vehicle has been jump-started more than three times in a week
  
  
• Swollen battery case
  Car battery exposed to excessive amounts of heat may swell and results in shorter life span
  
  
• Smells like rotten eggs
  As a car battery contains sulphuric acid, it may vent a foul smelling gas, much like rotten eggs, when it has been internally shorted, frozen, or overcharged. Have the battery inspected as soon as possible as the sulphuric acid leakage may damage other car parts 

Bosch batteries and battery chargers (if you don't like flat batteries when you car is rarely used - like the C3 charger below) are available at authorized dealers nationwide: http://startwithbosch.com/my