Jay, Author at Clore Automotive

Resources

AGM Batteries – Helpful Service Bulletin

AGM batteries continue to grow in terms of OE usage in new vehicle starting systems, driven largely by the increasing prevalence of Start-Stop Systems in today’s North American carpark. For many reasons, AGM and Start-Stop AGM batteries are best tailored to meet the specific needs of these systems, with their improved cycling capability and longer life in these demanding applications. We receive many calls and emails related to AGM batteries, usually asking what they’re all about, how are they better than traditional designs and how best to manage them when they are encountered. So, when we saw this piece in January, we knew we wanted to share it with our audience. Here’s a great primer on the topic of AGM batteries by the team at UnderhoodService.com. They put together a FAQ related to AGM batteries as it relates to their use in GM applications, but honestly, it is applicable to virtually any AGM battery application. That said, we do have a few points of clarification or correction we’d like to add: “Additionally, AGM batteries require less frequent charging in storage. While flooded batteries need a topping charge every six months if out of vehicle to prevent the buildup of sulfation,

March 25, 2025 1 Comment

Featured

Spring is Springing: Are You Making it Count?

Here in KC, it’s been a nasty winter, at least compared to our normal. For many of you living in truly cold and snowy parts of the US, Canada and the world, this comment might bring a snicker. But, we were at -10˚F last Thursday morning when we headed to work and we’d say that’s cold by almost any standard. The good news is that, by Sunday, the worm had turned in our area and we’re now experiencing highs in the mid-60s, which is great while it lasts. There’s been much commentary about the sudden change here, particularly as it relates to cars, SUVs, trucks and other toys in garages around town. That got us to thinking about readying your vehicle for better weather and prepping a vehicle electrical system for the great warmup. So, this month, we’re sharing what we’re doing to take advantage of the better weather and setting ourselves up for a great driving season. Of Course, We’ll Start with the Battery In places that get cold (or very cold) in winter, there often isn’t time or energy to check under the hood and observe the condition or your vehicle’s working components. In these cases, if there

February 28, 2025 No Comments

Products

When You’ve Got a Serious Starting Task, Turn to BRUTUS

Yes, we call it BRUTUS. There’s a reason for that – it provides extreme starting power, every day, without exception. It is actually our Model No. HT1224AGM. That’s the part number you’d order to get one, but we suspect that, once it’s deployed in your operation, you’ll start calling it BRUTUS also. As in, “Nothing else will turn that thing over? Go grab BRUTUS.” Or, “It’s way too cold to mess around. Don’t bother trying anything else. Just grab BRUTUS.” This thing is truly awesome. 12/24V operation… two Group 31 AGM batteries… 1400 CCA in 12V mode… 10’ 1/0-gauge welding cable leads… 10’ pneumatic wheels that allow it to travel easily over virtually any surface … automatic charging system with a separate charging channel for each battery. That’s the HT1224AGM. All those features sound great, but what do they really mean for the crew keeping things running in an intermodal facility, in a heavy equipment auction yard, or in a Class 8 truck dealership? First, this unit will start anything you throw at it, with the versatility of tackling both 12 Volt and 24 Volt starting tasks. Second, with non-spillable AGM batteries installed, you don’t have to worry if Billy

February 28, 2025 No Comments

Resources

Key Programming Issues – Maybe It’s Not the Key

So, you go to reprogram a key and it doesn’t work. Try again and get the same result. Now, you’re wondering, “What’s going on here?” Well, this post by Travis in Wisconsin offers one additional thing to watch out for during this service. In this great piece, he lays out the issues he was having while trying to resolve a key identification issue on a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. Here’s the problem he was brought in to address: “This 2014 Jeep Cherokee was an all keys lost vehicle. Before I was called, a locksmith programmed an aftermarket key that would lock and unlock the vehicle by RF button pushes and start the vehicle if the key/fob was pushed against the stop/start switch. The proximity portion of the key did not work. No codes in the vehicle and running the key locator function in the RFA module showed 0 keys in the vehicle.” He tried to program not one, but two, OE keys and still saw the same issues. Both failed to program. He checked everything and nothing seemed amiss. Then, he played a hunch and, suddenly, both OE keys programmed successfully. Hint: He might as well have been playing In

February 26, 2025 No Comments

Clore Stories

A Garage Full of Clore Products

“My JNC660 is almost 10 yrs old – hasn’t let me down. Can’t believe an AGM battery has lasted this long. My JNC325 is a new purchase 2024 and replaces a NOCO top model that suffered lithium cell swelling. My Clore BA6 digital battery tester has worked flawlessly for years now. I also have a Clore Load Tester yet to put into use, but confident of its quality. Clore products are OUTSTANDING!!!” LesBurnaby, BC JNC66012V Jump Starter 1700 Peak Amps 425 Cranking Amps 46″ #2 AWG Leads Industrial-Grade Clamps JNC325 12V Lithium Jump Starter 1000 Peak Amps 450 Cranking Amps 24″ #6 AWG Leads Dual USB Outlets 1874Carbon Pile Load Tester 500A Load Capaability Tests to 1000CCA 43″ Cable Reach Industrial-Grade Clamps

February 26, 2025 No Comments

Featured

LiFePO4 / LFP Lithium Batteries – What You Need to Know

In the period from 2012-2021, we spent a lot of time talking about AGM batteries: what they are, what makes them different from traditional flooded acid lead acid batteries, and what shops and vehicle owners/consumers need to know when it comes to servicing them. While the knowledge transfer on AGMs is still ongoing, there are new battery chemistries making their way into the North American market, both as OE-installed batteries and as aftermarket replacements. A critical newer battery type is the LiFePO4 (or LFP) Lithium battery type. We received an email from Interstate Batteries this week, touting their lineup of LiFePO4 batteries and it caused us to think that our readers are probably seeing a lot about these battery types but may not yet have a great handle on what they’re all about. So, this month, we thought we would address this newish battery type in a similar way that we have with AGM batteries in the past. Tackling the Alphabet Soup of Lithium Types The reality of lithium batteries is that they are a relatively new technology and, as such, there are many different lithium battery types competing for commercial success and dominance. This is somewhat problematic when it

January 24, 2025 6 Comments

Products

More Power, More Function, More Everything – Introducing the PL6850

The new PRO-LOGIX PL6850, 12/24V Flashing Power Supply and HD Battery Charger, from Clore Automotive is designed to provide stable power, on demand up to 120 amps (12V mode), to a vehicle electrical system to support a wide variety of vehicle repair and maintenance applications, including module reprogramming. It also provides full-service, heavy-duty battery charging capability, up to 120A output, to service everything from small vehicle batteries to multi-battery Group 31 packs. In power supply mode, the PL6850 provides power to maintain vehicle electrical system voltage at a preset level, increasing its output in response to system load increases to maintain a stable power environment for successful reprogramming. It features voltage output range from 13.1-14.9V (12V mode) or 26.2-29.8V (24V mode), adjustable in 0.1V increments, allowing the operator to dial the output in exactly as specified by the supplier of the vehicle under service. It features Rapid Load Response (RLR) technology for ultra-quick recovery from changes in system power demand. It also delivers its massive power with minimal voltage ripple, providing a clean flow of power to the vehicle without risk of programming interference. These two factors combine to deliver an extremely stable electrical environment to the vehicle, exactly what’s

January 24, 2025 No Comments

Resources

Brick-Free Legacy GM PCM Reprogramming

Bricking modules seems to be as much a topic in 2025 as it was in 2015. The reality seems to us to be that, if you are doing programming, you eventually are going to brick a module. But, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of it happening, including handling known sensitive modules with care and a solid gameplan. Enter this great resource from our friend Michael in Utah. Here, he addresses the steps shops can take to avoid bricking a legacy GM PCM. Here’s a summary of the problem, in his words: “From sad experience, I have found these to be brick prone. There is lots of talk online of why these are bricking, the most common explanation is that the new J2534 tools lack the ability to slow the data enough. This force feeds the ECU faster than it can take the program.” He then lays out his strategy for avoiding bricked legacy GM PCMs, identifying the equipment and software needed to successfully reprogram these modules. If you are servicing these vehicles regularly or if you’ve ever bricked one of these modules, this one is for you. To see the original post at https://diag.net,

January 23, 2025 No Comments

Clore Stories

JNC770 Starts It All on the Farm

JNC770R 12V Jump Starter • 1700 Peak Amps • 425 Cranking Amps • 68″ #2 AWG cable leads • PowerJaw clamps • Master ON/OFF switch • Dual USB outlets • 12VDC outlet • Repair Service Coupon • 1 year limited warranty “I live on a farm in Northern Ohio and have many older vehicles – cars, trucks, gravely mowers, motorcycles, ATVs. Also, a generator for the house. Electric goes out a lot. Newest vehicle I own is 2007 GMC truck. So, I need a jump starter ready to go all the time. I try to maintain my old batteries and get all the life out of them I can. I’ve had a few small jumpers that worked fine with smaller batteries, like motorcycles and small cars, but some vehicles need more. And I found that with my Jump-N-Carry JNC770 jumper starter from you!!! It’s the best! I keep it charged all the time and use it frequently. Especially with my 2007 truck. All other jumpers wouldn’t start it. But yours does, every time. I’ve heard that newer vehicles drain batteries more just sitting because of a lot of extra electrical components. I’m almost 80 years old now and don’t drive

January 22, 2025 No Comments

Featured

The 5-Step Playbook for a Successful Winter of Driving

We spend a fair amount of time obsessing about the weather here at Clore and within the pages of this blog. There’s good reason for that. Weather can have an enormous impact on battery performance and useful life. Summer heat can be very damaging to batteries, depending on how high it gets and for how long. Just ask anyone who lives in Phoenix or Las Vegas how long they expect their vehicle battery to last and contrast their answer with that of someone living in Northern Michigan. Similarly, winter cold exposes battery weakness – a problem battery is really going to reveal itself if you are in the midst of a serious cold stretch in upstate New York. So, as you can imagine, this time of year, our thoughts turn to the dropping mercury and how our customers can avoid some of the problems that are brought on by the cold winds of December and January. With that in mind, here are our top five tips for beating old man winter when it comes to your vehicle. Tip #1 – Invest in a Quality Jump Starter “Of course,” you’ll say, “We knew you’d start with this.” It’s true that this

December 12, 2024 1 Comment

Jay

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