Replacing the battery in an Automower – step by step

Before replacing anything: clean the charging station's contact plates and check that they spring back when pressed. Oxidised or flattened contacts produce exactly the same symptoms as a tired battery, and cost nothing to fix.

Then look at run time. A healthy 5.2 Ah battery in an Automower 310 gives roughly 70 minutes of cutting. Below 40 minutes, the battery is on its way out.

Switch the machine off at the main switch and turn it upside down on a soft surface. Undo the base plate – usually six T20 Torx screws.

Release the connector by pressing the latch, not by pulling the cable. Fit the new battery, connect it, and tighten the screws crosswise so the gasket seats evenly.

Charge fully before the first cut. A new lithium battery ships at around 40 percent.

A compatible battery with the same voltage and connector performs equivalently, and may have more capacity than the original. The machine's electronics do not read a manufacturer code.

Always check that the voltage matches exactly. A higher Ah figure is fine; the wrong voltage is not.