Your car battery is your lifeline to a running vehicle, so if it dies, your vehicle will not be able to operate. If your current battery is more than five years old it is smart to start looking into buying a new one, and we can help you determine the best choice for your car. Keep in mind that not all car batteries are the same, and you cannot just walk into any store that sells batteries and pick blindly. Each vehicle fits a different size and having one that fits poorly is dangerous. Before heading into any store you should always consult your owner’s manual to see which battery is made for your car. You can also contact us and we can recommend what type of battery would be best for your vehicle.
What You Need to Know About Batteries
If your car is still under warranty you should always visit the dealership in which you purchased the vehicle from to get the new battery. They will surly know which one is for your car, and can install it properly and without hassle. When you are choosing your battery the two most important factors you should be looking at are the group size and cold cranking amps. The group size is the thing that defines the batteries dimensions and the placement of the terminals. Most of the cars made by one manufacturer will all have the same group size, but a different group size than vehicles from other manufacturers. The cold cranking amps measure of a battery’s ability to start your vehicle in cold weather. When your car has been sitting in the cold for a long period of time the oil thickens and slows the chemical reaction making it the hardest time for your engine to turn over. Cold-cranking amps specify how much current the battery can deliver to the starter at zero degrees Fahrenheit. These are different than the cranking amps that are measured at 32 degrees, and usually display a much higher number.
What to Take Into Consideration
Aside from the group size and cold cranking amps, you should also take into the consideration the reserve capacity of the batteries. This helps you if your alternator were to fail by showing you how many minutes your vehicle will run on the battery alone. Not all batteries have this posted right on their label, so you may need to check the booklet that comes with it. The newer batteries will last longer and help the life of your vehicle. To see what the date that the battery was stamped at, you will have to do some deciphering. Most batteries have a date on it or attached to a label that will start with a letter and the second digit will be a number. This indicates the month and year the battery was made. For example, D12 means April 2012. Be sure to stick to these recommendations because choosing one that is too small or big, or has too low or high of a rating could be harmful to your vehicle and your wallet.