How to buy an appropriate battery for your car

by IndianAuto Team | 24/09/2020
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Every machine needs electricity to function. So, does your car! And cars’ electricity is the battery mounted inside them. However, how do you pick the right one for your car?

If you open up the front hood of your car, you will see a square-shaped object which seems to have some liquid inside. That’s called a car’s battery. Some cars run on dry-cell batteries while others run on wet-cell batteries. Nonetheless, we are not here to distinguish between those two. All we need to know now is that how to buy car battery.

An old battery inside a car

People tend to put in any battery that they “think” is good enough

Usually, a car’s battery will last very long if it’s fully checked. Eventually, it will run out of power one way or another. At that point, you will need to replace it with a new one. The problem is that you just can’t install any type of battery in your car. It means that buying a random car’s battery online and mounting it to your car can do a lot of damage to it without your awareness. Unfortunately, some people seem to be ignorant and don’t pay too much attention to the suitable battery for their cars. When the problems occur, they tend to put in any battery that they “think” it is good enough.

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The sign that we usually experience when a battery has died is that it takes longer than usual to start a car. Especially, the sound of a dead battery is like someone chokes it then it’s gone forever. Then, you know that it’s time to replace it.

Picture indicating appropriate types of batteries for each vehicle

We need to know now is that how to pick the right battery for your cars

Notice: Thoroughly check the battery’s life

Now, you may THINK that your car’s dead battery is the reason why you can’t start the engine. But to think further, you might notice that something else is draining the battery faster than usual. You may end up with replacing a new battery which will eventually die out due to the same cause. Many repair shops now can help you determine the cause of dead batteries. So, you should carefully check it out before taking any other action. For example, a worn wire is exposed to the body frame, and somehow, creating a short circuit. This is also a factor which can quickly use up all the power of car batteries.

If the result tells you that your car’s battery needs immediate replacement. Then, here are some criteria which you should consider so that you may know which type of battery suits your car.

Criterion 1: The appropriate battery size

The first thing you must think of is the size of your battery. Many automobile manufacturers produce batteries with a  strict size standard to make sure it could fit the battery tray  Fitment is no joke. A perfectly-fitted battery will  tightly snug in the tray and harmonizes with the car’s functional system. This will definitely minimize the unexpected damage to your battery due to excessive vibration. Especially, if your cars use wet-cell batteries, moving too much can eventually crack the cover, causing  the liquid inside to leak. Not only will it decrease the lifespan of your car but it also badly affect other car parts.

Many car batteries from different groups

Many automobile manufacturers separate batteries into groups based on their sizes

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Criterion 2: Batteries based on the weather of  where you live

One thing about batteries that all drivers must know is that a car battery must be powerful enough to start the engine. This kind of power is measured in Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) which  show you how much power a particular battery can “crank” within 30 seconds at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (equal to 0 degrees C). CCA is particularly helpful to those drivers who live in cold weather condition, where the degree can often fall down as low as 0 degrees C. In that case, oil and fluid of many essential car parts could easily become clammy as caramel. So, to turning over the engine, you should select a battery with a higher CCA than required rating if you usually have to drive under this chilling climates. If you choose a battery whose CCA is way too low, there is a good chance you will spend a lot of time to get your car going in the morning.

Criterion 3: Reserve capacity

This measurement is very crucial. Usually, people will see how important RC is when they are having trouble with driving. For your information, RC is the total amount of time the maximum amperage is delivered before discharging entirely. You should consider buying a car battery whose RC rating is high. It will have enough reservation power in case of tough situations such as stubborn engines. When there are still not many drivers realize the necessity of RC rating, it still plays an essential role, especially in cold weather. However, wherever you live, you also need to choose a battery with a high RC rating. No one knows which could happen. Preparation is never redundant! The extra reservation power may be your hero in the most unexpected time.

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Criterion 4: Not being too short-sighted

You can compare one for one to find out an identical battery for your car, but ideally, method is to talk to a counter person and tell them the necessary information about your current car. Reading a catalogue about cars is fine. However, sometimes, you won’t be able to know which type of battery your car needs. After receiving their answer, you should consider purchasing a battery which possesses the best CCA and RC rating fitting your wallet. So, when it’s come to buying batteries, enough is not enough anymore!

The numbers indicating the power of one battery

Purchasing a battery which possesses the best CCA and RC rating fitting your wallet

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