Battery is one of the most important components of our car and there are some factors to consider when we want to purchase a new one. It is one component that many people don’t pay much attention. Often, people purchase the least expensive battery and there are aspects that we should take into account when planning to purchase a new battery. When choosing a battery, we should examine its key elements, such as brand, size, cold cranking amps and reserve capacity. Size is an essential factor when choosing a battery, this could refer to the width and height of the unit.
Battery should fit snugly and securely into the compartment of our car. We may need to read the user manual to find out more about things we should know. In general, we could waste too much money if we purchase the wrong one. The wrong type of battery could also damage the internal mechanism of the car. We should also choose the right brand. Some car manuals specify the recommended brands that works well with the car based on years of experience. In order to avoid financial burden, we will need to follow the manual and choose the recommended brand for our car.
It is also important to know about the reserve capacity of the battery. Reserve capacity is also known as the standing power. It is the amount of time for the battery to supply the minimum voltage continuously to keep the car running. In general, we should choose battery with higher reserve capacity.
As an example, we should choose batteries with at least 90 minutes of reserve capacity. Cold-cranking amps are also important features of car battery. This feature will ensure that the battery will be able to switch on the car, although the external weather is already frozen cold.
When the external temperature is already under zero for hours, the oil inside our engine will thicken. In general, a battery should have high CCA rating, especially if we are living a very cold climate. If a battery has a 1000 Cold Cranking Amps rating, it means that the battery will be able to deliver 800 amps of electrical current for 30 seconds at zero degree temperature.
We should also know the chronological age of the car battery. It should be quite easy. A indicates that the battery was produced in January, B in February, C in March and so on. The digit should represent the year of manufacture, 4 for 2014, 5 for 2015, etc. A car battery should be produced no more than two years ago.
Many car battery manufacturers provide at least 12 months of free replacement warranty if the battery is proven to be faulty. Even if the battery is available in local stores, we should check for reviews in online sellers. We could go to Amazon.com and type the brand and model of the battery that is suitable for our car. If the battery is already in sale for years and it gets plenty of favourable reviews, then we should purchase it.