HOW TO BUY A CAR BATTERY? 5 TIPS TO PREVENT A MISTAKE -

Why should you as a driver or car owner know how to buy a car battery?

Well, if you’ve experienced battery problems then you’ll know how important this is.

Knowing how to buy a car battery means the difference between buying the right one or buying a totally useless battery.

Even to the point you can’t install or use it.

This article should give you some useful tips to help you choose the proper battery for your car. If you’re not in the mood for reading, you have a video at the end of the article that you can also watch on our YouTube channel.

HOW TO BUY A CAR BATTERY?

Before we start I would like to recommend a couple of our articles and videos related to this topic.

If you have doubts about is the car battery causing the problem, click here and read about some of the most common signs of a dead or dying car battery.

Besides this, if you decide to change the car battery on your own, click here for an article that describes the whole procedure.

Now, back to the article and what’s important when learning how to buy a car battery:

1. VOLTAGE, AMPERAGE, CCA, START STOP-SYSTEM, MAINTENANCE, AND ELSE

The voltage, amper/hours, and cold cranking amps (CCA) are the most important parameters you should check.

In a nutshell, these parameters tell you if the battery is fit for your car’s electric installation and how strong the electric power output is.

The new battery should have the exact same parameters as the old one. All of these parameters are easily found on a sticker on top of the car battery.

Just compare these to the new one and you won’t make a mistake for sure.

In cars with a start-stop system make sure to buy a battery that matches this system otherwise you may have problems after installing it. Also, in newer cars, you might have to hook up an OBD tool to register the battery.

About maintenance, most modern car batteries are maintenance free meaning that you don’t have to do anything around them during the whole exploitation period of the battery

But just in case, when buying, ask or read on the battery if it’s maintenance-free.

2. SIZE OF THE BATTERY

Regarding the size, you shouldn’t have any dilemmas.

In most cases, battery sizes are standardized according to their power output.

For instance, a 45 amper/hour battery should be the same size anywhere and from any manufacturer you buy it.

Besides this, if the battery is for some reason bigger, it’s pretty much obvious at first glance.

But just in case pay attention. If it’s for some reason bigger, there’s a good chance it won’t fit the battery casing under the hood and even if it does, you might not probably be able to mount the holder.

3. POSITION OF THE BATTERY TERMINALS

Pay attention to the position of the battery terminals as this is perhaps the most common mistake when buying a battery.

Is plus and minus left or right mean the difference between buying the proper battery and one that is practically useless as you probably won’t be able to mount it.

For instance, the battery cables won’t be able to reach the terminals and even if they do, they will probably be strained.

4. HOW LONG DOES THE WARRANTY LAST?

All new car batteries come with a warranty. The warranty vouches that the battery will be able to steadily deliver a certain amount of electricity in a given period of time.

The warranty usually lasts from two (which is most common) to five years all depending on the manufacturer and type.

When buying, take a look or ask how long the warranty lasts.

Know that the duration of the warranty is a serious factor to consider and one that influences the overall price of the battery and the matter of whether should you even buy it.

5. WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURING DATE OF THE CAR BATTERY?

When buying a battery, take a look or ask for the manufacturing date.

Make sure it hasn’t sat on a shelf too long. If it has, its overall longevity and efficiency may be seriously reduced.

The common practice is that the battery sold shouldn’t be older than six months.

You can find the production date on the battery, usually engraved on the battery terminal, stamped on the plastic casing, on a sticker of some sort, or else.

Check it out, but, in most cases, sellers check the production dates so you shouldn’t be at risk of buying an old battery in the first place.

CONCLUSION

All in all, the best way to avoid any mistake when learning how to buy a car battery is to read the specifications on the battery and buy a new one according to that.

Especially if you don’t have any or minor experience with cars.

An even easier solution is to take out your smartphone, take a picture of the sticker on the battery, and at the store, say what car you’re driving (or provide the VIN number).

This is a winning combination for sure.

Also, it’s ideal if you can find the battery recommended by the car manufacturer, then you should be 100% safe from mistakes.

All of this may seem somewhat overwhelming but knowing the basic characteristics of your car battery goes under common driving knowledge. alongside things like what rims you have, what tires you use, what kind of wiper blades you need, and else.