Every car battery has a shelf life, whether it’s being used or not. Even brand new batteries stored on the shelves of automotive parts stores expire after a certain time. Since every battery comes with a certain timed guarantee, knowing when to replace one seems somewhat logical. However, depending on where you live, the type of weather you endure, a battery can last longer than the guarantee period or less – depending on the circumstances.
Car batteries normally have a life expectancy of 2-3 years, even if it says that they will last up to 5 years. If lately you have been facing ignition problems or sluggish functioning of your car’s electrical devices or experiencing the slow-start of your car and the battery has also passed its warranty period, it makes financial sense to invest in a new car battery rather than paying for repairs on an old one now and then.
With the vast array of auto batteries available in the market, choosing the right one is a bit confusing at times. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to replacement, of your car battery.
- Battery Group Size – This is the physical size of the battery, and most vehicles will allow for more than one group size. The wrong size might not fit securely or provide sufficient power. If the terminals are in the wrong place, your car’s cables might not reach, or it may not fit in firmly. Check your owner’s guide to find the battery group sizes that will fit in your vehicle.
- Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) – CCA determines how well your battery will supply enough power for 30 seconds at a temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit. Batteries that only display hot cranking amps (HCA) or cranking amps (CA) are not as well suited for cold areas.
- Reserve Capacity (RC) – RC measures how many minutes the battery can supply power before falling below the minimum voltage level after the alternator has failed. In general, the higher the number, the better. This is an important factor to consider if you operate on the electrical components of the car keeping its engine off.
- Battery Date Code – Be sure to ask for the battery with a recent manufacturing date. A battery that’s been on the shelf for an extended period can lose some of its charge, and might not perform as well as the first time.
- Warranty – Look for a hassle-free warranty. Is the warranty nationwide so that you can obtain service wherever you are? How long is the free replacement period? Make sure that you are comfortable with the warranty.
- Consider value as well as price – Before taking professional advice from your motor mechanic, do search on the internet and look for discounted prices offered by various spares parts selling companies. It is certain that you will remain on the gainer’s side if you purchase your car battery online rather than buy it from a local store.
- Purchase a new battery before your existing one fails – Before you take a long trip, or when you are having your car serviced, have your battery tested. It will save you a lot of time and money down the road.
Car batteries need regular checkups, which if not taken care of, will reduce the life of the battery. We are providing you with some useful tips that will enhance your car’s battery life.
- Do not leave the headlights on for a long time after turning off the car engine.
- Do not leave the key in the ignition of the car overnight as some electrical device may stay on and can discharge the battery by the morning.
- Never let rust remain on the battery terminals for too long.
- Do not leave interior lights on overnight; make sure to turn off all lights off and any other electrical accessories before locking the car.
- If you are not going to use your car for a long time, disconnect the battery from the car and manually remove it from the car altogether. This ensures that the battery will not get discharged when the vehicle is not used.
Maintaining an automobile battery, like checking the terminals and cables and keeping the connectors clean will free you from situations where the car refuses to start at traffic lights or get you stuck in the middle of nowhere without help at hand. Do not install used car batteries as they are extremely dangerous.To know how well your car battery is performing, do take your car to a proper service center like Carservicing4less, on a regular basis.
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