At some point of your vehicle’s history, you will have to replace the battery. Maybe the battery will have got older, or the battery may have drained unintentionally after leaving the lights on for long.

It is stressful to have a dead battery in your car, especially if you do not have a jumper cable to help you ignite the car. To ensure that you are always on the go, you should replace your battery.  Below are guidelines that will guide you in choosing the right battery for your car.

Battery maintenance

There are some batteries to maintain free of charge. These batteries have a flat top. Therefore, you cannot add electrolyte. While the manufacturers claim that these batteries are safer, they cost much more than the conventional batteries that work just as well if not better.

When replacing your battery, you should consider buying the maintenance battery if the design of the car makes it difficult to reach the battery.

Ensure that the battery meets your car as well as driving needs

When buying the replacement battery, ensure that the battery has the right design and size of your car. To avoid making the mistake of buying the wrong battery, always read the car owner manual to verify the right size and design of the battery.

In addition to buying a battery that is of the right size and design, ensure that you buy a battery that fits the climatic conditions where you will be driving in. Batteries are designed for different climatic conditions. There are batteries for the warmer climate and batteries for the colder climates.

Batteries designed for the warmer climate require that they have corrosion free plates. In addition, these batteries need not be maintenance free. This is because the electrolyte vaporizes fast therefore needs to be replaced constantly.

Battery recycling

Batteries contain lead (Pb) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which are toxic and pose danger when disposing them. The good news is that both can be recycled. All you need to do is to take your old battery to the retailer and the retailer will dispose it for you.

READ:  How to Reset Subaru After Battery Change

Usually, the retailer will give you a small amount of money for the old battery. Therefore, when buying a new battery, it is wise to go with the old one and sell it to the retailer. This way you will get some money off the cost of the new battery.

Battery sizes

Batteries come in different sizes; therefore, you should ensure that you buy a battery that is about the right size for your car. Buying a wrong size battery is detrimental. This is because the battery will not fit securely in the battery tray. This leads to battery damage. In addition, the wrong size battery will not produce enough power for the car.

To ensure that you buy the right battery size, check the car owner’s manual. Here are the different battery sizes:

Size 65 (top terminal) —it fits trucks, cars, and sports cars from ford and mercury.

Size 75 (side terminal) —it fits mid size compact cars, and a number of Chrysler vehicles.

Size 24/24F (top terminal) —it fits many Honda, Infiniti, Nissan, Acura and Toyota vehicles.

Size 34/ 78 (dual terminal) —it fits SUVs, large Chrysler vehicles, numerous 1996-2000 GM pickups, and large and midsized sedans.

Size 35 (top terminal) —it fits most nameplates, Hondas, most Nissan, Subaru and Toyota vehicles.

Absorbed Glass Mat has known as AGM Batteries

These are maintenance-free batteries. The batteries are designed and built to stand up repeated recharging cycles, and draining. Many people are using these batteries nowadays. This is because they have many pleasing features such as fuel-saving start-stop systems, convenience features, power exits for portable electronics, and electronic safety. Although, the batteries have these features, it does not mean that they work better than the conventional batteries.

Battery warranty

10 years ago, battery warranty was for 3 months with a prorated period of only 50 months. Today, the warranty period has increased, with most manufacturers giving a 36-month warranty and longer prorating periods.

To be on the safe side, it is always wise to buy a battery with the longest warranty period. This assures that the battery is of high quality.

READ:  Myths about car batteries

To understand how to read the warranty period is important. Most manufactures will write a battery warrant code such as 24/84. Such as code means the battery has a free-replacement warranty for the duration of two years. They also offer a prorated period of 84 months. When you return the battery (to the manufacturer) while of the prorated period, the amount reimbursed is usually lower.

Although, most of the times you will be reimbursed your money if you return the battery within the warranty period, you should ensure that you follow the terms of the warranty for you to receive your reimbursement. For example, most manufacturers will not give you the reimbursement if you installed the battery wrongly. For example, if you install a car’s battery into a truck.

In addition, most of the manufacturers will not reimburse your money if there are signs of neglect on the battery. For example, if there are signs of low water, damage or leaks to the battery.

Points to remember

Batteries lose strength—even when they are idle. So, when you go to the store to buy the battery, ensure that the battery you buy is not as old as more than half a year. Different manufacturers use different shipping codes. For example, the manufacturer will use ‘A’ for the month of January, and ‘3’ for the year 2013. Other manufacturers will use a numeric date.

In addition to the date of manufacture, you should always choose a battery with a strong plastic loop over a battery with a weak loop. This is because a strong loop helps you to lift the battery easily (usually almost 40 pounds). Other than lifting, a strong loop will make it easy and secure to lower the battery onto the car engine compartments.

Conclusion

These are points should guide you in buying the right battery for your car. To ensure that your battery lasts for long, always take good care of it. Will you?