Car manufacturers have been telling car owners since the beginning of time that a specific sort of car battery or car part is better than another. Generally, it’s there’s and more often than not it carries a large mark-up too. However, the reality is that it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a branded or non-branded battery.
However, there are some things that you need to keep in mind when choosing a good quality battery for your car. Variables such as amp hours, dimensions, construction type and a range of others are factors, while at the most basic level understanding whether it’s a 6v or 12v battery matters.
So, let’s take a look at the sort of battery your car may take and how to decide on one.
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AGM and Gel
One of the recent additions to new cars has been the start/stop technology – hereby a car stops at traffic lights and then turns on when the accelerator is pressed again. These cars require gel or AGM batteries rather than the traditional sort of battery. This is down to the increased frequency of the car turning on and off. These batteries are vastly superior to the traditional lead battery, however they can’t be replaced with the traditional option – so don’t try to do so.
Read the Manual
Your car came with a manual and you need to read it – it’s the easiest way to understand the sort of car battery that you have. Alternatively, there are a number of ways of checking this up online once you know the model, engine size and a few details about the car you own. Generally, this will suffice although the handbook is still a better guide in a lot of cases. It’s also easier to access the information from there too.
Image Credit: akrabat
Existing Battery
Of course, you could always open up the bonnet of the car and take a look at the current battery to see if there is a mark and if the battery type is listed. Alternatively, measuring the battery can work if you do so in MM. This will also require you to measure the terminals and take note of where they are in relation to the front of the battery. You will also have to note which is positive and which is negative. This is known as terminal layout. The manufacturer sticker is at the front and writing should be the right way around.
Terminals
You may also need to know the sort of battery terminal and though most UK autos have a 17.5mm terminal at the positive and 19.5mm at the negative, some are different. Japanese terminals are narrower and there is also a square sort known as lug terminals.
Battery Finder
When you take all that information and compile it then you should use a battery finder to narrow down your search. Alpha-Batteries are one company with a good battery finder option that we found to be always correct if the details entered are.
It’s quite common for batteries to be a standard size and with a little effort you should be able to find the sort yours is.
