What Kind Of Car Battery Do I Need

Other Features And Options

The primary purpose of a battery jump starter is to jump-start your car.; As we discussed, you want to make sure that your jump starter can do that FIRST!

Jump-starters today, though, come with a bevy, of other optional features.

• Flashlight

Coffee maker . To list a few

Flashlight

For me, this is not a critical feature, I would rather have a.; I had a flashlight on my last jump-starter and I never used it.; I found a regular flashlight to be much more versatile.

USB Charger

Now, this is a handy feature to have.; I am not sure what else to say about this; its a charger.; We all have cell phones and/or tablets that require charging.; Its nice to have the option to be able to charge your devices.

Many of the lithium-ion batteries use the USB charger to charge the unit itself.; Most units come with the USB cord so you can charge it just about anywhere.

Power Outlet

Again, this is another useful feature.; These usually come in a standard 12v system, so you can charge things like your laptop.;;

A quick story.; I actually used one of these to run my sons nebulizer.; We were out in the woods and he began to have an asthma attack.; Back at the car, we plugged his neb in to get his breathing under control.; It could have been a much worse event had we not had the option to plug in his neb.

Air Compressor

You dont have to worry about finding a gas station, you can simply find a safe place to pull over and put air in your tires.

Choosing An Electric Car

Buying a new EV can be a big decision. Fortunately, the type of battery it uses doesnt need to play too much of a role in your choice. Most automakers use lithium-ion batteries, although some hybrids, like the Toyota Prius, have a nickel-metal hydride battery instead.

The main factors to consider are what the warranty covers and whether the batterys capacity will be enough for your driving habits. Having that information available will make it easier to determine which electric vehicle is right for you.

What Do Also Numbers On A Car Battery Mean

The numbers on a car battery indicate the following specs:

• Cold Cranking Amps: It is the measure of the batteryâs capacity to supply electrical current at a temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reserve Capacity: It shows the duration at which the car battery will provide current to the car components when the alternator is not working.
• Amp-Hours: It indicates the available electrical current you can get from the car battery for a certain duration.
• Month year and codes: These are just specific dates concerning the purchase of the car battery.

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Let Fixter Find Your Premium Replacement

Whatever car you drive, Fixter can help you find the ideal battery replacement service for it. With our contactless collection and delivery service, well also save you time and money.

Why not take a look right now to see the excellent prices and parts Fixter have to offer?

If youre not sure whether your battery is on its last legs or whether theres an issue with your cars electrics, our expert partners are ready and waiting to check it out, offering you the best advice available.

Well also make sure your old battery is recycled in the correct way. You should never just throw a car battery away with your household rubbish, as they contain many harmful materials.

Should I Test My Car Battery

While not entirely necessary, its recommended to have your mechanic load-test your battery annually after its 2 years old or after 4 years .;

This is because batteries tend to fail faster in hot climates.;

The load test will highlight the batterys ability to hold voltage while being used and let you know if its time to change. Its also always a good idea to get your battery checked before a long road trip.;

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Recycling An Electric Car Battery

Finally, dont forget to consider what happens to your EVs battery when it reaches the end of its life cycle. While electric cars produce fewer emissions than gas cars, theres still the environmental impact of their battery packs to consider.

Some EV carmakers like Volkswagen are developing plans for recycling batteries, while others are turning them into backup energy storage systems for home or commercial use. After all, just because a battery is no longer suitable for powering your car doesnt mean it cant be put to work storing energy from solar panels or other renewable sources.

If it doesnt have any useful value, then the nickel, lithium, and other raw materials can be extracted from the battery before its disposed of. Whatever you do, dont attempt to disassemble your EV battery yourself. Lithium-ion batteries are flammable and can be extremely dangerous if they arent handled properly.

Know What You Need The Charger For

Do you need to battery for charging? Do you need it for battery maintenance or both? Battery charging is when you need to recharge a dead or flat battery until it is full. Battery maintenance is when you need a battery charger for topping up.

So for instance, you have a motorcycle that you only use a few times a month, but you want to make sure that its ready anytime you need it.; This means you need a charger for battery maintenance and not battery charging. This is referred to as trickle charging. There are battery chargers that can do both maintenance and charging.

Some people need a charger to keep their car, motorcycle, or aircraft battery charged when not in use. In cases like this, a low current charger would be sufficient for this. Other batteries may need an even faster and more powerful charger.; This is what you will need for a wheelchair battery or trolling motor battery.

You may also consider other types of charger specific to your needs.; For instance, you might need a multi-voltage battery charger if youre traveling, a waterproof charger for when youre outdoors, a charger than works as a power source for RVs, and a multi-bank charger for when youre planning to charge several batteries all at once.

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How Your Auto Battery Works

Heres a simple guide to understanding how car batteries work, from the alternator to cold cranking amps to different types of car batteries. Find out:

• What the different types of auto batteries are

How a Car Battery Starts a Car

The first purpose of an auto battery is to provide power for starting your vehicle. It also acts as a surge protector for the car’s computer and provides power for short-term use of things like lights, stereo, GPS or wipers when the engine is off.

The car battery is part of the starting system. There are three main components in this system:

How the Battery Provides Power

The two types of auto batteries flooded and AGM batteries use lead-acid technology. A typical lead-acid car battery contains plates of lead alternating with plates made up of other materials, all immersed in an electrolyte solution of about one-third sulfuric acid and two-thirds water.

What Are Cold Cranking Amps?

A high CCA rating is important for standard auto batteries in areas with subzero temperatures, since deeply discharged wet cell batteries can freeze solid in such weather.

How the Car Battery Recharges

Find Your Battery Group Size

Car batteries are all sorted by a group size. It indicates the measurements of the battery case as well as the orientation of the battery terminals or posts. In order to find the right battery for your car, youll need to know the group size.

Step 1: Check for the group size on your old battery. If the battery that originally came with your car is still in it, look for the group size on a label on the battery.

The label may be on the top or on the side of the case.

Group sizes are typically a two-digit number and may be followed with a letter.

Typical side-post battery group size numbers are 70, 74, 75, and 78.

Typical top-post battery group size numbers are 41, 42, 48, 24, 24F, 51, 58R, and 65.

Step 2: Check your owners manual for a group size. Look under the specifications section in your owners manual.

The battery group size as well as other pertinent battery information will be in the specs.

Step 3: Search online for the group size. Use an online resource to determine a battery group size for your car.

Find an online resource such as AutoBatteries.com to find the group size.

Input your vehicle details including year, make, model, and engine size.

Youll be presented with the group size and CCA result when you submit the information.

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Why Dont All Ev Charge At A High Rate On Home Charging

There are a number of reasons why different models of electric vehicles charge at different rates. These include the cost of OBCs, the available space for the battery, and the faster you charge your EV, the more damage is done to the battery.

As an example, a new Tesla Model X is advertised as having a 100kW capacity, but it actually has a bigger battery than this. The software doesnt allow you to use the last 10% at first, but over time it allows you to use more and more of the battery. This is how Tesla guarantees the battery and the car over eight years, by letting you use more of the battery over time. The battery does go down in performance but the software lets you use more of it.

What Does Peak Amperes Mean On A Battery Jump Starter

You may see a reference to peak amps when looking for a battery jump starter. Peak amps are the maximum amount of power that the jump starter can push out on the initial burst.;

This is not particularly helpful when deciding which is the best battery jump starter to purchase.; Because its giving you the maximum amount of power on a short initial burst.

The battery jump starter may only be producing those peak amps for a second or two.; Conversely, the cranking amps produce a steady stable current for at least 30 seconds.

When jump-starting your car you typically need a minute or two to give the car battery enough juice to be able to start your vehicle up.

However, battery jump starters come with a variety of other features, which we will get into later.; Peak amps is a consideration when factoring in these other features.

So, to sum this all up.; Peak amps should not be the deciding factor when choosing a battery jump starter. Cold-cranking amps or cranking amps should be your first consideration.; You want to make sure that your jump starter will, in fact, be able to jump-start your car.;

However, more peak amps generally indicate a more powerful jump starter. 1000 Peak amps > 700 peak amps.

Now that you know more than you ever wanted about jump starter amps, what are the other considerations that need to be examined?

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How Do I Charge My Battery

If your battery is totally flat and the engine won’t turn over, then you’ll need to use a charger to give it a full charge. You’ll need a charger that’s fully compatible with your car and battery and you’ll need to follow a few rules to prevent damage to either the battery or the charger – which you can find in our How To Charge a Car Battery guide.

Selecting The Right Battery For Your Vehicle

The right battery will depend a lot on your engine size and driving style. Some large capacity batteries that might look attractive on paper will probably turn out to be sized incorrectly for your vehicle, and other types might be unavailable in the power capacities your vehicle needs. To find the right numbers for your cars power needs, check out the owners manual or technical handbook for your make and model year. You can easily find off-beat battery options that will work for your vehicle by searching according to these numbers.

There is an easier way to find the batteries you need, though. You can also use an easy battery fitment lookup in an online catalog like the one on our site, making the process of narrowing your options among the different types of car batteries a simple one. From there, all you need to do is check out the individual options that will fit your vehicle and make a call about the combination of battery type, features, and price point that you want. Its easy, its simple, and its a great reason why you should shop for your next battery today.

Advice, how-to guides, and car care information featured on;AutoZone.com;and AutoZone Advice & How-Tos are presented as helpful resources for general maintenance and automotive repairs from a general perspective only and should be used at your own risk. Information is accurate and true to the best of AutoZones knowledge, however, there may be omissions, errors or mistakes.

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Everything You Need To Know About Your Electric Car Battery

Conventional vehicles have an automotive battery thats used to start the internal combustion engine and power the radio, windows, and other electrical components. Youll be familiar with it if youve ever had to because your car wouldnt start.

Electric cars have a different design. They still have an automotive battery usually a 12-volt lead-acid battery, just like the one in a conventional car but they also have a rechargeable battery pack that can be used to power the motor.

If youre thinking of buying an electric car, its important to understand how an electric car battery works and what you can do to maximize your electric car battery life.

What Does Car Battery Cca Mean

There are usually two amp ratings on a car battery the Cold Cranking Amps and Cranking Amps :;

• CA: Cranking Amps is a measure of how many amps can be delivered for 30 seconds at 32°F .;
• CCA: Cold Cranking Amps defines how many amps it can deliver for 30 seconds at 0°F that is, how well a battery can start an engine in frigid conditions.;

The higher the amp rating number, the easier it is to crank the engine.;

Its more difficult for a battery to deliver power in cold conditions, so the CCA rating is a truer measure of the batterys power.;

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What Are The Different Kinds Of Car Battery

Halfords currently supplies three main types of car battery, which we’ll get to shortly. How long they last really depends on how often you turn your engine on and off, how far you drive each year and other factors such as letting your battery run down repeatedly. Certain types of battery will last longer than others, but the key thing to look out for is the number of starts and if there is a guarantee.

What Does Battery Group Size Mean

The battery group size is a term used by manufacturers that is a form of industry standard description of car batteries. This helps both car owners and technicians define the size of a specific car battery in a simplified manner.

The group size of a car battery depends on the make of the car, the model and the engine type.

This mainly differs from one manufacture to the other and you will get that cars manufactured in America, Japan or even Germany have different group sizes for their car batteries.

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Whats The Best Way To Address Car Battery Issues

Battery problems dont necessarily always result from bad batteries. Issues can stem from various other problems like a faulty alternator or voltage regulator.;

To make sure you address the right issues, youll want a reliable mechanic to help you solve them.

Luckily, thats what RepairSmith is there for.

RepairSmith is a convenient mobile vehicle repair and maintenance solution that offers these advantages:;

• Replacements and fixes can be performed right in your driveway
• Professional, ASE-certified technicians perform the vehicle inspection and servicing
• Online booking is convenient and easy
• Competitive and upfront pricing
• Repairs are conducted using high-quality equipment, tools, and repair parts
• RepairSmith provides a 12-month | 12,000-mile warranty for all repairs

For an accurate estimate of battery-related repair and maintenance costs, fill this online form.

Replacing An Electric Vehicle Battery

If you do have to replace your EV battery pack, theres a good chance it will be covered by your manufacturers warranty. Some states, like California, require that the battery warranty last for 10 years or 150,000 miles, while in most other states, youll be covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles.

Be sure to double-check whats covered, though. Some warranties cover batteries that hold less than 60-70% of their full capacity, but others only cover battery packs that have failed completely, which is less likely to happen.

If you have to pay for a new battery out-of-pocket, youll be looking at several thousand dollars. One recent report has the Tesla Model 3 battery pack priced at $16,000, while the Nissan Leaf battery is a more reasonable $5,500.

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