Buying a car battery: what you need to know

By Lawrence Minnie

When you need to buy a new battery for your car there are a number of things that you need to take into consideration before doling out your hard earned cash.

Power to the people

Whether you choose to take your vehicle in to have a battery changed or do it yourself there are a number of things that you should be aware of before laying your cash on the counter. We take a look at some of the most important questions you should be asking before buying a new battery.

Not all batteries are created equal

There are actually a few different types of batteries available on the market. There are the standard lead-acid variety, sealed units, gel-based units, non-serviceable units and of course deep cycle type units.

They all do pretty much the same thing, that is, send power to your cars electronic system but how they produce and store that power and the effectiveness thereof is greatly affected by the construction.

Always try to replace your battery with a similar or exact same type as you currently have unless changes have been made to necessitate the need for a different type.

Fitting an incorrect battery may have very costly results. 

Most vehicles will run a lead acid battery as this is the cheapest and most cost-effective type of battery on the market for most cars. These batteries last about 2 - 3 years before needing to be replaced and will require maintenance from time to time.

Some auto manufacturers will opt for long life, sealed units that require no maintenance from you and will have a life span of 3-5 years.

High-end auto's will have expensive sealed units with deep cycle power management that are required for the extensive electronic systems present in said vehicles. Although not recommended, you can, in a pinch, replace these with lead acid batteries but their life span will be greatly reduced due to the power drain placed on the battery. 

Buying a battery

Before you buy a battery you need to ensure that you know what you are going to need in terms of cold cranking amperage ( What you cars starter needs to turn the engine over when cold ), terminal location, dimensional size and type.

Most car batteries can be found on a . You can ask or order your battery by the number such as 610P, this tells the sales associate what the dimensions, amperage, terminal post location and what the post size of the unit should be so that you can get a direct replacement. 

Most retailers will ask for your old battery and will give a discount on the new one and will charge you a tiny recycling fee if you do not bring the old one in you will not receive this. It's always a good idea to bring in the old one for reference purposes and you then don't need to deal with an old unit cluttering up your garage and having to worry about dumping it.

Parting notes

You may want to do some extra homework if you are taking the DIY route. Check what kind of warranties the different manufacturers offer on their units, you can also check what kind of lifespan other consumers have received with their chosen brands and you can check to see if other consumers have changed out their batteries for better performing units that you may want to try.

In short, if you are tackling a DIY install always make sure you have it right as no one covers damage to electrical systems from incorrect battery types and installations.