In order to end up with the battery best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of batteries are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a battery.
Research the market: Battery essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the battery market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Vehicle Specifications: Knowing what sort of battery your car requires is the most important factor. Your owner's manual will list what is called your battery's group size (BGS). It will also list recommendations for Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity or Charge (RC), which tells you how long your battery will last without being charged (for example, if your alternator fails).
Battery Type: Most car batteries are lead-acid batteries, but there are differences within this battery class, including wet cell, gel cell, absorbed glass mat and dry cell.
Terminals: Battery terminals come in different configurations to suit different engine bays in vehicles, including SAE Post (the most common configuration, with the terminals on the top of the battery), “L” form, GM Side, and Stud.
Cost: The cost of batteries varies depending upon brand and what your vehicle's requirements are. Basic batteries will all cost about the same price. Top brands on the market will cost you twice as much. A marine battery or a battery that has a lot of CCA will cost you three times as much, or more.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a battery. For example, will you use a standard car battery for your run-around, or do you need a heavy duty battery for your diesel 4WD or truck?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used a vehicle battery before? |
| | If you have used a battery, work out what you did or didn't like about the battery. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| What sort of purchase can I make that will make me feel safe and secure? |
| | This question takes your personal preferences into account, without having to actually look at the product or think about price. Do you want a battery that will never falter? Or, would you rather spend less because you feel that if a situation were to arise (for example: you leave your lights on too long and the battery runs down) that you'd be able to take care of it without too much trouble. |
| What is the environment like where I will be using the battery? |
| | In cold, harsh climates you are going to need a battery that will perform well. It will have to have the proper Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) to hold enough power to reliably start your car or truck. Perhaps your weather is nice most of the year so you don't have to concern yourself with such matters. |
| What sort of car or truck do you have? |
| | This will have a huge impact on your decision. If you drive a truck, most likely the engine is bigger than a car's. Therefore, you are going to have to buy a bigger, more powerful battery that will turn the engine over. Or, do you drive a diesel? This will also require a different type of battery - one that will heat the glow plugs enough to start the engine, even in cold temperatures. A top-notch battery can hold power in the coldest of climates. But, these batteries are quite expensive. |
| How long am I going to keep my automobile? |
| | If you are not planning on keeping your automobile for very long, then it might not be worth your investment to buy an expensive battery. A battery that will sufficiently do the job might be good enough. If you are selling your car back to a dealer, then you might want to save the money and buy a good battery for your next car, since some dealerships might put in a used, or cheaper, battery that might not perform to your expectations. |
| How much can I spend right now? |
| | The price of batteries varies, and is influenced by what type of vehicle you have and the capacity of the battery. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of batteries and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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Buyz123.com Research Links:GeneralAuto batteries - what you need to knowAll you ever need to know about batteriesSelecting a car batteryGet the buzz on auto batteries