When a new battery needs to be installed, every automobile owner is familiar with the discomfort. It can bring up feelings of anxiety or uncertainty for most people. How do you choose the best vehicle or truck battery when there are so many varieties available? Selecting the incorrect battery could mean replacing it much more quickly than necessary or even stopping your car’s electronic components from operating at peak efficiency. During the course of your car’s life, you’ll probably need to replace the battery once or twice since heat exposure and age and wear it out. A dead battery can be very annoying, particularly if you have to wait for roadside assistance or can’t find your jumper wires.
How Do You Know Which Car Battery to Buy?
When it comes to car battery replacement in Belton, MO, Belton Transmission can help you get the best battery for your car or truck. We take the stress out of purchasing a new battery.
Each type of vehicle needs a specific type of battery. The battery for a modest 4-cylinder hatchback is not the same as that of a huge V8 truck. To guarantee that your car starts every time and that its electronics are powered effectively, replace the battery with the appropriate size.
1. Group size: The Battery Council International (BCI) group size standard is used to group car batteries. The label of the battery that is currently in your automobile will indicate the battery group size; this label is typically located on the top or side of the battery.
2. Cold-cranking Amps: Every automobile and truck is made to have a certain amount of power needed to start it, especially in cold climates. The Cold Cranking Amperage, or CCA, is the term for this. You can run out of power to start the automobile if you don’t use a battery that is at least the minimum CCA advised by the manufacturer of the vehicle. This information is also found on the label of your current battery or in the owner’s manual for your car or truck.
Flooded Lead-acid Batteries vs. Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries
The majority of automobiles and trucks on the road today are powered by traditional lead-acid, flooded batteries. Within a rigid casing, these batteries’ cells are immersed in a liquid electrolyte solution. There are lower CCAs and often shorter warranties associated with this type of battery. Flooded batteries have been around for a very long time and are the cheapest battery available. This kind of battery is readily used and comes standard in many cars straight off the assembly line.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are used in a lot of modern cars, particularly those with high power requirements like remote start, stop/start technology or heated seats. AGM batteries use fiberglass mats that are soaked in the electrolyte solution instead of liquid electrolyte, and they have greater CCAs than flooded batteries. They are incredibly resilient to drastic temperature changes, nearly entirely maintenance-free, and do not require a free-flowing electrolyte solution.
When choosing between these types of batteries, it’s important to note that you may upgrade to an AGM battery, but you may not downgrade to a flooded lead-acid battery.
When Is It Time to Change Your Battery?
First and foremost, it’s critical to understand when to change the batteries in your car or truck. Apart from identifying the obvious indicators of a low battery (dimming lights, difficulty starting, etc.), there are a few more things to watch out for that can necessitate replacing the battery.
- a broken battery cover
- a protruding battery, typically indicative of a frozen one
- you’ve tried recharging the battery without success
- loose terminals on batteries
Conclusion
Maintaining your battery may help you get the most out of it, and paying attention to its age and condition can help you know when to start looking for a replacement before it breaks down and leaves you stranded.
Are you still unsure about the ideal battery for you? The knowledgeable staff at Belton Transmission and Complete Auto Care will assist you in choosing the right battery for your vehicle when you visit. While you wait, we will even install it for you.