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A Guide to Choose Suitable Car Battery

A Guide to Choose Suitable Car Battery

From conventional gasoline engines to modern electric cars, one car part remains constant – battery. Car batteries have been there for the longest period, and with the advancements in critical areas of the car, the workload on batteries just keeps on increasing. And that answers why you need a good battery in your car. Then, another question arises “which battery is good for car”.

If you want to replace your car’s battery, you need to replace it with one that will actually last longer. Here a detailed guide on buying a good car battery.

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Dry Battery Vs Wet Cell Battery

Before buying a battery, you will ponder whether you should go with a wet or dry battery. Here is all you need to know about these two.  

Wet-cell batteries are traditional batteries. These work by dipping lead electrodes in an electrolyte solution. These require periodic maintenance, like checking on the electrolyte levels. If the battery caps are not kept tightly closed, these can cause calcium deposits at the terminals and acid can evaporate, causing your car to rust. 

Dry batteries are more expensive than wet cell batteries, and that’s probably why many people settle for cheaper wet cell options. Unlike wet cell batteries, there is no fluid involved so that it won’t damage you or your car through harmful and acidic content. These are lightweight batteries that require no periodic maintenance. And unlike wet-cell batteries, these won’t lose charge in cold weather.

Factors to Consider When Buying a New Battery

Buying a new car battery can be confusing without the right guide. If you are just relying on the shopkeepers’ word or your brand loyalty, your battery probably wouldn’t last long. A typical car battery can last up to 5 years if properly maintained. Always consider the following factors when buying a new car battery in Pakistan.

1. Manufacturing Date

Batteries start to lose efficiency and begin to decompose right after their manufacturing date. It’s advised to not go with a battery older than 6-months. The manufacturing date of batteries is mentioned in many places on a battery. 

Battery sellers often forge the manufacturing dates to confuse the customers. Don’t be one of those buyers. The manufacturing date is imprinted on the battery shell right next to the battery caps in the form of alphabets. You will get your manufacturing date by converting the alphabets to equal numeric in ascending order. For Example, JI-JA-BJ means 09-01-20. Here are what alphabets mean in numeric:

ABCDEFGHIJ
1234567890

2. Battery Size

Your car has a specific space to fit in the battery. Check the owner manual to find the suitable size for your car’s battery. Opting for a small battery can cause vibration and spilling of battery fluids which may cause corrosion. Fitting in bigger batteries can cause the battery to contact high-temperature parts and cause damage or even burst. 

Always make sure to find the right size battery, depending upon the dimensions of the battery. 

3. Battery Capacity

Battery capacity is measured in Volts and Ampere hour (Ah). Conventional car batteries are rated at 12V. The Ah is a multiple of ampere your car can provide for a certain period. For example, 60 Ah means your car can provide 3 amps for 20 hours. 

In simple terms, a higher Ah battery can deliver more power for a longer period. 

4. Warranty

A reliable manufacturer always provides a warranty with its product. Do not settle for cheaper options. Never save on car essentials. 

5. Maintenance

Another important thing to consider is the maintenance of your car battery. Dry cell batteries don’t require any maintenance. However, a wet-cell battery requires refilling of the electrolyte (water). It’s still a hassle for many people. 

6. Reserve Capacity

The Reserve capacity of a battery relates to the reserve power a battery has in case it is not getting any charge. Sometimes power failure in the car, alternator damage, terminal failure and non-compliant components can cause the battery to stop charging. In that case, a battery with a high reserve capacity can last you significantly longer without getting charged.

7. Power Requirement

Every battery is required to generate a certain amount of power to self-start the car. Batteries have specific Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Cranking Amps (CA). CA is the amount of energy required to start a vehicle at 0 degrees centigrade, while CCA refers to the ability of the battery to start the car at -17 degrees centigrade. Higher CCA is recommended for cold temperatures.

8. Personal Experience

Your previous experience can help a lot in deciding on a new battery for your car. Learn from your past experience, and never spend your hard-earned money twice on a substandard product. 

Final Verdict

You cannot start a car without a battery. And this one part powers every fuse, light, audio and basically anything running at 12V in your car.  Always consider the above-mentioned factors whenever buying a new car battery. Whenever buying a new battery, consider whether you want a dry battery for a change. Keep in mind that dry batteries usually cost 40% more than conventional wet cell batteries. Find a range of used and new car batteries on OLX Classifieds at the best car battery price in Pakistan.

Let us know which car battery you prefer for your car and why. Read similar helpful guides on OLX blogs.

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