What to consider when looking for a new car battery

It may be slightly intimidating to make any auto parts purchase but with the right guidance you can make this decision quick.

Here are some tips to remember when you look for a new car battery

Know your battery

The first step in choosing the right car battery is identifying the correct fit. To know which battery fits your car perfectly the easiest way is by finding the information in the owner’s manual. But if you can’t find the manual, then the first step you can take is to check your current car battery and identify the model. Most battery models fit multiple cars but if you get the wrong size it will not fit into the engine. Also identify the placements of battery terminals, because if you choose a battery with the wrong terminal location the cables will not connect.

Know your Driving and Maintenance Habits

Another important factor to keep in mind when you look for a new car battery is your driving and maintenance habits. This means if you are a driver who makes many short trips then you should choose a battery which has a long service life. For the maintenance factor, some batteries require regular maintenance while other don’t require any attention after it is installed. If you’re a busy person with zero knowledge about batteries then it is an obvious choice to buy a maintenance free battery.

Know the terminology

Now after you know what kind of battery you need, the next step you will look into is the price. But if you don’t know the terminology used in auto batteries you might end up comparing different standards.

Some of the most important measures are:

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) – This tells the batteries ability to start even in cold weather.
Reserve capacity – This number gives you the time the car will run only with the battery if the alternator fails.
Group size – This tells the dimensions and the placement of the power terminals on the battery
Lastly, do not buy a car battery that has been in the shelf for more than six months. Check the date by looking into the label print which will be in a two digit code, the first alphabet signifies the month eg: A (Jan) b (Feb) followed by the year. If you have done your home work by understanding these basic concepts then there will be no problem in choosing the perfect battery for your car.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9072704