HomeAutomotive10 Things You Should Know About Automotive Batteries

10 Things You Should Know About Automotive Batteries

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As of 2020, the automotive batteries market stood at $43 billion, projected to reach $59 billion by 2026.

After the first and second tries to start your car, you realize your car battery is dead. It’s your first time owning a car, and you’ve no idea what to do in such a scenario. Your credit card is maxed; thus, you can’t afford to pay an automotive technician.

Knowledge is power, and in this case, having extensive info about car batteries can save you a lot of trouble.

This article will divulge ten things you need to know about automotive batteries, so keep reading below.

1. How Long the Battery Should Last

Car batteries have a lifespan of between three to five years, depending on your driving patterns. The weather conditions where you reside also influence how long your battery will last. A general rule of thumb is to monitor your car battery when it hits the three-year mark.

A simple diagnostics test can give you a rough idea of how much longer you have before your car battery is absolute.

2. Features of a Dying Battery

The good thing about car batteries is that they warn you beforehand, that you might need a battery replacement soon. When you start to witness some of those warning signs, act before the battery dies.

Below are some of the symptoms of a dying battery you should watch out for:

  • When your car delays to start
  • Depending on the model of your car, you might start seeing the check battery light
  • Strange smell resembling that of rotten eggs coming from the battery

3. Battery Warranty

The warranty covers all problems that may arise due to faults caused by the manufacturer or factory defect. The standard period covered by warranties is two years or about 24,000 miles.

The warranty doesn’t cover sulphation which is a common cause of damaging car batteries. Sulphation is whereby the battery stays in a discharged state for an extended period causing the voltage to drop below a certain level.

4. Weather Impact on Battery Performance

The electrolyte solutions used by most car batteries to hold charge get affected by hot or cold temperatures. Though the fluid has a high melting point, cold weather reduces its ability to transmit full power, making it hard to start the car. The best remedy for that is to use a battery heater which warms up the battery during winter.

Sweltering temperatures on the other end cause the fluid to evaporate, limiting its capacity to hold a charge. That’s why at times, you may notice a weird smell resembling that of rotten eggs coming out of the battery. Keeping your car inside the garage minimizes the adverse effects weather has on your battery.

5. How Much They Cost

The average cost of a standard car battery ranges from $50 to $120. However, several factors come into play when pricing a battery, such as the type and brand. There are over forty types of car batteries available in the market, and each one of them varies in price.

Absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries can cost you a dime since they power luxurious cars. The length of a warranty can also distinguish car battery pricing from the standard ones.

6. Car Battery Replacement

As a car owner, you must know how to replace a car battery to avoid getting stranded waiting for a professional to do it.

The first step is to disconnect the positive and negative cables on their respective terminals. Second, loosen the clamps on the old battery to remove it from the tray. Third, place the new battery on the tray, then tighten the clamps before reconnecting the cables on the terminals.

This is for emergency purposes in case you don’t have the luxury of waiting for a professional auto technician. It’s otherwise recommended that you visit an auto repair shop to preserve your car’s memory settings during the process of replacement.

7. Maintaining a Battery

There are two types of car batteries when it comes to maintenance; one that is maintenance-free and another which is low maintenance. Low maintenance batteries are the ones to which you need to add distilled water. The battery has small caps that you can open to add the distilled water.

Maintenance-free batteries are sealed, and the fluid inside can last throughout the battery’s life span. Therefore you don’t need to add an electrolyte fluid to such batteries.

8. How Old Is the Battery?

You might have bought your car from someone else, and you want to know how old the battery is. Try to locate a sticker on the battery with non-conventional date information, such as 4/16. That would simply mean the battery got manufactured in April 2016.

If you don’t find a date sticker, try to look for a long code composed of characters and numbers on the battery’s cover. The first and second character represents the month and year of make respectively. For example, “D6” means April 2016 and can be interchangeable with “6D”.

9. Amp-Hours

This is the rating of how long a car battery would last if it goes for a long period without recharging. To put it into perspective, if a battery has an 80Ah rating, it can provide 40 amps for 2 hours or 20 amps for 4 hours. This is basically how long the battery can provide a certain amount of power.

10. Corrosion

Corrosion of car batteries is a common problem experienced by most car owners. Apply petroleum jelly on the terminals as it goes a long way to ensure they don’t corrode.

Go to www.rbbattery.com to get the best automotive and deep cycle solar batteries available in the market.

Gain Extensive Knowledge on Automotive Batteries

You don’t need to know a lot about cars, but we are sure you know you need to have a good battery for the car to start. The above pointers are everything you need to know about automotive batteries so that you can find the best one. 

Found this article informative? Check out our other blogs on Marketing, Business, and Technology.

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Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.
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