safety and sporty - combining the two for teenage drivers

Guide To Buying A Car Battery

The battery is what powers your vehicle. Without a battery, your vehicle is nothing more than a pile of scrap metal. When shopping for a car battery, you cannot just buy the most affordable option on the market. There are things you need to consider to make sure you get a battery that is right for your vehicle.

Check Your Size and Power Requirements

The first thing to do is check the requirements set by the make and model of your vehicle. Your manual will detail this to help narrow down your options. The manual suggestions are based on the average driver who uses his/her vehicle for social driving and commuting. If you use it for anything more stressful, you will need to check with the manufacturer to see if there are other size and power requirements.

Make Sure It Is Less Than Six Months Old

Watch out for buying a battery that is more than six months old, according to The Telegraph. A battery older than this will already have degraded too much, and you won't get the full life out of it. It can be difficult to find out when the battery was produced, so discuss this with the store or online seller.

Choose Your Type

There are different kinds of ways the batteries are powered. The most common is through lead acid, making these batteries one of the cheapest options. Halfords states that a standard battery will give you around 20,000 starts. You could opt for a calcium powered battery, giving you around 30,000 starts instead. These batteries are good for the trips where a full recharge isn't necessary.

A third option, which will last much longer, is one powered by Yuasa silver. This is better for the vehicles with a lot of gadgets within that older models didn't have to consider, including GPS systems and air conditioning units.

Check the Cold Cranking Amps

This is the name given to the ability to start the car in cold weather. If you're in an area that suffers from bad winters, you'll need to have a battery that is able to deal with this. Check the level that your vehicle needs through the manual and make sure the battery at least meets that.

Now, you have the minimum requirements for your car battery when you go shopping. Don't just look at price. This is a long term investment and it is worth spending a little extra for the perfect specifications. For more information, contact local professionals like Hub Auto Supply.


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