Battery Info

Battery Service

Batteries in Winter

Battery Replacement Tips

Batteries are rated by cold cranking amps (CCA) which indicates its power and the reserve capacity rating (RC), which indicates how long your car's accessories can run and still have enough power to start the engine. Check your owner's manual for the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) minimum requirements needed for your car and select the battery adequate for your needs when shopping for a new battery.

The Reserve Capacity rating is as important of a consideration when buying a battery as CCA. This is because of the effects of an increased parasitic (key off) load and in emergencies. Reserve Capacity is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80 degrees F (26.7 degrees C) can be discharged at 25 amps until the voltage falls below 10.5 volts.

More RC is better in every case! In a hot climate, for example, if your car has a 360 OEM cranking amp requirement, then a 400 CCA rated battery with 120 minute RC with more electrolyte would be more desirable than one with 1000 CCA with 90 minutes of RC. 

Vehicle electronics draw down the battery when the car sits. A higher RC can really make the difference on whether your car starts when you leave it somewhere for 3 or 4 days, especially when it is a few years old.

Unfortunately the reserve capacity information is not always posted on the battery, which makes it harder to compare batteries. You may have to ask for that specification from where you are buying it. Another indicator of reserve capacity is the weight and warranty. The more Reserve Capacity, the longer the battery will last and the more lead in the battery. Look for an RC rating of at least 90.

Batteries are 99% recyclable and are filled with lead and acid. Please recycle your batteries!

 

 

Computer Memory and Memory Loss

Ever had a battery replaced, or maybe it just went dead and you had it recharged and now your car doesn’t run right? This happens often and is caused by your computer losing the memory of all corrections it has been making for system problems and wear and driving habits. As you drive, the on board computer can adjust for problems such as clogged idle air passages or system wear that would normally cause performance problems on a non computerized car. It can also store driving habits to optimize  performance. When this memory is lost the car may not want to idle properly, die or just feel differently. Most of the time this will clear up in a few days, but not always. The computer is good at adjusting for a problem that slowly gets worse as you drive, but may not be able to make the big jump from it’s default values to the present  problem. In this case the problem may need to be addressed at this time. If you encounter some of these problems after a battery disconnect, you may want to give it a couple of days before taking it in for repairs.

 

How to make Battery Replacement Very Expensive

Reversing the battery cables when installing a battery or jumping starting a vehicle can make that simple operation cost hundreds of dollars.
If you are replacing the battery, take extreme care to note or mark which cable is on the positive terminal and which is on the negative and make sure the new battery is installed to the same terminals. Don't assume because they are on the same side of the battery, it is correct, batteries can come with the positive terminal on either side. Don't always assume the positive cable is going to be red. Use the same caution when jumping starting. If there are no markings on the battery, another way to identify the positive post is it should be the post with the largest diameter.

 

 

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