Having your car battery suddenly conk out on you can be a major hassle. That’s why knowing what to do right away can help you cope with such stressful situation. There are five basic things you need know before you call your trusted car battery dealer: Battery Type, Size, Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity (RC), Warranty Price and Warranty Claim.

 

Here are some basic tips to help you when buying a new battery.

 

1   TYPE There are two types of car batteries. The maintenance free and low maintenance batteries. Maintenance free batteries are sealed and ready-to-use batteries. They are easier and faster to install because they are already factory-charged. Unlike low maintenance batteries, you need to add battery solution and activation charge them before installation.

 

2   SIZE There’s no one-size-fits-all battery. The size depends on your car model, so when you call your trusted car battery dealer, find out first your car model and year so that he can tell you the right size for your car taking into consideration the location and dimension of the battery slot or compartment in your car and the size of the battery terminals/post.
 

3   RESERVED CAPACITY (RC) AND COLD CRANKING AMPERE (CCA) Reserve capacity is the number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a 25 ampere discharge. The higher the minute rating, the greater the battery's ability to run lights, pumps, inverters, and electronics for a longer period before recharging is necessary. The Cold Cranking Ampere on the other hand is the capacity of electric load a battery can supply to your car. This is the rating of cranking amperage measured at 32 degrees F.
 

4   WARRANTY AND PRICE A car battery is a big ticket item, so the warranty gives piece of mind. Be sure to ask about the warranty so you know what you’re getting. Car batteries come with different warranty coverage. The most common in the local market is 12 months however there are also longer warranties available that can range from 15 to 24 months. Generally, the longer the warranty, the higher the price of the battery. The price also factors in the size of the battery.

 

To make it easier for you to decide which battery and warranty period to buy, compute the cost per month. Simply get the price and divide it to the number of months of warranty. For example if the price of the battery is P3,750 and the warranty is 17 months, the cost per month would be P221. This is your cost per month for the battery you purchased.

 

Computation: 3750 / 17 = 221 per month