How to choose a battery for the car correctly

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With the need to buy a new battery face all car owners. After all, the life of the car battery is only 3-4 years, after which it begins to act up or completely become unfit. Particularly relevant is the question of choosing a new battery in the winter, when the already weakened due to wear battery is simply unable to start the car. After all, she also spends some of her strength in the cold.

When it comes to buying a battery, you should always be responsible. After all, the work of your car, and the durability, uninterrupted operation of the battery itself, directly depend on what you choose. Let us consider in detail how to choose a battery for the car, what you should pay attention to when choosing.

Car batteries

There are different brands of car batteries.

How to choose a battery depending on its type and design?

The type and design of the battery largely determine the durability, suitability for repair, the need for additional maintenance during operation and its other quality indicators. How to choose a battery by type and design?

Battery types

There are only two types of batteries: lead and calcium.

  • Lead (antimony) batteries. These batteries are cheaper compared to other types, in addition, they are more resistant to discharge and its consequences.

Читать далее о секретах выбора аккумулятора для автомобиля-->Однако важно помнить, что свинец по своей сущности очень токсичный. И хотя процент свинца в пластинах очень низок, практически нулевой, его присутствие делает такую батарею крайне опасной. Как следствие, такие аккумуляторы достаточно сложно утилизировать. К тому же они боятся перезарядки, и если таковая была, то очень быстро стареют, приходят в непригодность. Из недостатков таких батарей можно отметить повышенное газообразование при электролизе. Это не только очень негативно влияет на корпус, а и взрывоопасно. Данные батареи достаточно тяжёлые.

Lead Tornado Battery Type

Lead Tornado Battery Type

  • Calcium batteries. In such batteries, calcium is used instead of lead, which in many ways makes it possible to remove all the shortcomings of lead batteries. They are much smaller and lighter, moreover, they have a much lower level of self-charging. Calcium batteries are not afraid to recharge, as the battery simply will not take extra current. Among the shortcomings it should be noted, first of all, the higher cost and the negative effects of deep discharge. For example, if the battery is discharged more than 50% 5 times, the battery life will drop significantly.
Calcium batteries for cars

Calcium type - Acom

Types and characteristics of the battery, depending on the design

On the design of the battery are also different. They are divided into those that can be serviced, low maintenance and maintenance free.

The most popular low-maintenance batteries among consumers. They have quite good electrolytic performance and reasonable price.

As a rule, outwardly they have an opaque or half transparent case with a plastic cover. In the lid there are holes for each of the cans, inside the case between the banks there are jumpers. These are most often calcium batteries or batteries with reduced lead content.

Plates are placed in individual packages that protect the battery from the closure of the cans caused by wear products falling off the plates. Also in these batteries it is possible to remove these wear products.

Alloy plates provides less gas. Such batteries have more space for water and electrolyte, which should be monitored from time to time. It is necessary to check and top up the battery no more than a couple of times a year.

Among the shortcomings can be noted only the inability to charge and discharge each of the individual cans, as well as the difficulty of repair.

New generation batteries - maintenance-free. They have good electrolytic performance and relatively high cost. Recommended for use in cars with stable operation of electrical equipment, as they are very sensitive to breakdowns in the onboard electrical system. They are very sensitive to both undercharging and recharging. Both that and other option extremely fatal for such accumulator.

New generation battery

The representative of the new generation

Externally, they can be distinguished by the lack of necks for the Gulf of electrolytes and water. The internal space is almost completely enclosed. They have only one hole - on the side of the case for the discharge of gas. In such batteries, it is not necessary to control the level of electrolytes, as with the help of a special design, vapors and condensate are returned to the banks.

Serviced batteries are the least popular today, despite the fact that they can be operated for a very long period, as they are subject to repair. The case of such batteries, as a rule, is black, plastic. The case cover is sealed with resin. Lead connecting tires are located on the lid between the cans. Each of the cans is disassembled and, if necessary, you can change the plates of each of them, charge and discharge the banks separately, change them as the resource progresses. However, most often for self-repair, an ordinary car owner lacks either the skills or knowledge, and the cost of repairs in the workshop Discounts for new cars! Profitable loan from 9.9% installments 0% adom.ru, together with new details, can be equated to the cost of a new device.

Technical parameters of the battery, which should be considered when choosing

In addition to the type and design of the device, there are also many other parameters that should be considered for proper selection. This includes the starting current, battery capacity, dimensions and weight, terminal types and even operating conditions. Only taking into account all the technical parameters in the aggregate, you can choose a really good battery for your car.

Starting current

This is one of the most important indicators to consider when choosing a battery. After all, in fact, the supply of current to start the motor is the main task of the battery. The inrush current is always indicated on the cover, measured in amperes. The larger it is, the more powerfully the starter and the engine will rotate. To start different cars need a different current. Choose based on the recommendations of the manufacturer of your car. After all, if the starting current is less, the car simply will not start, and if it is much more, then there is a huge risk of burning the starter.

Capacity

Capacity автомобильного аккумулятора считается также крайне важным показателем при выборе нового устройства для вашего авто. Она измеряется в Ач, и показывает сколько тока способна отдать батарея за единицу времени (час) без подзарядки (к примеру, при поломке генератора или при долго включённых габаритах). Как правило, для легковушек подходят аккумуляторы ёмкостью от 55 до 60 Ач. Однако при выборе лучше всего опираться на советы производителя транспортного средства. Найти рекомендации вы сможете в руководстве пользователя к вашей машине.

Interpretation of battery marking

Interpretation of battery marking

To buy a battery with a lower capacity than recommended by the manufacturer, it is impractical. There are several reasons. Firstly, if the generator is working properly, such a battery will be constantly recharged, which will inevitably lead to its faster failure. Secondly, in the cold season, even with moderate frosts, there is a risk of not starting the car, as the current strength is simply not enough to start the engine.

Batteries of much greater capacity are also not advisable to take. If your car is working normally, the power system, the ignition is set up, then this is just a waste of money. After all, a battery with a larger capacity will cost more. However, there may sometimes be exceptions. For example, in the car during operation, energy-intensive equipment was installed, it is tuned. In this case, under the conditions of constant urban trips, the generator simply will not cope, and the battery of ordinary capacity will be constantly discharged. In order not to remove and constantly recharge the battery, you can simply purchase a device of a slightly larger capacity. How much more capacity then it is necessary to take - difficult to say. As a rule, 5–10 Ah is enough, although there are no restrictions here. The main thing is to get your new battery into the space reserved for it. Therefore, if you plan to buy a larger battery, before you go to the store, measure the dimensions of your old battery.

Dimensions of the device

This refers to the width, height and length of the battery, as well as its weight. These indicators, as a rule, are directly related to the capacity of the battery, the higher it is, the larger and heavier the battery. When choosing a new battery for the car, it is important to know these parameters. Since the new one can simply not get into the space allotted for it or the hood lid will not close completely. Regarding the weight parameter, it is worth considering that the batteries themselves are not light, and a significant increase in their weight can adversely affect the fuel consumption during travel.

Terminal type and polarity

There are batteries with direct and reverse polarity. If you look at the battery from the front, then with direct polarity, the terminal with “+” is on the left, with the reverse, vice versa. Most cars of European and Asian origin have direct polarity. The reverse is more typical for American cars. There are batteries with 4 terminals at once, which greatly simplifies the connection, since such a battery can be easily connected to any car. It is important to remember that the wrong connection to the terminals can completely destroy the entire electrical system of the machine, it is therefore extremely important to observe the polarity.

Regarding the type of terminals, here you should pay attention to their thickness. The European type assumes the thickness of the "+" terminals 1.95 cm, "-" - 1.79 cm. The Asian type of battery has terminals less, 1.27 and 1.11 cm, respectively. So that later there are no difficulties with the connection, it is important to choose a battery with the required size of terminals.

Features of battery selection depending on the operating conditions of the machine

Do not forget that the operating conditions, namely, temperature, frequency of trips and road conditions also greatly affect the performance of the battery. Consider how to choose a car battery, taking into account the features of operation of the machine. The first thing you should pay attention to is the air temperature. Indeed, with a decrease in temperature increases the viscosity of the electrolyte. Accordingly, the response speed of the battery is reduced, the starting current is reduced. Moreover, with a significant decrease in temperature, the battery takes a worse charge, and the starter needs more energy to start the engine. That is why when operating in the northern regions, where the climate is cooler, the choice should be made in favor of more capacious batteries (5-10 Ah more than the recommended).

When selecting a battery, it is also worth considering the frequency of launches and the length of distances. If you often start the car and drive for short distances, most likely you will soon encounter the problem of loss of capacity, and later on with the failure of the battery. He just does not have time to charge. In such cases, it is better to spend money and take a good device with low self-charging, for example, from maintenance-free batteries. In this case, you should not take a large capacity, since there is a high probability that this charge may also be incomplete.

It is equally important in the selection to take into account the quality of the roads on which your car drives. After all, when traveling off-road vibration increases. This can lead to crumbling of the plates and the subsequent loss of capacity, the possibility of short circuit inside the battery. Therefore, when choosing, it is important that the battery has an additional plate fixation.

Additional elements and details of the device

Existence of additional convenient handles for carrying of the battery, guards which cover plugs, the built-in indicator of a charge and a set of other additional elements. On the one hand, such details slightly increase the cost of the device. On the other hand, they can be a real boon in the process of using the battery.

Which brand is better

It is rather difficult to answer the question which manufacturer is better to answer, because here everything is very subjective. After all, no one is immune from the factory marriage. According to consumer reviews, a higher percentage of defects are found among the devices of the domestic manufacturer, special complaints in the forums on the products of the Tyumen plant. Although many Russian manufacturers produce enough high-quality and affordable products. Quite good reviews from batteries "Akom", "Pilot", "Titan".

Batteries imported, as a rule, less likely to come across a marriage. The choice is huge, because it is not difficult to choose what you need. However, imported batteries are more often counterfeited, so it is very important to be careful here to choose the original, and not the fake. Of the imported batteries, the German-made batteries, Bosch and Varta, have proven themselves well. According to consumer reviews, they are today recognized as one of the best.

Car battery rating

Car battery rating

Battery check before purchase

This is the final, but at the same time very important stage of battery selection. Before buying it is important to inspect the selected device, check whether the electrolyte is leaking. It is important to check the release date, it should be less than a year. If the battery was made more than a year ago and during this time it was not recharged from time to time, then it could simply be discharged, and this will have a negative effect during its operation, because it will become unusable without recharging. Pay attention to the appearance of the battery and terminals. They should not be any damage, chips, scratches. Regarding the terminals, then the presence of some scratches and scuffs on them may indicate that the battery has already been exploited, and you cannot check how intensively and for what purposes.

If possible, take a multimeter to the store with you to measure voltage on the spot. It should be at the level of 12.6 V, not less. Otherwise, you can say that the battery is old or defective.

Multimeter to check the battery

The process of checking the battery voltage with a multimeter

And yet, you should not buy a battery in unverified outlets. It is better to contact the store. There, upon purchase, you are required to give a check and write out the warranty card.

findings

Above how to choose the battery sooner or later all car owners think. After all, the work of your car, its reliability on the road will depend on what you choose.

Choosing a battery is very important to take into account the maximum number of parameters and characteristics peculiar to your car and the conditions of its operation. After all, in fact, the battery is the heart of the car. And save on this is not worth it. It is important to buy a good, reliable and durable battery.

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