Car Battery Buying Tips

Your car battery probably isn't something you think about too often until it fails and you can't start your car. Unfortunately your car battery doesn't come with an empty/full gauge like your fuel tank does so remembering how old your battery is certainly helps but it still doesn't tell you exactly when your battery is about to die until it's too late.
Here are some tips to ensure you're ready should your battery die quicker than you'd like and need to buy a new one:

1. Buy a good quality battery charger/tester: Having a battery charger in your vehicle will ensure you can jumpstart your own vehicle should the battery die at an inopportune time. Good quality battery chargers also tell you how much juice is left in your battery so you can monitor the battery and not be surprised when it runs out. When it does run out, you can restart your car and get to the garage to buy a new one.
2. Don't buy used: While you can save money by using used automobile parts and get a good deal and a good product, buying a used car battery doesn't make a lot of sense. When you consider the cost of a new car battery - it varies depending on the brand, size and your vehicle type of course - taking your chances with a used one really doesn't make a lot of sense considering your vehicle doesn't go anywhere when the battery dies and the money you might save by buying used doesn't save you that much in the long run.
3. Understand what your vehicle requires: Your vehicle requires a specific sized battery so you should know ahead of time what one your vehicle requires. Car batteries come in the following sizes: Size 65, Size 75, Size 24/24F, Size 34/78 and Size 35. Your vehicle owner's manual will shed light on what size you require.
4. Take your climate into consideration: Some batteries perform better in colder weather climates than others and this is important when you live in a region that suffers from harsh winters where your battery will be used for a heater, defroster, headlights, heated seats and other electric devices that you'll need during the winter. Look for a battery with a suitable Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) figure because it's the measurement that determines how well the battery performs in cold weather. Specifically it's the number of amps that your battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of 0 degrees fahrenheit until the battery voltage drops to an unusable level. Typically the higher the CCA the better when you live in a cold weather climate.

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