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Best Car Battery
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This battery uses AGM technology to prevent spills and other damage. It requires much less maintenance than other types of batteries do.
With a valve system that doesn’t leak and AGM technology, this battery saves you some time on cleaning and maintenance. It will not damage the terminals either.
You may need brackets or other specialty parts to install this battery in your car. Some thought the terminals were too small also.
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With a lighter design than other batteries, this one from Optima Batteries is easy to install in any compatible vehicle. It provides all the power you need and has a reserve that gives you up to a full 10 minutes before the battery dies.
Suitable for use in cold and warm climates, this battery has 200 amps that provide power to your vehicle in the coldest of winters. It is more resistant to the vibrations of your engine to make the battery last longer. This one weighs less than 38 pounds.
This battery may die within two years or stop holding a charge after just one year. Depending on where you buy it, it may not come with a warranty either. Though most sources give you a three-year warranty, some lack this feature.
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Suitable for sports cars and luxury autos, this battery will work in any type of vehicle. Though the high cost might turn you off, it’s worth the price.
With a compact design, this is one of the only batteries that you can mount in any orientation or direction. It features sealed valves inside to prevent leaks.
You might have a problem filing a warranty claim. Some shoppers wished that this budget was more affordable.
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Thanks to its unique design, this battery will last up to twice as long as others in your vehicle. It has built-in safeguards that keep it running in the coldest of climates.
The AGM design of this Die Hard battery prevents leaks and reduces the maintenance that it requires. This model works just as well in hot climates as it does at cooler temperatures.
The smaller size of this battery means that it will not fit in all vehicles. Some shoppers had problems filing warranty or rebate claims.
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This battery comes with a two-year limited warranty from Odyssey. It has a design that makes it resistant to vibrations and reduces the amount of discharge produced.
Odyssey claims that the battery lasts for three to 10 years with regular service. It has a longer cycle life and reduces the discharge to keep it fully charged longer. It also recharges in just six hours or less.
You cannot return the battery if it doesn’t fit, even if you never used it in your vehicle. Some of the battery’s reviews claimed that it only lasted less than a year.
Some shoppers make the mistake of buying one designed for an all-terrain vehicle or a smaller vehicle that won’t work in cars too. Though price will be on your mind, you should consider the type of battery that you need and some of the features that are right for you. Our shopping guide to the best car batteries makes it easy to compare all the available information and find a good model for your car.
If you’re like most shoppers who have no experience shopping for a car battery, you might head to a local shop and buy the first model that you see. While auto parts stores sell batteries, you’ll need to get some help to make sure you get one that will fit your car. When you shop online, you can actually enter the make and model of your vehicle and its year to find batteries that manufacturers guarantee will work in those models. That is why our shopping guide focuses on batteries that you can buy online. We provided our readers will links that go directly to our top choices on Amazon.
To find the best batteries around, we checked with experts to find which ones they use in their own cars and which ones they recommend to their family and friends. You can view all the resources we used and reach through those pages for yourself. Once we had more than 20 batteries to look at, we used Amazon to see which batteries had the highest reviews and which models had the worst reviews. We used those ratings to track down the five best batteries that you can use in any car or vehicle.
When you look at some of the reviews of car batteries posted by others, you’ll often come across some who complained that the battery posts didn’t fit their cars. Before you buy, you must take a look under your hood and determine the type of posts that you need. Battery posts will sit on either the top or the sides of the battery. Many General Motors vehicles have side posts. Instead of screwing the cables onto posts located on the top of the battery, you’ll use the posts located on each side. Other manufacturers use top posts but recess those posts. This actually gives you some more space around your engine block. Vehicles made overseas in Europe such as BMW often use batteries with recessed top posts.
Most vehicles today require batteries with standard top posts though. When you remove your old battery, you’ll attach the cables to the red and black posts on the top. You must make sure that you use the right color for each post though. Most American vehicles and some imports require this type of battery. Top post batteries are usually the easiest to find. If you aren’t sure what type of battery you need, you can consult your manual for help.
If you pop the hood and do not see a battery, you may want to check under your back seat or in the trunk. Some imports put the battery compartment in an unusual place.
As we mentioned in another section, you may need a special battery based on where you live. If you live in the Midwest or another region with a cold climate, the Optima Batteries 8003-151 34R RedTop Starting Battery is a good battery for you because it works in cold weather conditions. This is a 12V battery with 800 cold-cranking amps. No matter how far the temperature drops, you can still slide behind the wheel and get your car to start on the first try. It has a standard size with an SAE post and weighs just under 38 pounds. You shouldn’t have any problems replacing the existing battery in your car or truck with this one. It will also fit other types of vehicles, including vans and SUVs.
Thanks to the reserve capacity, the battery will even give you power if you left the lights on or your door open. This capacity of 100 minutes saves you some time and frustrations. It also reduces the risk that you might need to jump-start your car. Many drivers like that this battery has a design that makes it more resistant to vibrations. Whether you sit in your driveway and let the car warm up or drive down the highway at a top speed, your engine will produce some vibrations.
This battery is up to 15 times more resistant to those movements than other batteries are, which will make it last longer.
When you turn the key in your ignition, it sends a signal to the battery. This one responds faster and lets your car to start right away. You can mount it in almost any way because it has a sealed design to prevent leaks. The battery also uses spiral cell technology that requires less maintenance than other types of batteries do. It works particularly well in SUVs and performance vehicles.
The type of posts that car batteries use often relate to the size of the batteries too. As you look at reviews for yourself, you’ll find some from shoppers who complained that the batteries were too small or too large for their vehicles. If you use the guide that Amazon offers, you should have no problem finding the right size. You simply enter some basic information about your car, and Amazon will then show you batteries that will fit your vehicle. If you have an Amazon account, you can save that information and more easily search for other compatible parts later.
Manufacturers assign different numbers to each battery that tells you its size. If you have a GM vehicle that requires a side post battery, you’ll usually need a size in the 70 range. GM compatible batteries come in sizes such as 70 and 78. Batteries with recessed top posts will typically feature a smaller number of around 42, 47 or 49. If you need a battery with standard top posts, you can pick from a range of sizes, including 24 and 69. Some of these sizes add a letter to the number such as 24F or 51R. You should see the size listed on the case of your old battery.
Anyone who ever lived in a cooler region before knows that batteries don’t always work well when the temperature drops. Whether you live in the Midwest or a region that experiences some cooler temperatures in the winter months, you need to look at the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) of a battery. Some manufacturers use the term Cranking Amps (CA) instead. A lower CCA rating lets you know how long it will take the battery to start at a temperature as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit. If the manufacturer uses a CA rating, it will tell you how long it takes the battery to start at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the freezing point.
You generally want to choose a car battery with the lowest rating possible. Even if you live in a region with mild winter temperatures, you never know when a storm might come through and leave ice behind on your vehicle. If you pick the right battery, it can stand up those cold temperatures and start quickly. The battery will also work at a warmer temperature and let you get up and get going as quickly as you would like. We recommend looking at the CCA rating, especially if you live in a cooler area.
When you buy any perishable item for your home such as milk or eggs, you probably look at the expiration date to make sure the product is fresh. You should do the same thing when it comes to a new car battery too. Manufacturers often make thousands of products at a time before sending those items to retail and traditional shops. If you have the chance to see and examine the battery for yourself before you buy, you should always look for a code listed somewhere on the case. This code typically consists of one letter followed by one number. This tells you both the month and the year when the manufacturer made that battery.
Take for example one you see that says A/18. The A listed first stands for January, while the number indicates the year. This tells you that the company made the battery in January of 2018. Some manufacturers use only a single number instead of two digits. To find one made in the current year, you’ll want to look for the number 8, which tells you that the manufacturer made the battery in 2018. Though you can purchase older batteries, we recommend buying one made within the last six months.
If you ever used the radio in your car to listen to music before while working in your yard, you might know how quickly that music can drain your battery. The battery under your hood runs all the different features of your car. Whenever you use the lights, radio or other features without leaving your car running, you risk draining the battery. A good way to make sure that you get the power that you need is with a look at the amp hours. This refers to how long the battery can last and run before you need to charge it. As long as you drive regularly, you shouldn’t need to jump your battery or hook it up to a charger.
You really want to look for a battery with a higher amp hour rating. This lets you know that you can use the features in your car for a longer period of time without pausing to turn the engine over and without charging the battery. This information typically appears in the product description for the model. Even if you seldom use your car without turning it on, you want a higher amp hour rating to extend the life of your battery.
Unless you plan on buying a new battery and taking it directly to the shop, you need to make sure that you buy one you can easily carry. The two most important things to keep in mind in terms of portability include the weight of the battery and whether it has a handle or a loop on the top. Many of the batteries that we looked at weigh around 50 pounds or less. You may find some that weigh as little as 25 pounds and others that can weigh as much as 60 pounds. In addition to carrying that battery to your car when you install it, you’ll also need to carry it when you want to test the battery later.
We recommend looking for models that feature some type of carrying handle. This handle typically attaches to the top of each short side and has a loop in the center. You can slip one or both hands under that loop and easily transport the battery, even if it weighs a lot. Some handles are more durable than others though. Cheaper batteries may come with a handle that completely breaks off when you carry it due to the weight of the product.
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