Your car battery is an absolutely crucial part of your vehicle. They store the energy that is needed to keep your car running. If your battery goes bad, you will be unable to start your vehicle. Bigger batteries or secondary batteries are also an incredibly important part of your car audio system whenever you begin installing powerful amplifiers that are used to power your speakers and subs. These are 5 Fast Facts you should be aware of when you are in the market for a new battery.
1. Car batteries should be replaced every 3-5 years
Batteries, like most things on cars, will not last forever. Over time the cells wear down and eventually, your car will no longer even be able to start even when it is jump-started. However, there are some telltale signs that it is time to replace your battery before it gets to that point. Some of the most common symptoms are a slow crank, battery swelling, or even battery leaks.
Nevertheless, the easiest way to tell if its time to replace your battery is simply by the age of the battery. Battery life cycles range from 3-5 years so if yours is older than 3 years, it’s about time to replace it.
2. A battery’s age is determined by a set of codes
If you are not sure how old your battery is, just look at the codes that are either stamped or etched on the battery. This will tell you when the battery was first manufactured. Flooded lead-acid batteries will use a system of letters and numbers. The letters determine the month. They will be marked A-L, A being January, and B is February, and so on. Then they will also have a number marked 0-9. 0 means 2010 (or now 2020) and 1 means 2011 and so on. For example, if a battery is marked B6, that means it was produced in February of 2016.
For AGM or Absorbent Glass Mat batteries like we sell on our website, they use a slightly different system. The dates are typically etched into the actual battery case and they are displayed in a DDMMYY format. For example, if you had a battery with the numbers 221018, that would mean the battery was originally made on October 22nd, 2018. Both of these code systems are fairly straightforward however, they are a vital thing to know when determining the age of your battery.
3. There are multiple types of car batteries
When it comes to car batteries there are multiple types to be aware of, including lithium batteries, but the most common type of battery is the lead-acid battery. Within lead-acid batteries, there are even more types. A majority of batteries that are sold at auto parts stores are flooded lead-acid batteries. They are the most popular option because they are affordable and they are perfect for the needs of most people; however, for people who are looking to upgrade their batteries to something that will require less maintenance and be able to handle high wattage amplifiers, an AGM battery would be a much better option. We have a wide range of these batteries to choose from that can be used in any orientation you prefer. Whether you need a small battery that can be used as a secondary battery or a much larger battery that could withstand over 2000 watt amplifiers by itself.
4. When upgrading your battery, you should also upgrade your other charging components
One incredibly important thing you should consider when choosing to upgrade your battery is to also upgrade your alternator as well as a potential big 3 upgrade. Your new big battery will simply not be able to perform at its best if your factory alternator cannot keep up. A high-output alternator will allow you to truly push your system and when paired with a large capacity battery, you will have more than enough headroom to ensure you will not experience any of the usual flaws of a weak electrical system like dimming headlights or a slow crank.
To truly enhance your entire electrical system, doing a big 3 upgrade as well will ensure that your electrical system is running at its max efficiency. Often times vehicles from the factory will use cheaper thinner gauge wires instead of the 1/0 gauge wire that you will see on all of our big 3 kits. For tips on how to install a big 3 kit in your car, read this step by step article.
5. The higher the amperage on the battery, the more weight you will add to your vehicle
One thing that is important to consider when you are adding additional batteries or larger batteries is the additional weight you will also be adding. Most people involved in car audio know this is a sacrifice that they are willing to make. For someone relatively new to car audio who diving deep into this, the added weight is definitely something you will have to consider. The higher the amperage on the battery, typically means a larger heavier battery. This added weight might cause slight changes in terms of fuel economy and the vehicle’s overall performance.
The vehicle’s charging system, for a lot of people, is the last thing they consider when they start upgrading their car’s audio system; however, it is one of the most important components to ensure that your vehicle will be running at its max efficiency. It’s also important to note that you should always take extra precautions whenever upgrading any electrical components because if not done safely you could short wires or more importantly injure yourself. For more helpful tips like this one, make sure to visit the rest of our blog to discover helpful how-to articles, buying guides, and more.
