AutoElectNG:
I am very passionate about automotive electronics, electricals and computer systems.

I have invested an inordinate amount of time to study and stay updated on all the above.

If you have ever had to replace an automotive battery in less than 2 years you maybe doing something wrong.

In a best case scenario, you should be able to extract at least 5 years from your battery.

I have been a victim of this as well....perturbed I was, so I decided to research the matter thoroughly.

I will share with you some of my findings.

Stay tuned.

I will post as time permits over the course of the next 10 days, in other words, I am not in a hurry.

You will sure learn a thing or two.

Kashif:


You may do all the right things and still end up with a dead battery in one year. Bad batteries abound.

Here to learn.

AutoElectNG:
Deltel tell us what to look for when buying automotive batteries

DelTel:



While the vehicle manual often provides the vehicle manufacturer's recommended battery.

Generally, below are some tips to help make the right choice:

The Battery group size that will best fit the physical dimensions of the vehicle. Many vehicles can accommodate more than one group size from 35ah to 75ah. However, some vehicles battery space, i.e. Honda SUV - 2010 and newer - can only use 35ah to 45ah battery but dubious retailers do deceive unsuspecting vehicle owners that they have customized 75ah in the same group size as 45ah.

Amps hours (AH) is the unit of measure for a battery’s electrical capacity when continuously discharged over a period of 20 hours before the voltage fails to 10.5V.

Cold cranking amps (CCA) is critical for good cranking ability. It's the number of amps a battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius until the battery voltage drops to unusable levels.

Reserve capacity (RC) helps to power the vehicle's electrical system if the alternator fails. It identifies how many minutes the battery can supply ample power without falling below the minimum voltage needed to run the vehicle.

In general, for both CCA and RC, the higher the number the better. It is instructive to state the CCA rating should be an important consideration in choosing a battery in a cold climate; but the CCA is not important in high heat environment (perhaps one of the reasons 'fake & sub-standard' batteries business thrive in Naija).

Futhermore, where a vehicle is used to power other equipment; the type, number of amps to power and hours using the equipment must be taken into consideration when buying the battery.

AutoElectNG:


What's important in a high heat environment?

I appreciate your detailed exposition, it has touched on some issues that I intend to address

DelTel:



The Reserve capacity (RC) is important in high heat climate as it helps to power the vehicle's electrical system if the alternator fails.

Moreover, heat will cause the liquid to evaporate as batteries contain liquid thus shortening the battery life span.

Low fluid levels will damage the internal structure of the battery hence the battery has to be well positioned in the vehicle to ensure the liquid doesn't spill.

DelTel:



While the vehicle manual often provides the vehicle manufacturer's recommended battery.

Generally, below are some tips to help make the right choice:

The Battery group size that will best fit the physical dimensions of the vehicle. Many vehicles can accommodate more than one group size from 35ah to 75ah. However, some vehicles battery space, i.e. Honda SUV - 2010 and newer - can only use 35ah to 45ah battery but dubious retailers do deceive unsuspecting vehicle owners that they have customized 75ah in the same group size as 45ah.

Amps hours (AH) is the unit of measure for a battery’s electrical capacity when continuously discharged over a period of 20 hours before the voltage fails to 10.5V.

Cold cranking amps (CCA) is critical for good cranking ability. It's the number of amps a battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius until the battery voltage drops to unusable levels.

Reserve capacity (RC) helps to power the vehicle's electrical system if the alternator fails. It identifies how many minutes the battery can supply ample power without falling below the minimum voltage needed to run the vehicle.

In general, for both CCA and RC, the higher the number the better. It is instructive to state the CCA rating should be an important consideration in choosing a battery in a cold climate; but the CCA is not important in high heat environment (perhaps one of the reasons 'fake & sub-standard' batteries business thrive in Naija).

Futhermore, where a vehicle is used to power other equipment; the type, number of amps to power and hours using the equipment must be taken into consideration when buying the battery.