Needing to change your car battery? The battery is one of the parts of a car that is relatively simple to change as a DIY project. Due to the labour cost of changing a battery being quite cheap, whether or not you choose to change your car battery is up to you.
However, the price of a car battery can range between US$70 and US$300, depending on the type of car and the size of the battery, so if you choose to go the DIY route this means you can save some money and install it yourself.
How to Read Your Battery Type
The first step to changing your car battery and improving your car battery life is finding out what type of battery your car uses. Somewhere on the battery’s external casing will be a label that displays a series of numbers and letters that provide the details of your car battery, which are explained in more detail below.
1: Means the power of your battery (capacity); ampere per hour. It generally ranges between 30~120 for regular automobiles.
2: Means width and height of the battery (JIS standard). It ranges from A to H. A is smallest and H is largest.
3: Means the length of the battery. 24 means 24 centimetres.
4: Means the location of plus electrode. R means the plus electrode is located on the right side by observing the battery from the above.
Is Your Battery Dead or Flat?
There is a big difference between a dead car battery and the expression “a flat car battery”. The death of battery literally means that the battery comes to its end of the lifespan, and it becomes impossible to recharge the electricity inside. A flat battery means that the battery has lost the electricity inside, but is still rechargeable if the electricity is supplied. Recharging a flat battery can be done by connecting a booster battery to jump start the battery that has been discharged, as per the image below, and is not as complicated to do as it may seem. One important thing to note is that the two batteries should have the same voltage; such as 12V vs. 12V.
Benefits of Changing Your Car’s Battery
While a discharged battery can be recharged, if this problem begins to happen frequently there are several advantages of replacing it. Most importantly, a new battery gives more power to the engine, as it ignites the plug stronger and stabilises the electricity supply much better and faster than the old battery. While it is often the case that few people feel the difference of an oil change when it is replaced, most people notice the big difference of a battery change when it occurs and gives their vehicle a boost.
In addition, it is natural that installing a new battery eases the worry of a sudden death of the old battery. With a small amount of investment, this kind of worry can be wiped away, giving you peace of mind that your car won’t be left unable to start in very inconvenient or possibly dangerous situations.
