When should the car battery be replaced!!!
The cost of replacing a car battery for car users surely doesn’t want their car to break down on the road, right? One reason for the engine shutting down completely and not starting no matter what could be due to a degraded car battery. Therefore, it’s best to check carefully before driving and while driving to see if your car is showing any of these symptoms. Regularly check how long it has been since you last changed your car battery and when you last visited the service center. The signs we are about to mention clearly indicate that it is time for your car to have its battery replaced.
Many friends take their cars to check the mileage at the service center. For the battery check, the service center will provide a printed slip showing the health status of the battery. If the service center indicates that our battery is starting to degrade, it means it’s definitely time to change the battery.
What does the car battery cost and the battery status from the print slip mean?
1. GOOD BATTERY means that the health of our battery is still good.
2. GOOD RECHARGE means that our battery is still good, but the power is low, the voltage is low, and it should be RECHARGED.
3. CHARGE & RETEST means that the device is unsure of the inspection results due to the battery being low on power and low voltage; it should be RECHARGED thoroughly and tested again.
4. REPLACE BATTERY means that the battery has degraded from use and should be replaced.
5. BAD CELL means that the battery is severely damaged, with the plates having deteriorated and cannot be used anymore; the battery should be replaced.
the car battery that should be replaced.
The various values from the battery test report printed by the service center indicate that when the battery tester displays REPLACE BATTERY or BAD CELL, it means that our battery has deteriorated significantly. It is recommended to quickly find a shop to replace the battery because our car may not start at any moment. The results from the service center’s measuring device provide the most accurate status of the battery. Now, let’s take a look at what these various values displayed on the printed slip are.
VOLTS : is the electrical voltage value measured in volts, which for a healthy battery should be no lower than 12 volts. This is considered to mean that the battery has good voltage (even if the voltage value is good, a low starting power is not beneficial.)
MEASURED : refers to the CCA (Cold Cranking Amperes) value for the starting power of the battery that has been measured, which should not be lower than the standard criterion:
engine size (cc) x 0.13.
CCA is the maximum current that can be delivered for 30 seconds to the starter motor from the battery. The CCA value should be approximately 20-30% of the engine size, calculated as follows:
engine size (cc) x 0.13. For example, a 1,500 cc engine would require a suitable CCA of (1,500 x 0.13 = 195), which is at least about 195A. However, the appropriate CCA value may depend on other factors such as weather conditions, electrical equipment installed in the vehicle, etc.
RATING : The CCA rating is the standard for that particular battery model, and each battery model will have different values.
STARTER TEST : Starter Test The starting voltage in the Starter Test menu, which should be greater than 10.30 V, indicates that the battery has a good starting voltage.
CHARGING TEST : Charging Test of the charging efficiency in the Charging Test menu, where the value should be greater than 13.30 V, indicates that the charger is still functioning well.
What should we do if we don’t have a battery measuring device!!!
In case we do not have a battery tester, there are some preliminary ways to observe by ourselves as follows…
1. Every time I start the car, I feel that it starts more difficult than usual. If it has been a long time since you last changed the car battery and you notice that the car starts harder, with a constant cracking noise and the engine turning slowly, it may indicate that your car battery is beginning to have problems. You should check it and get ready to replace the car battery.
2. The car headlights are not very bright. Another sign that indicates it’s time to change your car battery is when you notice that the headlights are dimmer than usual; this means the electrical system in the car is weakening, which could be due to a deteriorating car battery. It’s time to plan to change your car battery.ฃ
3. The electrical system in the car starts to malfunction. Whether it’s the various lighting systems inside the car, such as the radio, audio system, or power windows, if any of these systems are showing symptoms like slowing down, flickering, or intermittent operation, it indicates an anomaly. It should be suspected that the car battery may be deteriorating, which might mean it’s time to replace the car battery.
4. The last time the car battery was changed was about 1.5 – 2 years ago. If you have changed your car battery a while ago, you may need to prepare for a new car battery replacement since the lifespan of our car battery may be nearing its end. Pay attention to the symptoms we mentioned above and be ready to change to a new car battery when the time comes.
5. Don’t wait for the battery to degrade until the car won’t start. If your car battery shows any of the symptoms mentioned in the 4 points above, please change the battery immediately. Otherwise, other problems will follow, causing us more trouble, especially if the car won’t start in a place where no one can help us, especially late at night.
6. Regularly check the battery condition. Some models of batteries, such as the semi-dry batteries from 3K and GS or various brands of dry batteries, do not require distilled water maintenance throughout their lifespan (Maintenance Free). However, in cases of heavy usage, you should check the battery condition at least every 6 months. Heavy battery usage is not just about how much we drive our cars, but can also include frequently being stuck in traffic.
7. Choose a battery size that fits the battery tray. The battery size is important; let me give you a clear example. For instance, a battery for a pickup truck cannot be installed in a sedan because the battery tray does not accommodate it, as shown in the image above comparing trays of different sizes. Not to mention the top bracket of the battery that won’t fit either. If we want to install a larger battery than the original, we need to modify the tray, change the locking bolts, and the battery bracket. Just hearing that sounds complicated already.
8. Choose a suitable battery capacity You should choose a battery that is appropriate for your car. You should never reduce the battery capacity or amperage. This is because car manufacturers have already calculated the appropriate amperage for the specific model’s usage. For cars older than 10 years, it is recommended to choose a battery with a higher amperage. Even though we cannot increase the battery size, we can upgrade the amperage and starting power (CCA).
9. Choose a battery that provides sufficient starting power. The starting power is indicated by the CCA (Cold-Cranking Amps) value, which is different from the battery’s capacity (Ah or ampere-hours). The CCA value indicates how much power the battery can deliver to allow the starter motor to draw electricity for starting the engine.
Each engine size requires a different CCA value; the larger the engine’s displacement, the higher the CCA needed. However, the CCA ratings of different battery brands may use different measurement standards, including SAE, EA, IEC, and DIN, depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, looking at the CCA value alone may be misleading. It is important to consider which standard the specified number uses for measurement, and it should not be lower than what the car manufacturer stipulates.
10. Always choose freshly manufactured batteries. New batteries that have not been sold or used can deteriorate in quality. Therefore, to get the most efficient new battery, it should be produced no more than 8 months ago (but currently, almost every battery sales store has a practice of recharging and stimulating the batteries every 90 days as recommended by the manufacturer for the longevity of the battery).
No one would want to endure a battery that suddenly runs out of power and dies unexpectedly during a trip, right? Therefore, during each use of your vehicle, try to observe these techniques to see if your car shows any of these symptoms. You may need to check the overall battery system and the charging system to identify which system has issues. If the conclusion is that you need to replace your car battery, don’t forget to call Fastbatt, a battery shop packed with quality, to help you change to a quality car battery comprehensively in every area.
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