You may not know this, but such automotive battery sizes do exist and they are crucial in your vehicle running and operation. You can’t just buy a battery and think that they will all fit. You may not realize that car battery comes in different types; thus affecting the size. Before you decide to purchase a battery, you need to know the right type.
The Grouping Size
All official battery cars have the so called Battery Council International (BCI) group numbers depending on the battery case’s size. When you want to choose for a battery, you need to match it first with the group numbers, then match it with Amp Hours (AH), the Cranking Amps (CA), Reserve Capacity (RC), and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) ratings, along with the original specification from the manufacturers. The grouping size is generally taken from the average dimension of height, length, and width, along with the location of the polarity. Batteries also come in different types like flat tops, flats, or handle.
The Wet Cell Types
Car battery is divided into two main types, the wet cell or the flooded battery and the Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) type. Wet cell battery is basically lead acid battery for auto usage. This kind of battery requires maintenance and serviceable. It is divided into:
- SLI battery. It is designed with short energy burst to start the engine. It requires custom material as well as lead plate count. This kind of generic batter usually comes from the manufacturing plant.
- Marine deep cycle battery, which lasts longer than the SLI type because it has been designed for longer energy delivery. Although the energy bursts may not as strong as the SLI, it is considered powerful. The lead plates are generally thicker, able to endure many discharge and charge.
This battery is made with sealed form, without any vents for gases. Because of the seal, it is good for storage and used in small and cramped space without ventilation. It is the safest because the no vent system means that it can’t release hydrogen gas or suffer from leak. However, because of the sealed form, they are unserviceable. This kind of batter consists of two types:
- Gell Cell. As the name suggests, it has gelified electrolyte. Thanks to the gel, it is able to resist hot temperature well, as well as dealing with electrolyte evaporation, spillage, and also physical shock. It is basically like a wet cell battery but with dry and sealed form.
- AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat). It has electrolyte within glass mats, which are thin fibers meshed together. It is sealed, so possibility of battery acid spillage is very small.
- You should consider CCA rating if you live in cold climate because you want the one with higher start out point
- You should consider products that are designed for high temperature, in case you live in hot climate area
- You may want to consider AGM or deep cycle battery if you want battery with various electronic features, despite the various automotive battery sizes.
- Read Also : Alternatives on Automotive Battery Tester