Batteries come in all shapes and sizes with various types of terminals and battery clamps, that is why you need to make 100% sure, that you have the correct one for your particular make and model of car.
- Actual physical size.
There are a number of criteria when it comes to the physical size of the battery. The length, height and width of the replacement must be exactly the same as the original equipment battery, otherwise, you might not even be able to fit it into the original car battery from Roadside Response compartment. You might also inherit some clearance issues, which could cause short circuits
If the physical dimensions differ, the battery clamps might not fit at all and the last thing you need is an unsecured battery in a moving car. Some cars use a clamp that goes across the top of the battery, between the two terminals, others use a rectangular bracket that goes around the entire top edges and others have a lip at the bottom which is clamped down using a plate.
- Hot cranking current.
This is the current that a battery can provide for 30 seconds at approximately 27 °C. Fitting a battery with a lower rating could cause starting problems in very hot weather.
- Cranking current.
This is the current that a battery can provide for 30 seconds at 0° C. It is more of an issue if you own a large capacity diesel and it is winter. Petrol engines are much less of a concern, either way, do not fit a battery with a lower rating than specified.
- Ampere-hours.
Ampere-hours (Ah) is a unit of electrical charge related to the energy storage capacity of your battery. Simply put, this means a constant 1 Ampere is drawn over a period of 1 hour, which if you have a 50 Ah battery means it will be depleted in approximately 50 hours.
Your car battery is constantly discharging if your car is not running, due to leakage or electrical components that are always in operation, which is not a problem for short periods of time, but could cause starting issues, if your car is unused for extended periods of time.
The car manufacturer will calculate what size battery to specify for a particular model, based on what electrical equipment is fitted to the car. It is, therefore, never a good idea to fit a car battery in Sydney with a lower Ah rating than was originally specified. You can, however, fit one with a higher rating but this only increases the cost and is rarely necessary.
- The size of terminals.
Batteries can be identical in every respect, but still, have a large variation in the size and type of terminals that are utilised. The terminal posts could be of a different diameter to the cable clamps on your car or they might not even be round but rectangular.
Final Words
With these 5 reasons, it is clear that buying the wrong size battery can create a number of problems for you and all of them can easily be avoided by making the right choice to begin with contacting a 24/7 Roadside assistance by Roadside Response.