It becomes more and more difficult to choose a battery for a car from year to year. The market is developing very quickly and more and more batteries made using new technologies have recently appeared. It is hard for an ordinary motorist to figure out which battery is best for his car.
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Battery technology and for which machines they are suitable
The final price of the device depends on the technology used in the manufacture of batteries. To install a high-quality battery on a car, you do not have to buy an expensive one.
Antimony
They are “dinosaurs” among the battery and are on the verge of extinction.. The technology for the production of lead plates with the addition of antimony was introduced in Soviet times. Nowadays, batteries with an antimony content of more than 5% are practically not used.
Low antimony batteries, in which the amount of this substance does not exceed 2%, are used in low-cost models. Given the design feature, such batteries require ongoing maintenance, and therefore are not recommended for purchase by novice drivers.
Typically, antimony batteries are installed on domestic cars or foreign-made cars with significant mileage.
Hybrid
They replaced the low antimony. In the manufacture of hybrid batteries using calcium and antimony technology. Antimony doped lead is used to make positive electrodes. Negative plates are produced using calcium technology.
Thanks to the hybrid use of metal alloys, it is possible to achieve battery resistance to strong discharges, as well as significantly increase the cold scroll current. The use of these technologies has reduced the amount of vaporized liquid, so they have to be serviced less often.
Calcium Acid
In acid-calcium batteries, positive and negative plates are made of lead doped with calcium. In batteries of this design, it was possible to minimize the rate of evaporation of water from the electrolyte. They have a significantly lower level of self-discharge. These batteries are both serviced and unattended.
Unfortunately, acid-calcium batteries are not without drawbacks. Most of all they are afraid of deep discharges, so you should carefully monitor the battery level. Install batteries of this type on modern cars of domestic and foreign production.
AGM batteries
This type of battery belongs to the premium class. Their feature is the almost complete absence of liquid electrolyte inside the battery case. A chemical reaction proceeds between synthetic mats soaked in a solution of acid and water.
These are completely maintenance-free batteries with a higher inrush current and capacity. AGM batteriesIt is mainly used on powerful premium cars with rich electrical equipment and a start-stop system.
GEL batteries
This type of battery uses not liquid electrolyte, but helium. Having abandoned the use of the liquid mixture, the engineers managed to almost completely eliminate the process of gas generation inside the body of the electric power source.
This type of battery is completely maintenance free. They managed to exclude the probability of plate destruction from evaporation of the liquid, since there is no liquid. Also, the likelihood of shedding of the plates due to vibrations is reduced.
Gel batteries well tolerate deep discharges, give increased inrush current and can work in any position. The main disadvantage is the price. She's tall enough.
EFB batteries
EFB batteries are advanced liquid electrolyte lead batteries. They are much more resistant to deep discharges. The durability of the battery is achieved by placing the plates in a special microfiber bag, as well as by significantly thickening the lead plates.
Batteries of this type are well tolerated in cold weather. Resistance to deep discharges allows the use of such sources of electricity in cars equipped with a start-stop system.
Dimensions and dimensions
Battery size for the car also matters. If you purchase a larger size, then it does not fit in a regular place. Particular attention should be paid to this parameter when buying EFB-batteries, which can have significant dimensions.
How to choose the right capacitance and inrush current
Capacitance and inrush current are critical parameters. They are always marked on the case. Capacity in A / H (ampere hour). Starting current in A (amperes). There should be no problem replacing the battery. It is enough to purchase a battery with the same parameters.
Allowed to put more powerful batteries. If put with less power, then it may not pull all the electrical equipment or even not allow to start the car.
If you need to install the battery on a car in which there is no battery, then you can use the following table:
| Engine displacement, with m³ | Capacity, Ah |
|---|---|
| Gasoline carburetor engines | |
| less than 1200 | 44 |
| 1200 – 1800 | 55 |
| 1800 – 2500 | 62 — 66 |
| 2500 – 4500 | 75 |
| 4500 – 6200 | 90 |
| 6200 – 8000 | 132 |
| Petrol engines with fuel injection | |
| less than 1600 | 44 |
| 1600 – 2500 | 55 |
| 2500 – 3000 | 62 |
| 3000 – 3500 | 75 |
| more than 3500 | 90 and more |
| Diesel engines | |
| less than 1500 | 55 |
| 1500 – 2000 | 62 |
| 2000 – 2700 | 75 |
| 2700 – 3500 | 90 |
| 3500 – 6500 | 132 |
| more than 6500 | 190 and more |
Types and arrangement of terminals
In addition to the listed parameters, the battery must be correctly selected in polarity. This parameter depends on the location of the terminals on the chassis. If the polarity is straight, then the plus will be on the left, with reverse polarity, the positive battery terminal is on the right.
The terminals can be of the following type:
- European. Standard terminals.
- Asia. For Asian cars, the terminals stick out above the body and the cones are narrower than European ones.
- American The terminals do not look up, but are parallel to the ground.
What firms should you pay attention to
Now quite a lot of companies produce high-quality batteries. In any case, a guarantee from the manufacturer will rely on any product. Among the most famous and reliable brands include:
- Varta;
- Bosch
- Exide
- Mutlu;
- Tyumen Battery.
This list goes on for quite some time. The batteries mentioned above, with proper and careful operation, will last at least 5 years. Therefore, you can safely install them both on domestic cars and on expensive foreign cars.
There were questions about how to choose a battery or have something to add? Then write to us about it in the comments, this will make the material more useful, complete and accurate.
