Car Battery Amps

There are two car battery amps that all drivers need to remember to avoid being frustrated from a car that just would not start - and the batteries are new! Before buying your new battery, you need to take note about its CCA (cold cranking amps). This is a rating used in the battery industry to define a battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The rating is the number of amps a new, fully charged battery can deliver at 0° Farenheit for 30 seconds, while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts, for a 12 volt battery. The higher the CCA rating, the greater the starting power of the battery. Also consider its HCA (hot cranking amps). This information should be found in your car manual or written on your OEM battery itself. Keep a record of these numbers in case the one written on your battery are no longer illegible.

The cold cranking amps is the amount of power that an acid-lead battery can deliver at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 18 degrees Celsius, for 30 seconds without dropping the reserve to below 7.2 volts. The CCA rating you want depends on how much your car needs to start in cold weather. Larger cars usually need higher CCA rating than smaller ones. But in general, the higher the car battery amps in CCA, the more efficient the battery is in cold weather. It also goes to follow that it's more expensive.

On the other hand, if you live in a hotter place, you want the hot cranking amps rating to be higher. The HCA is the amount of power your acid-lead battery can deliver at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or 26.7 degrees Celsius, for thirty seconds without depleting the reserve to below 7.2 volts. This goes to show that a car battery with higher HCA rating is more expensive in places with hotter climate.

If you happen to forget your car battery amps, though, you don't need to worry because any reputable auto parts store mechanic can tell you what car battery amps you best need. But to avoid paying so much for a higher rating, which you may not need, you need to read your car manual for the recommended rating.

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