A Car Battery Primer: All You Need To Know About Car Batteries
There are quite a few parts on your vehicle you can do without and keep on driving. Strictly speaking, if you can avoid the police, one can function without a side mirror or a brake light. However, try to start up your family vehicle without a battery and you are looking at a long afternoon in your driveway. And yet, despite how important the battery is to your car, few people truly understand these producers of electricity.
Most vehicles operate with a rechargeable battery that supplies electric power to the auto. SLI batteries (starting, lighting, ignition) are the most common; they are lead acid types with six galvanic cells that make up a 12 volt system. The battery causes a chemical reaction releasing electrons to flow through a conductor which produces electricity.
The other type of battery found today is the traction battery most often used for electric vehicles. The principle is basically the same but traction batteries must be recharged using an outside source, usually a home electrical outlet. The difference in price between these two types is substantial. A rechargeable battery will generally cost between $100-$200 and has a useable life of about ten years. The traction battery, large enough to power a car, can cost upwards of $4000 but has a much longer life span.
Brand names of rechargeable batteries include Autocraft, Eveready, and DieHard, to name a few, and they can be purchased from the car dealership or from a host of auto parts stores like Napa Auto Parts, Auto Zone, or CarQuest. Simply check the specifications in your owner’s manual to make sure you are buying the proper battery for your vehicle.
Replacing a battery is one of the few repairs that almost every driver understands and can do. Simply disconnect the two terminals, lift out the old battery, put in the new battery, and reconnect the battery terminals. It is as simple as that; in fact, it is so simple one must ask why more people don’t do it instead of paying a mechanic to do it for a high labor cost? Even more money can be saved by going to a salvage yard and rummaging around their used car parts until you find a battery that will work in your car or truck. The savings on the battery cost alone can be as high as 60%; add that to the saved labor cost and it is remarkable that everyone doesn’t do this simple car repair themselves.
The most basic of car parts, easily one of the most vital, and one of the easiest to replace. Next time you need a new battery, roll up your sleeves, go in search, and do it yourself. When you are finished toast yourself with a cold beverage for a job well done!
