If you are reading this manual, you are faced with the question of buying a new battery for your car. How to choose the most suitable device?

The modern range is simply amazing in its diversity. And it's not just the number of different manufacturers offering their products on the market. When choosing a battery, it is not enough to be guided by the usual "price-quality".

Be sure to take into account several important indicators, non-compliance with which can cause damage to the car or significantly reduce its operational life. And a battery that meets all the necessary characteristics will not only serve you faithfully for a long time, it will not be able to cause damage or lead to a dangerous situation.

Reasons for battery failure

Before you proceed to the selection of a new battery, it is imperative to find out and eliminate the reason why the old one stopped working. On average, the current source of a car is designed for 5-7 years of operation. If its resource was exhausted faster, there may be a malfunction in the electrical circuit. The main culprits are the starter and generator, the decrease in functionality of which leads to an increased consumption of electricity during start-up. The appearance of the used battery will help the specialist to understand this issue.

Selection of a battery by car brand - criteria

When choosing a battery, you need to take into account many technical factors, including voltage, the shape and location of the terminals, dimensions, capacity, starting current or cold start current. Here are some tips to help make the task easier.

1. Capacity

This is the main indicator. It is regulated by most automakers and varies depending on the type of vehicle and is:

• 45-55 A / h - cars with engines up to 1.6 (sedans and hatchbacks);
• ~ 60 A / h - station wagons 1.3-1.9 l;
• ~ 66 A / h - SUVs and crossovers;
• 77-90 A / h - trucks and heavy equipment.

You should buy a battery with the same capacity as recommended by the manufacturer. It is permissible to exceed this value by no more than 5%. A battery with a higher capacity will be constantly undercharged, and this will create an increased load on the generator and shorten its life. You can not buy a current source with a capacity less than that of the previous one. An insufficient amount of energy will often lead to its complete discharge.

2. Starting current power

This is the output power of the battery in the interval of 30 s at. The higher the number, the faster the starter rotates the engine when starting. Manufacturers are guided by the temperature regime of their region. We are 100% suitable for German technical specifications.

When buying Japanese, Korean or Turkish batteries, you will need to take into account the difference in measurements. The starting current indicator is especially important for regions with low winter or extremely high summer temperatures. Under such conditions, the standard current supplied to the starter will not be enough to start the engine.

3. Dimensions

Batteries for different brands have standard dimensions and dimensions of terminal connectors. In some cases, the differences are quite significant. And most of all they are found in the products of the Japanese automobile industry.

Japanese batteries are often narrower or taller than standard batteries. A mismatch in size will make it impossible to securely fix the battery and cause breakdowns or short circuits.

4. Location of output terminals

The length of power wires in cars is minimal, and lengthening the wiring is fraught with consequences. Direct is usually called the location of the output terminal "+" on the right side.

Reverse polarity will be a source of trouble. If the "minus" is located on the wrong side, there is simply not enough wire to connect. And if you connect it incorrectly, you will have to buy another battery.

5. Manufacturer

Manufacturers can be divided into three price categories: economy, standard and premium. It all depends on the amount you are willing to part with. It has been proven in practice that the products of the world leader Bosch and Varta serve well and for a long time. The Korean Medalist and the Turkish Inci Aku or Multi performed well. Good batteries are produced by Absolut, Bison, Forse, A-Mega.

Domestic Duo Extra, Beast, Orion and Solo are also in demand. Expensive devices will last until the end of the declared period, economy - 12-18 months will not reach it. In each class there are worthy options, there are also popular ratings.

But do not forget: there is always a risk of encountering a fake. We advise you to pay attention to small details. Copy manufacturers do not always attach importance to such trifles as the conformity of the manufacturer's markings, the date and time of release. Carefully inspect the terminals, their protective caps, plugs and housing for irregularities. Make sure you have a technical certificate.

6. Serviceability

There are serviced, low-maintenance and non-maintenance models.

1. The former are gradually fading into the past. Their service life is limited to two years, and the owner will have to constantly monitor the electrolyte level and add distilled water.
2. Low-maintenance batteries made on the basis of lead-antimony plates can be called their improved option. They last up to three years and require less maintenance. Access to the electrolyte of maintenance-free models for a motorist is closed. They are durable and self-sufficient.

7. Selection by model range

Online store "Buy battery" offers a wide range of batteries. On the site you can quickly find a battery for a car of any make and model. The catalog contains original products with the appropriate certificates and the official manufacturer's factory warranty. The range includes reliable batteries of the best domestic and world brands.

We have developed a convenient and functional site with an electronic catalog for independent search of a battery by car brand. You can significantly facilitate the process by using the proposed classification. Such a product selection system provides the fastest possible navigation through all pages of the catalog. An electronic battery search system by car brand allows you to get complete information about the technical characteristics of the proposed batteries and their current cost with the ability to compare different options in a wide price range.

Batteries in our store

The Buy Battery store offers a large selection of high-quality rechargeable batteries produced by reputable manufacturers on the market. Visitors to our portal have the opportunity to quickly pick up a battery online in Moscow for a car of any division and brand. In our electronic online catalog you will find original models that have the official guarantee of manufacturing companies and all the necessary certificates. The assortment of the store presents high-quality batteries from leading automotive manufacturers. Direct cooperation with manufacturing companies allows us to set affordable prices for our products and offer our customers a wide range of high quality batteries.

Electronic search system for a suitable model

So that visitors to our site can independently select batteries for cars in Moscow, we have created a functional electronic catalog for them, equipped with a convenient search system. To facilitate the process of finding a suitable model, you can use our classification system. With the help of our electronic system, you can select a battery by car brand.

Our electronic catalog provides quick navigation through all its pages. With its help, you can not only quickly select car batteries for various car brands, but also get comprehensive information about their technical characteristics, as well as the current cost. By selecting batteries for cars online, you can compare prices for different models and choose the most suitable one.

Our advantages:

• the ability to choose a model by car brand online;
• a wide range of products;
• quality, certified products;
• prompt delivery of a car battery;
• affordable prices;
• friendly service.

If you are looking for high-quality batteries in Moscow from well-known manufacturers on the market, the portal site offers you its services. We can quickly and inexpensively purchase high-quality batteries for cars and trucks. All products sold by our store are certified and provided with an official guarantee. We trade in high-quality products that perform well in operation.

How to choose a battery by car brand?

Sooner or later, every motorist faces the question of choosing a new battery. The easiest way is for those drivers who are serviced at a service station certified by the auto manufacturer. Specialists will install here exactly the battery that is indicated in the instructions. True, this service is very expensive.

If you prefer to buy batteries in car dealerships, then you need to be guided by the following rule:

• on and with an engine capacity of up to 1.6 liters, there are batteries for 45-55 Amp / hours;
• station wagons with a volume of 1.3-1.9 liters - 60 ampere / hour;
• and 1.5-2.3 liters - 66 ampere / hour;
• trucks weighing up to 3.5 tons and with an engine capacity of 1.6-3.2 liters - 77 Ah;
• trucks of the middle class 1.9-4.5 liters - 90 Ampere / hour;
• truck tractors - 2 batteries of 200 Ah.

It is clear that in each case it is necessary to be guided by the manufacturer's recommendations. In addition, you can easily find catalogs, including on the Internet, where you will find information on any car model.

Basic parameters of batteries

The performance of the car depends on how the battery you purchased will serve. No one wants to try unsuccessfully to start the engine in the cold in winter. . If you buy a battery from a trusted manufacturer, then you will not have to face such problems.

Manufacturer

• Exide is a world leader in this area, the products are very expensive, but easily leave 5-7 years even when installed in a taxi;
• Varta, Bosch - German batteries, recommended by German car manufacturers, serve well and for a long time;
• Medalist - a joint trademark of the United States and South Korea, Korean cars are equipped with batteries of this particular brand;
• Mutlu, Inci Aku - Turkish batteries of excellent quality.

The products of other factories are also highly valued, for example, the Dnepropetrovsk enterprise Westa produces batteries Vortex, Forse. They belong to the middle price segment. And for example, batteries from another Ukrainian company - A-Mega - are sent directly to FIAT factories.

You can also recall the battery Topla (Slovenia), American (USA), Japan Star. Batteries are produced in Belarus - "Zubr". And the Russian “Power Source Kursk” has long been in demand among domestic motorists, although there are also enough problems with it. There is also Aktekh from Irkutsk - Orion, Zver, Solo, Duo Extra.

All batteries are also divided into classes according to their cost, the Premium segment will serve very well and for a long time. Well, inexpensive batteries often do not reach the end of the warranty period - 12-18 months.

Battery specifications

The main parameters of batteries include:

Rated voltage. Today, all passenger cars are equipped with 12-volt batteries. For trucks, special equipment, buses, military equipment, you should buy 24-volt ones. Although a 12-volt battery may also be suitable for light commercial vehicles.

Battery capacity. This parameter is measured in Amp-hours (Ah). This is a symbol, it says that, for example, a 60 Ah battery is capable of providing a load of 1 Ampere for 60 hours, or 4 Amperes for 15 hours. That is why the batteries are discharged if you forget to turn off the radio at night or leave the headlights on.

Starting current. Starting current is the current that is supplied to the starter during engine start. This value is measured in amperes. It is necessary to carefully select a battery with the starting current for which the starter is designed, otherwise two options are possible:

• the starter winding will burn out - too much starting current;
• there is not enough current to turn the starter.

The starting current is not a constant value and depends on the air temperature, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontact with the terminals (did you notice that over time the terminals oxidize or move away and the engine cannot be started?), battery capacity and charge level.

The value of the starting current is indicated on the label and corresponds to the current strength at a temperature of 18 degrees above zero. In winter, the starting current decreases and it is more difficult to start the engine, therefore it is allowed for cold regions to buy batteries with a starting current reserve - several tens of amperes higher.

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Please also note that the starting current can be measured according to different standards: EN (European), DIN (Germany) and GOST (Russia) - they are measured in the same way, SAE (USA). So, for example, if you buy a "sixty" A-Mega, it will be written on it:

• starting current EN - 600 Amps;
• DIN - 365 A;
• SAE - 650 A.

That is, this difference must be taken into account, sales consultants must have tables for different standards.

Polarity is the position of the positive and negative electrodes of the battery.

She may be:

• straight - the positive terminal is on the left (the battery is turned towards you by the side on which the terminals are);
• reverse - plus on the right.

Accordingly, you can see the battery designations: 60 (0) Ah - right plus, 60 (1) Ah - left plus.

If you pick up a battery with the wrong polarity, then there may not be enough wire to put it on the terminal. Also look at the terminals, they can be standard thickness - European, and thin - usually Asian batteries.

Well, pay attention that the new battery is suitable in size and method of attachment.

Incorrectly selected battery

If the battery is chosen incorrectly - with a larger or smaller battery capacity, this will be displayed primarily on the battery itself. Unless, of course, you bought 75 or “hundred” instead of 60, then you can burn the starter and, in general, all the wiring.

If the battery capacity is too large, constant undercharging will occur - the generator is unable to generate the necessary voltage to ensure the battery is charged. Over time, you will notice that the electrolyte will turn white, and it will be impossible to start the car - the battery will be constantly discharged.

If a battery with a lower capacity and starting current is selected, then, on the contrary, it will be constantly recharged. Because of this, the process of shedding of the plates will begin much faster, and the cans may close. A clear sign of an incorrectly selected battery is a brown electrolyte due to crumbling plates.

In both cases, the battery will not be subject to replacement under a complaint.

What else to look for when buying?

The battery is a warranty product, so you should check it with you:

• measure the density and level of the electrolyte;
• measure voltage - 12 volts;
• connect to the load plug and give the load - the battery must hold it (the ammeter needle is kept at 9 A for 30 seconds), the electrolyte does not boil and steam is not released.

Follow the completion of the warranty card, it must have the company's seal, the seller's signature, the battery serial number, which is stamped on the cover. Keep the warranty card at home so as not to lose it.

A good battery lasts an average of 5-7 years, depending on the operating conditions.

Also, there have been a lot of fakes lately. We do not recommend buying Chinese batteries, they fail very quickly.

A car battery is a seasonal product, although it is used all year round. When birds sing outside, and warm oil splashes inside the engine, turning the crankshaft is easy - even a half-dead battery can handle it. But in the cold, the starter is not easy, and he strives to turn into a purely active resistance, consuming a very large current. As a result, the battery strives to fail, and the owner will have to go to the store.

How to choose a battery

If you do not want to contact the service or the help of the seller, then the selection algorithm should be as follows.

You need to take a battery that is guaranteed to fit in the niche allotted to it, whether it be the engine compartment, trunk or something else. Agree: it’s stupid to miss a couple of centimeters! At the same time, we determine the polarity: we look at the old battery and figure out what is on the right and what is on the left? It goes without saying that if the car is not European, then the terminals themselves may differ from most of the usual ones - both in shape and in location.

After that, choose a brand. Here we definitely advise you to be guided by the list of our winners of recent years and never "peck" on newcomers or outsiders. Even if their labels are the prettiest. Here are some of the names that usually did not let us down: Tyumen (Tyumen batteries), Varta, Medalist, a-mega, Mutlu, Topla, Aktekh, Zver.

We carry out comparative tests of various car batteries every year. The most recent results, where we compared 10 batteries, can be seen. Those who wish can also familiarize themselves with the examinations of past years:,,, etc.

The brand of the battery, as a rule, determines its price. The approximate cost of European-made car batteries with dimensions of 242 × 175 × 190 mm in 2014 ranged from 3,000 to 4,800 rubles. for a conventional battery, and from 6300 to 7750 rubles. - for AGM. The declared current and capacity will turn out by themselves - based on the dimensions.

Important: if you had an AGM battery installed, then you should only change it to AGM, and not to “ordinary”. Reverse replacement is quite acceptable, but not economically feasible.

Now we charge the battery - even just bought! Our experience shows that in stores, under the guise of a brand new battery, you are happily sold “almost new”, from which they have only managed to wipe the dust. We charge, connect instead of the old battery, and - the key to start!

For those who are interested in technical details

Is it useful in cold weather to “warm up” the battery by turning on the headlights before starting the engine?

Why do you need an eye indicator?

This indicator allows you to roughly estimate the density and level of the electrolyte to find out if the car battery needs to be recharged. By and large, this is a toy, since the peephole is only in one jar out of six. However, many serious manufacturers at one time were forced to introduce it into the design, since the absence of a peephole was perceived by consumers as a disadvantage.

Is it possible to assess the condition of a car battery by the voltage at the terminals?

Approximately possible. At room temperature, a fully charged battery, disconnected from loads, should provide at least 12.6-12.7 V.

What is hidden behind the term "calcium battery"?

Nothing special: it's just a publicity stunt. Yes, “Ca” (or even “Ca - Ca”) badges on car batteries are more and more common today, but they don’t get any easier. But calcium is a metal much less heavy than lead. The thing is that we are talking about very small (fractions or units of a percent) additions of calcium to the alloy from which the battery plates are made. If it is added to both positive and negative electrodes, then the same "Ca - Ca" is obtained. Such car batteries, ceteris paribus, are more difficult to boil, which is important for maintenance-free batteries. Such batteries have less self-discharge during storage. Therefore, “ordinary” batteries with additives of antimony traditional before (they are usually given out by the presence of traffic jams) are almost never found on sale today! Note that not everything about them is so bad: for example, they tolerate deep discharges much better!

Why do car batteries give out the declared current for so short a time during testing?

Indeed, if the capacity is 60 Ah, then arithmetic suggests: a current of 600 A should be generated for approximately 0.1 hours or 6 minutes! And the real account goes only for tens of seconds ... The thing is that the battery capacity depends on the current! And at the specified current, the battery capacity is no longer 60 Ah, but much less: about 20-25! The inscription 60 Ah only says that for 20 hours at a temperature of 25ºС you can discharge your battery with a current equal to 60/20 \u003d 3A - and nothing more. At the same time, at the end of the discharge, the voltage at the battery terminals should not fall below 10.5 V.

Why choose a battery with a declared current of, say, 600 A, if the real need is half that?

The declared current is also an indirect indicator of the quality of a car battery: the higher it is, the lower its internal resistance! In addition, if we take an extreme case, when, God forbid, the oil has thickened so much that the starter barely moves the crankshaft at all, then here the maximum possible current may be needed.

Is it true that when a car battery with a larger capacity than a regular one is installed on a car, it will not be charged, and the starter may fail?

No it is not true. What will prevent the battery from being fully charged? It is appropriate to draw an analogy: if you scooped up a glass of water from a bucket or from a huge barrel, then to restore the initial level of liquid, you will need to add the same glass from the tap - both into the bucket and into the barrel. As for the expected breakdown of the starter, its current consumption will not change, even if the battery capacity increases by a hundred or a thousand times. Ohm's law does not depend on ampere hours.

Talk about future breakdowns is only appropriate for extreme people who are used to getting out of the swamp on the starter. At the same time, the latter, of course, gets very hot, and therefore a small battery, which is discharged faster than a large one, can save it from fatal overheating, dying first ... But this is a hypothetical case.

We immediately note one curious nuance. In Soviet times, it was strictly forbidden to install a car battery with a larger capacity on a number of army trucks! But the reason was precisely that when the engine did not want to start, drivers often turned the starters until the battery was completely discharged. At the same time, the starters overheated and often failed. And the higher the battery capacity, the longer it was possible to scoff at the poor electric motor. It was to protect starters from such mockery that there was once a requirement not to exceed the battery capacity above the “standard” one. But now it is irrelevant.

Question per million: what is measured in ampere-hours?

Anyway, not the battery capacity! This is a common misconception even among professionals. Which, however, are lost when they are asked how the product of current and time gives capacity? Because the correct answer is: ampere-hour is a unit of measurement charge! 1 Ah = 3600 C. And the capacitance is measured in farads: 1F \u003d 1C / 1 V. Those who do not believe in this can refer to any reference book - for example, Bosch's.

As for batteries, the confusing terminology is still alive. And what is actually a charge is called capacity in the old fashioned way. Some textbooks get out - they say, "capacity evaluate in ampere-hours. Do not measure, but evaluate! Well, well, anyway...

By the way, in Soviet times it was incomparably easier to choose a battery - only by ampere-hours. Say, on the Volga it was necessary to look for a car battery for 60 Ah, on the Zhiguli -55 Ah. The polarity and terminals on domestic cars were the same. Today, it’s not worth focusing only on ampere-hours, since products from different manufacturers with the same capacity can differ quite a lot in other parameters. For example, 60 Ah batteries can have an 11% variation in height, 28% in declared current, etc. Prices also live their lives.

And the last. If instead of "Ah" you see the inscription "Ah" (on the label, in the article, in the advertisement - it doesn't matter) - do not mess with this product. Behind it are uneducated and indifferent people who do not have an elementary idea about electricity.

What is an AGM battery?

The main area of ​​application for AGM is cars with Start-Stop modes. This battery even says: Start Stop!

The main area of ​​application for AGM is cars with Start-Stop modes. This battery even says: Start Stop!

Formally speaking, an AGM car battery is the same lead-acid product that many generations of motorists are accustomed to, but at the same time it is much more perfect than its ancestors and will completely force them out of the market in the near future.

AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) is a technology for manufacturing batteries with absorbed electrolyte, which is impregnated with micropores of the separator. Developers use the free volume of these micropores for closed recombination of gases, thereby preventing water from evaporating. Hydrogen and oxygen leaving the negative and positive plates, respectively, enter the bound medium and recombine, remaining inside the battery. The internal resistance of such a battery is lower than that of the "liquid" predecessors, since the conductivity of the glass fiber separator is better compared to traditional "envelopes" made of polyethylene. Therefore, it is capable of delivering higher currents. A tightly compressed plate package prevents the active mass from crumbling, which allows it to withstand deep cyclic discharges. Such a car battery can even work upside down. And if you break it to smithereens, then even in this case there will be no poisonous puddle: the bound electrolyte must remain in the separators.

Today's areas of application of AGM are cars with the "Start-stop" mode, cars with increased energy consumption (Ministry of Emergency Situations, "ambulance"), etc. But tomorrow, a "simple" car battery will slowly go down in history ...

Are AGM and regular batteries interchangeable?

The AGM car battery replaces the "normal" one by 100%. Whether such a replacement is needed if the car has enough serviceable standard battery is another question. But the reverse replacement, of course, is inferior - it can be applied in practice only in a hopeless situation and as a temporary option.

Is it true that a 50 Ah AGM car battery can be used instead of the usual 90 Ah?

This is, excuse me, nonsense. How can you almost halve the charge and say that there will be no difference? Lost amp-hours are not compensated by any technology, not even AGM.

Is it true that the high current of an AGM battery can kill a car's starter?

Of course not. The current is determined by the resistance of the load, and in this case, the starter. And even if a car battery can deliver a current of a million amperes, the starter will take exactly as much as from a conventional battery. He can't break Ohm's law.

On which cars is it undesirable to use AGM?

There is no such limitation. Even if we consider ancient cars with a completely faulty relay-regulator and unstable mains voltage, then in this case the AGM car battery will die not earlier than usual, but even later. The voltage limit above which trouble is possible is approximately 14.5 V for conventional batteries and 14.8 V for AGM.

Which car battery is more afraid of deep discharge - AGM or regular?

Ordinary. After 5-6 deep discharges, they can finally “take offense”, while for AGM this number is practically unlimited.

Can an AGM car battery be considered completely maintenance-free?

This is a matter of established terminology that works more in favor of PR than science. Strictly speaking, this term is incorrect - both for AGM batteries and for any other car batteries. Only an AA battery can be called completely maintenance-free, and any lead car battery, generally speaking, is not. Even the technology leader - the AGM battery - is sealed, let's say, by 99%, but not by 100%. And such a battery still needs to be serviced - check the charge, recharge if necessary, etc.

How are gel batteries different from AGM?

At least the fact that gel car batteries ... do not exist! The question is generated by the established incorrect terminology: gel batteries are used, for example, in electric forklifts or floor scrubbers. The electrolyte in them, unlike conventional car batteries with liquid acid, is in a thickened state. In batteries with AGM technology, the electrolyte is bound (impregnated) in a special fiberglass separator.

Note that the most popular Optima battery is also AGM, and not gel at all.

What is battery reserve capacity?

This parameter shows how long a car with a broken generator will last on a cold rainy night. The expert will say otherwise: in how many minutes the voltage at the terminals of a battery that delivers a current of 25 A to the load will drop to 10.5 V. Measurements are carried out at a temperature of 25 ° C. The higher the score, the better.