Before going to a garage or a car accessories store, it may be interesting to know the main types of batteries and their respective characteristics. It is this overview of the different types of batteries that we propose to do in this article. Follow the leader!
Low maintenance or maintenance free ? What do you have under the hood? » « Uuuu. I do not really know. How do we know that? To avoid this type of embarrassment, here are some valuable clues.
Well, first of all, car batteries are lead/acid batteries . And Bam! So, yes your battery is a “lead”.
The alphaline , we can also talk about it right away, it is simply a brand, it is neither more nor less than the name of the manufacturer. So if it’s written on it (as in the image below) it is. That’s all. Nothing complicated here. And two!
Well, then there’s the AGM . This is an acronym for: Absorbed Glass Mat . It’s immediately clearer, isn’t it?
More seriously, here, to fully understand, we must review the basic operation of a car battery. We will take this opportunity to also talk about ” gel ” batteries . Why talk about AGM and GEL at the same time ? Because they are both VRLA batteries . Hello? Are you still here?
So, let’s first introduce the big family of VRLA batteries . They were created in the 80s and allow the recombination of gases (hydrogen and oxygen). If the pressure of these is too great, there is a valve to regulate everything, hence the name of this battery: Valve Regulated Lead Acid. So far, so good.
Then, the difference between AGM and GEL is in the process related to the electrolyte contained in the battery.
AGM battery
For AGMs , the electrolyte is absorbed by fiberglass fabrics located between the two electrodes. Oxygen therefore diffuses into the tissues between the electrodes. You will find more information in our article dedicated to the AGM battery .
For the ” gel “, the electrolyte is fixed between the two electrodes thanks to the addition of a silica gel. It is through cracks that gases propagate.
Finally, there are low maintenance batteries and those with no maintenance at all. For these types of batteries, we invite you to read our article entitled: “The maintenance-free battery: is it really maintenance-free?” at the following address:
Old Varta Battery
After reading this, you will know everything about these “almost” maintenance-free batteries!!!
That’s it, now that you know more about the different types of battery, let’s get down to business: your vehicle, and your battery.
Which battery for which vehicle?
Knowing the different kinds of batteries is good, knowing how to use them is even better!
It’s not complicated, there are only 4 elements to consider:
The dimensions of the battery (yes, it has to be able to fit in the space provided. Yes, it looks a bit silly said like that, but hey, a little reminder can sometimes save you from a big mistake ).
The amperage/hour says Ah.
The power that can be delivered at start-up, which is simply called A.
The weight of the battery.
All this is written on the battery which is already in the vehicle or in the owner’s manual. Ah yes, one last little thing that is of great importance: the location of the terminals. It seems to be a detail, but, in the end, it is what will make it possible (or not!) to replace the battery!
So ! You know everything ! It’s up to you ! You will find all the different battery types mentioned above at Amazon.com , but below is an overview of the best batteries on the market.
