The battery in your car plays a crucial role powering the electrical components of the vehicle. It ensures you can start your car, run the lights, work the wipers and play music along with various other essential functions. With hybrid and electric vehicles becoming more common, car batteries are only becoming even more integral. Car batteries come in a wide variety. Below we look at each type available.
Lead-Acid Wet Cell
The lead-acid wet cell is the oldest and one of the most common car battery types. They contain an electrolyte consisting of water and sulphuric acid. They have positive and negative terminals where the electrodes dipped in the electrolyte connect. It is the chemical reaction between the electrode and electrolytes that generates a charge which the battery stores.
Wet cell batteries come in three main types:
- SLI (Starting, Lighting, Ignition) – SLI batteries produce instant power bursts ideal for starting, lighting, and ignition. As the engine picks up speed, the alternator takes over the role of powering the components of the car. SLIs are usually in a continuous cycle of charge and discharge as you drive since they have a very small charge cycle.
- Deep-Cycle Batteries – Unlike SLI batteries, deep cycle batteries produce sustained power for longer periods. Power is used until the charge is run down, after which they’re recharged, hence the name deep cycle. This enables the battery to power a car’s electrical systems and components when the engine is not running.
- Dual Purpose – Dual-purpose batteries are a hybrid of SLIs and Deep Cycle batteries. They have both power bust starting and component-driving capabilities. These units usually cost more than standard SLIs but are not capable of completing either of their functions well.
During their lifespan, wet-cell batteries need to be topped up with distilled water through the openings sealed by the cap. They are the cheapest type of battery and have a relatively short life cycle.
Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) Batteries
VRLA batteries are completely sealed and can’t be serviced. They are considered the safest lead-acid batteries for this reason and require little maintenance. They need to be replaced when spoilt but are designed to last longer than other battery types. There are two main types of VRLA batteries commonly used:
- Lead-Acid Gel Cell (or Dry Cell) – The electrolyte used in these batteries comes in gel form. Most of them look similar to wet-cell batteries except for the flat tops and the absence of caps.
- Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) – AGM batteries use a mesh of glass fibre where the electrolyte is held. They tend to be lighter and can be installed in closed spaces at unusual angles. AGMs can hold a charge for longer even when not in use. They have a slow degrade rate, meaning a longer lifespan.
Lithium-ion Batteries
Li-ion batteries are mostly used in hybrids and EVs. They are incompatible with many regular petrol cars on the road, but they represent the future of car batteries. These batteries store huge amounts of power compared to any other types of batteries. They are also smaller and lighter. Mini-versions of Li-ion batteries are used in electronic devices like phones and laptops.
Choosing the Right Battery for Your Car
Look at the group number (also called the BCI number) located on the top of your old battery casing. When you purchase a new car battery, you will want to match this information from your old battery as much as possible on your new battery. The group number will tell you the length, width, and height of your car battery. It also tells you the polarity of your car battery and the location of the terminals.
It is important that your car battery fits snugly and securely in its battery tray. A car’s battery tray will vary in size depending on the manufacturer, but most are designed to accommodate batteries of a specific group size. Your car’s battery group size can be found in the battery section of the owner’s manual. You also need to determine the required power of your car battery in terms of cranking amps and cold cranking amps. The higher the amps in your car battery the more powerful your battery will be.
Contact Car Care Joondalup for Expert Servicing and Repairs
For any and all auto repairs and servicing including battery replacements, our expert Joondalup mechanics can help. Call the team at Car care Joondalup on (08) 9300 9796 or contact us online today.
