Choosing the right battery

lose money through behaviours that are driven and inspired by possibly ignorance or rather lack of knowledge.
A battery’s lifespan may be shortened as a result of the obvious abuse that relates to wrong application.
This may then have serious reputational risks on the part of the supplier hence the customer has a psychological expectation that a battery must at least last for more than a year which is equivalent to its warranty period.
In this article our focus will be on the correct battery application to ensure that common problems are managed through empowering customers and other stakeholders through education and communication.
When making the decision to purchase a battery it is critical that it must be bought from battery specialists who have the necessary knowledge to recommend the correct battery for any type of vehicle.
The discussion will therefore focus on general information that is needed in deciding the correct battery application.
Automatic vehicles — use more power than manual cars hence they require a much bigger battery.
Most ex-Japan petrol cars, which are automatic, use 628 batteries while a bigger car such as a Toyota Camry uses a 652.
Manual vehicles — Small petrol engines such as a Mazda 323 and Sunny HB take 631 batteries because they use less power while a small diesel engine take a 638 battery.
On the other hand, a bigger diesel engine uses either a 650 or a 652 battery. The latest vehicle such as a Toyota Hilux and an Isuzu D tech uses either a 668/669 battery.
Engine Capacity — Batteries should correspond with engine capacity, for example a 1,5 litre engine Toyota manual uses a 631 but an automatic Toyota 1,5l uses 628.
For a 3-litre petrol engine a 650/652 is the appropriate battery, while a high-performance diesel engine uses a 668/669 battery.
Battery Coding — It’s also key to note that the battery code does not determine the size of the battery, for example although a 631 battery has a higher code than a 622 or and a 628, however, the former is a smaller battery than the latter irrespective of the coding.
There is no need for confusion arising from battery coding as the power of a battery is determined by amperage/power rating of a battery.
For instance, a 631 may look bigger than a 628 but in terms of amperage, a 628 is bigger and is also used on bigger applications.
Many customers use the wrong batteries due to lack of proper information. Due to the increase in wrong application on batteries, Battery Express have come up with a battery application chart, which covers a wide range of batteries and cars and above is a summary of some of the cars and the type of battery applicable in each instance.
The effects of wrong application
Using a wrong battery on a motor vehicle will do a lot of harm to the battery. Batteries are designed to last for a certain period and their improper use will shorten their life- span.
It can also result in straining the battery, as more power will be drawn from the battery than what it can supply.
Overcharging has become one of the most common features of batteries that have been inappropriately applied, as such warranty conditions do not cover that.
This occurs when a vehicle has a higher engine capacity than the battery being used due to excessive withdrawal of current and recharging of the battery, the cells are weakened and the colour of the acid changes from colourless to brown or black.
Once a battery is overcharged, its effectiveness dips as the plates would have been weakened.
It is therefore important to ensure that batteries are used appropriately to prolong their lifespan as well as save money.