What is a battery?

A battery, technically known as accumulator, is an electrochemical device used to store energy in chemical form to later be transformed and used as electrical energy. Vehicles use this energy to start the engine; once the engine is running, the charging system replaces the energy of the battery used in the start. The electric accessories (lights, radio, air conditioning, etc) also consume energy and if the charging system runs properly, the accessories will receive the energy that they demand and the battery will remain charged and ready for the next engine start.

The main characteristics of a battery are:

1. Size:

There are different sizes for each battery depending on the capacity and the space available in the vehicle for which it was designed. This characteristic is defined in the “group” name, for example, Group 24, Group 34, etc. When replacing the battery make sure that the new one is of the same group. Otherwise, you will have problems installing it.

2. Cranking Amps:

It is the value that appears on the top of the battery and it indicates the amount of amps a battery can deliver for at least 30 seconds during the engine start. When replacing the battery, it is recommended to use one with the same or higher cranking amps than the one installed by the car manufacturer.

3. Reserve Capacity:

Reserve capacity is the number of minutes that take a fully charged battery to generate 25 amps without having a deep discharge. For example, if we say that the battery has a reserve capacity of 120 minutes, this means that the battery can generate 25 amps for two hours, which is enough to maintain the engine started and the auxiliary systems working. This measure is especially important when the alternator is not functioning properly.