Picking a new car battery looks simple until you read the labels. Amp hours, cold cranking amps, a three-digit type number and letters like EFB or AGM all mean something. Here is what each one tells you, so the battery you pay for actually suits the car.
Start with the type
Three types cover most cars on Irish roads. A standard flooded battery suits older petrol and diesel cars without start-stop. An EFB, or enhanced flooded battery, is made for cars with a basic start-stop system. An AGM, or absorbent glass mat battery, suits cars with more demanding start-stop and brake energy recovery.
The safe rule is to replace like with like. A car that left the factory with AGM should get AGM again, and an EFB car should not be downgraded to a standard battery. There is more on this in our page on AGM and EFB start-stop batteries.
Size and terminal layout
The battery has to sit in the tray, take the clamp and reach the cables. Batteries in Ireland and the UK are usually listed under a three-digit type number, such as 096 or 110, which covers the case size and which side the positive terminal sits on. Two batteries with similar power can still have their terminals the opposite way round, and then the leads will not reach.
Amp hours and cold cranking amps
Amp hours (Ah) describe how much energy the battery stores. Cold cranking amps (CCA) describe how much current it can push out to turn the engine over on a cold morning. Diesel engines and larger engines ask for more. Matching the original figures, or going slightly above them, is sensible. A much weaker battery may manage in summer and then give up in the first frost.
Read the label on the battery you have
Often the quickest guide is the battery already in the car. The label usually shows the type, the Ah and CCA figures and sometimes the type number. Take a clear photo of it before you ring. Together with the registration, it lets us check that the battery fitted last time was right for the car, which is not always the case: a previous owner may have put a cheaper standard battery into a start-stop car.
Irish weather and short trips
Irish winters are damp more often than bitterly cold, but a run of frosty mornings, with heaters, wipers and lights all working on short school runs, drains a battery faster than the alternator can put the charge back. A battery with a healthy CCA figure copes much better with that kind of driving.
Electric and hybrid cars
An electric car still carries a small 12V battery that runs the locks, the screens and the systems that wake the car up. When it goes flat, the car may refuse to switch on even with plenty of charge in the main pack. These batteries have their own specification, and some newer models use a lithium 12V unit. Read more about the electric car 12V battery.
How old is the one you have?
Most batteries carry a date on a sticker or stamped into the case. A battery around five years old that has started turning the engine slowly is close to the end, especially in a car that mostly does short trips around town. Our article on signs your car battery is about to die covers the warning symptoms.
Brands
Several well-known battery makes are sold in Ireland. The brand matters less than getting the right type, size and rating for the car. Tell us the make, model and year and we confirm the battery, and the brand, before anything is fitted.
What a new battery costs
Batteries are supplied and fitted for a €150 call-out, plus the battery (price depends on the battery), with a guide of €100 to €500 depending on the vehicle. AGM batteries generally cost more than standard ones. We give you the full fitted price on the phone before the visit.
Need a new car battery in Dublin or Meath? Ring 085 783 9202 with the registration and we will match the battery to the car and fit it where it is parked. See the batteries we fit for the full list.