The ins and outs of the different types of car batteries
Have you given much thought to the battery under the hood of your car? We’ve come up with this quick guide to give you a rundown about the different types of batteries out there.
A maintenance free battery is a modern battery
In the old days, you had to deal with on-going maintenance with your car battery, topping them up regularly with distilled water.
Although most newer cars now have batteries that are maintenance free and deliver long battery lives with strong performance, it’s still useful to be aware about the types of car batteries out there.
The good news is that you can still buy Australian made, maintenance free batteries , so they are, in general, very reliable.
But like with anything, the more you know about the battery in your car, the more clued in you’ll be to potential issues when they arise.
ISS batteries for emission-friendly cars
Do you drive an emission-friendly vehicle? Chances are it features an idle stop start (ISS) battery under the hood. Because of the frequent re-starting of the engine whenever the car comes to a stop, such as at a traffic light, the car needs a special battery to function smoothly.
ISS system batteries are designed to work under the specific requirements of the voltage control systems found in these cars.
4×4 batteries for off-roading
Four wheel drives and SUVs are built to withstand rougher terrain and tough off-road conditions, which means they need specialised batteries to deal with high vibrations and impacts.
A heavy duty 4×4 battery, SUV battery, or auxiliary battery also assists in powering equipment that’s sometimes needed off-road, such as being used for winches, compressors or lighting.
Century’s range of off road batteries also feature the overland range that are a dual purpose cranking/deep cycle battery, ideal for 4×4 applications.
Dual battery systems for camping trips
If you are into the off-roading lifestyle, you’ve probably taken your 4×4 on a couple of camping trips. And if you’ve wanted to keep the camp fridge running while the engine is off, you most likely know about dual battery systems.
Dual battery systems are a source of reserve battery power used to run other equipment associated with your vehicle, but often not the vehicle itself.
For example, camp lights, radios, phone charger and even the TV can all be powered by your dual battery system.
You can wire your dual battery system into your vehicle in different ways, depending on what you want to use it for and where you want to locate the battery. However, it needs to be kept separate from the vehicle’s starter battery, otherwise you risk running the car’s battery flat.
Read more about our dual battery systems in our article – here.
Deep cycle batteries for long lasting power
If you need power once the engine is switched off your probably going to need a deep cycle battery. Regular starting batteries are designed to provide a large amount of power over a very short period to start the vehicle and then recharge quickly via the vehicles alternator. They do this by using thinner internal lead plates to maximize the surface area. This design makes them unsuitable for providing long periods of low current draw, this type of usage will in fact dramatically shorten the battery life span.
Deep cycle batteries are made with thick plates and different materials to allow them to be repeatedly run flat (deep cycle). Be careful when choosing one as some are not suitable for under bonnet mounting. Check out Century’s battery size calculator to find out what size you’ll need.
Marine batteries for at sea or on the river
Marine batteries are a completely different kettle of fish (excuse the pun) to car batteries. The main reason is because marine batteries are built to withstand tough surf conditions and to run on-board accessories.
These batteries can operate smoothly when the waves are pounding and the engine is vibrating, as they are built with thicker battery plates.
Marine batteries also have added capacity within them to help run on-board equipment such as fridges and radios.
Batteries at GCCEM
At GCCEM, we proudly stock Century Batteries, with its Brisbane manufacturing facility, its huge range covers all vehicles, trucks and machines. Century Batteries are quality built to withstand the harsh Australia outback, as well as suburban climates.
Do you have a question about your batteries? We are on the Gold Coast and here to help. Contact us today for all of your battery needs.
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