The battery is the backbone of your car’s electrical system and not only supplies power to the starter and ignition system to get your car going, but delivers the extra power needed when the electrical loads of your vehicle's accessories, exceed the alternator's supply.

  Battery failure is the leading cause of starting trouble and whether because of lights left on, a charging system problem or simply because the battery is to old to keep up, when your car battery is dead or even weak, you're not going anywhere.

  Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy, and vise versa. Most cars use a lead-acid battery, which is a plastic case, containing an arrangement of positive and negative lead plates separated by synthetic plate separators. The plates are connected to a set of terminals, which provide connection to the vehicle. The battery is filled with electrolyte, a mixture of sulfuric acid and water which provides the chemical action necessary to store and release energy. Batteries take a beating in our harsh climate and a healthy battery in 80-degree weather, has only half of its output when the thermometer dips to zero. 

 Shopping for a Battery?

   When shopping, remember that a battery is rated by cold cranking amps (CCA), indicating its power and the reserve capacity rating (RC), which indicates how long your car's accessories can run and still have enough power to start the engine.  Since starting a car in cold weather can take up to twice as much current to turn over a cold engine and cars in colder climates would benefit from a higher CCA rating.

Ask us about the right Interstate Battery for you.

Tips/Suggestions

  Batteries don't always give warning signs before they fail and if your vehicle's battery is three years old or more, it's a good time to have it tested.

  In our experience, most batteries fail when they're 5-6 years old. When choosing a replacement, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all battery and we carry Interstate Batteries, in stock, that exceed manufacturers specification and in most cases provide the largest capacity available for your vehicle. Remember, battery efficiency drops off drastically in cold temperatures and the extra capacity can make the difference in starting on cold winter mornings. .

  If it's time to change your battery, let a professional do it for you because some cars may need to "re-learn" certain electronic engine control habits. Disconnecting the battery may also erase the memory of radios and other creature comforts like memory mirrors and seats.