Car Battery Buyer's Guide
Car Battery Buyer's Guide
Why Go To Halfords?
There are many reasons why it's best to shop for your battery at Halfords:
- We will check your car battery for FREE.
- We will recycle your old car battery for FREE.
- We can explain why we have the highest quality car batteries available.
- We have an extensive range − in fact it's the biggest range in the UK.
- We will explain in store which blades are the best for your car, or you can use our Online Lookup Service.
- We offer three levels of guarantee:
- 3 year guarantee - Standard
- 4 year guarantee - Calcium
- 5 year guarantee - Bosch Silver
- We Fit them for you while you wait.
- We can save you at least 50% on dealer fitting prices.
Highest Quality
You can be assured that your car battery from Halfords is of the highest quality available. In fact Halfords car batteries are the same as those of the major car manufacturers such as Toyota. They are built using the same components, to the same high standards.
Extensive Range
We have the biggest range of batteries in the UK. We keep a range of 40 car batteries in stock, covering over 98% of vehicles on the road. We can very quickly find exactly the right one for your make and model of car. So when you come to Halfords you won't be having a wasted journey.
We have batteries for all makes and marques including:
- Petrol.
- Diesel.
- 4X4s.
- Sports cars.
- Manuals.
- Automatics.
- Saloons.
- Hatchbacks.
- Estates.
- People carriers.
No Maintenance
Halfords batteries are completely maintenance free - you don't need to worry about adding water.
Maintenance free batteries on average have a longer life, are faster when recharging, have a greater overcharge resistance and reduced terminal corrosion.
We stock a range of batteries to cover 98% of all vehicles on the road. Find the right battery for your car and buy online now.
All car batteries are at risk from deep discharge (dead battery) failures due to shedding of active plate material, but we make sure that any battery you buy from us is fully charged and thoroughly checked
Online Lookup Service
Our colleagues in store can check which batteries you need but you could do this yourself online using our NEW lookup service. All you need to do is key in your Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) and it will tell you which battery to order.
Find the right battery for your car and buy online now
Or call Customer Services on +44 845 026643.
Standard, Calcium or Silver?
You can choose from our Standard, Calcium or Silver ranges. Please read carefully below before choosing.
Standard Batteries (HB) Range
These are our lowest prices batteries. They come fully charged, and ready to fit, and with a 3 year guarrantee they are an excellent choice if you want a high quality but economical battery.
Calcium Batteries (HCB) Range
Our calcium batteries are ideal if you want extra power and durability. We recommend these batteries for vehicles with additional in-car accessories such as sat nav, DVD players, electric coolboxes and so on which all have a draining effect on the battery. Also if your car has to cope with extra pressures, for example: stopping and starting each day in heavy traffic, towing a caravan, standing outside at night, then you may prefer a calcium battery.
There are a number of extra features:
- 4 year warranty.
- Calcium technology.
- 30% more starting power than a standard battery.
- Higher resistance to overcharge.
- Higher resistance to high under-bonnet temperature.
Bosch Silver Batteries (HSB) Range
Bosch Silver Batteries are top of the range and thanks to their Powerframe technology they offer:
- Up to 45% more starting power than a standard battery.
- Up to 30% longer life.
- Faster re-charge acceptance.
- 5 year warranty.
Warning About Electrical Additions
Don’t underestimate the drain on the battery caused by adding additional electrical equipment such as a sat nav, a cool box and so on. The battery installed in your car by the manufacturer will cater only for the equipment included when you purchased the car. If you install any further electrical equipment you may need a more powerful battery.
Japanese or US Import Model Cars?
Please enquire in-store to find a car battery to fit your car as you may need a battery with different fittings.
How Batteries Work
The car battery never sleeps. Even when your car is parked the battery is working to supply all the electricity that is needed to keep the electrical equipment working, such as the engine management system, sat nav, alarm, clock, radio memory, side-lights and more.
When you start the car the battery supplies the power that causes the starter motor to spin in order to turn the engine over. It also supplies electricity to the fuel-injection/petrol pump and the ignition system.
When the car is running the battery is recharged by the alternator which supplies all of the electrical power that is needed. The battery only supplies electricity when the alternator cannot cope.
The battery can be hidden under the bonnet, in the boot or under the back seat.
Start-Up Power
The start-up power of a car battery has to be sufficient to start the car in all weathers. In the UK the extremes and fluctuations in temperature are very draining on a battery.
In fact fluctuations in temperature cause faster draining of the battery power than constant high or low temperatures. Also, as batteries age their power reduces.
Start-up power is sometimes called Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). The higher the CCA rating the better. CCAs are defined as the discharge loads measured in amps that a fully charged battery at -17.8 degrees Celsius can deliver for 30 seconds, while maintaining the voltage above 7.2 volts.
The amps on the batteries are usually shown on the label.
A Standard HB battery has 360 amps whereas a Calcium HBC battery has 440 amps. This is because calcium is a better conductor of electricity.
Reserve Capacity (RC)
The RC of a car battery is important when you have a number of additional electrical devices in your car, such as stereos and sat navs, and in emergencies or situations where the battery is working hard, such as during an alternator failure.
The RC is the amount of time the battery will deliver maximum amperage before discharging altogether. The RC indicates how much extra battery power is waiting in reserve to help when you really need it most. More RC is better in every case.
The RC rating is a measurement of time in minutes. It is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 26.7 degrees Celsius can be discharged at 25 amps until the voltage falls below 10.5 volts.
When Your Car Won't Start
If your car won’t start because the battery has gone flat, then you may be able get it going again by jump-starting it, using the battery from another car or by using a jumpstarter kit. Refer to your Haynes Manual for more information about your battery.
We sell a range of jump leads and also power packs which can be used as jump starters.
Car Maintenance FAQs
