what is CCA mean for car battery

carsforwomen

If battery label says 550 CCA but when tested the CCA is 250, is this bad? does this mean the battery is bad? do I need to change ASAP?

ignoramus9

sounds like cranking amps. And yes, if it is only half either you are testing it wrong, or it is only cranking half its rated amps which is not good.

carsforwomen

thanks for quick response! why is it not good? I thought it has to do with battery be able to start in cold weather. I live in orlando, Fl. Still not good? would you recommend to still change battery?

JayWB

Cold Cranking Amps.

It's the capacity to produce current when cold. Assuming the battery was tested correctly it's got less than half its capacity.

Why did you have it tested, and how old is it?

Rod Knox

If a 550 cca rated battery tests only 250 cca it is drastically undercharged. It may be discharged because the lights were left on. It may be discharged because the alternator isn't working. It may be discharged because it can no longer hold a charge. Which is the likely problem?

carsforwomen

I had it tested after I took it to Honda (6 weeks ago) and they told me my battery was bad. I was skeptical so I did not change it. Since then, every now and then (not often) my car will take a bit longer to start. Once it took me 3-4 clicks and then it started. it hasn't happen since so I want to make sure that it's not the alternator. The battery says yr 06. How long are batteries suppose to last?

ignoramus9

I have a battery that (knock on wood) has now lasted over 10 years and shows no sign of going bad, but that is exceptional in my experience. A battery can fail for several reasons, such as diluted fluid from too much outgassing and refilling, from filling with bad water (not distilled) and accumulation of crud in the bottom of cells etc. But usually a failure to fully charge the battery will cause it to put out low power. That can be caused by a faulty alternator or voltage regulator (usually now a days, built into the alternator). You need to have the charging system checked with the engine running to find out if the alternator is going bad. Otherwise you are looking at a new battery for what, 50 bucks or so? by the way, check the terminals and lugs for oxidation or corrosion.

carsforwomen

I definitely did not leave the lights on. Lights are bright, AC is fine, etc. Out of the 2 (alternator or being discharged) I'm leaning towards battery being discharged. How can I test for that? Can I fully charge it back to normal and if so, would the CCA number go back up? If it was the alternator, wouldn't honda tell me it was that and not battery since that is more expensive and harder to fix then putting in brand new battery. If it is the alternator, can that affect CCA?

the same mountainbike

Most parts stores will test both the battery and the charging system for free. Both need to be tested.

tardis

The CCA rating and the level of charge have some relation, but they are not one and the same. You can have a fully charged battery but have it's CCA test to be a very low value if the internal resistance of the battery is high. A half discharged battery can have a very good CCA reading. If the CCA test was done correctly, the charge level was checked first and the battery charged if it needed it.

carsforwomen

Just left honda (used the internet there looking up car stuff and this site!) and across the street is autozone. The guy checked it. His meter (or whatever they use) does not give CCA reading. The voltage is good but test says bad battery. I asked him if it was alternator and he said does not seem so. I guess it must be the low CCA reading.