How do I know what size battery to get? I was on the Sears site and it appears they have lots of batteries but different sizes. I need a new battery for my 2001 Ford Focus, and going with past experience, am looking at the Sears DieHard battery.
Each battery has a designation called a series. The series of the battery is the physical size of the battery and where the battery posts are located.
So you need to know what series of battery is in your vehicle.
Tester
Just show up. The clerk enters your car’s info on his computer and it tells him the size & other info (CCA) your car requires.
Okay, thanks. I wasn’t sure if it was like wipers where they would have a book for you to find the right size or if we speak to the technician to find the right battery.
SteveF is right. Just don’t let’em get away with- “We’re out of the actual number that fits your application [vehicle]; but we have another number that I swear will work fine.” I’m a state inspection mechanic here in Pennsy and I see batteries all the time that are fine as far as being able to start the car but they’re the wrong group # and battery hold down doesn’t fit properly- illegal in most states and UNSAFE in all.
Thanks for your advice everyone. It turns out that my dad has an in store credit at Pep Boys, so I think we are going to go with an Energizer battery. Anyone know how well the are rated?
MCPayne- Energizer sounds good. Just keep your receipt and keep some kind of record of any work done on your car. 3 years from now you may forget that your battery’s still under warr. Pep Boys is pretty good about refunding you properly. I bought a battery for my brother’s car at a Pep Boys near Philly. Battery went defective on him in North Jersey, so he had to buy one right away from a non-Pep Boys place. I took
receipt back to the Pep Boys near Philly- I mean I didn’t even have in my possesion the bad battery in question-and showed them my brother’s repair bill. W/O blinking an eye they cash refunded me, of course on a pro rated basis. You could probably get same battery for your car cheaper @ Walmart, but would the warr. scenario be as good? Good luck.
Thanks again. I actually do keep a spreadsheet of all the work I have done on my car as well as keep all the work orders and invoices.
Within the group designation you can get several sizes, since US cars are sold from Alaska to Hawaii. I normally get the largest (most Cold Cranking Amps) that fits in my car. These last about 6 to 7 years, and will start the car on the coldest day during a ski holiday. The difference in price between the largest and tge smallest is miniscule.
Thanks for your advice everybody. We ended up with an Energizer battery from Pep Boys, and it was about $95, but my dad had a $23 in store credit for a return. The parts guy stated that that battery was the only one they carried for my car, and it has a seven year warranty, and could tell that it was the same group and has the same amount of CCAs as the original battery.