The automotive industry offers the world hundreds of brands of cars that differ in technical characteristics, and therefore require different sources of energy to start the engine. To determine which type of battery is suitable for your car, you need to study the recommendations of the car manufacturer and the battery labeling.
Batteries are labeled on the basis of accepted international standards, according to which national labels are developed. In Russia, rechargeable batteries are marked on the basis of GOST 959-91, which includes the following designations:
- digital code, - letter code, - battery characteristics.
Russian marking
The first digit on the storage battery (accumulator) shows the physical quantity, characterized by the presence of series-connected cells. For car batteries, this number should be 6, since on the basis of it the output voltage is formed, which should be equal to 12 Volts.
The letters decipher the type of battery. To start the car engine, this marking must have the letters "ST", which means the starting type of the battery.
The next number shows the battery capacity in ampere hours. For a city car, a capacity of 55 Ah is recommended.
When choosing the battery power, remember that the more powerful the engine and the more additional options the car has, the more capacity the battery will need, it is not recommended to install "large" batteries, the wiring will burn out.
The last battery value is an additional battery letter marking. As a rule, there are several of them:
"З" - the battery is fully charged and filled with electrolyte, "E" - the battery case is made of ebonite, "T" - the battery is made of thermoplastic material.
European battery markings
In Europe, batteries are produced in accordance with the international ETN standard or according to the German DIN standard, since it is Germany that is the largest European car manufacturer.
American batteries are also produced on the basis of international requirements, but taking into account the American SAE standard, which coincides with the European standards for battery marking.
The first three digits of the European marking indicate the battery capacity, their values range from 501 to 799. In order to find out the nominal battery capacity, subtract the number 500 from this number. The result is the battery capacity in Ampere-hours. Accordingly, the capacities of European batteries range from 1 to 299 Ampere - hours. The battery also shows the cold cranking current in the last digits.
According to the standard, European batteries must additionally have the following designations:
- brand name of the manufacturer;
- starting current when scrolling at -18 degrees;
- battery voltage in Volts;
- date of manufacture;
- battery weight;
- polarity signs;
- characteristic of the level of the filled electrolyte (max or min).
This marking is applied to the battery in the form of a sticker or paint on a stencil, a mandatory requirement is the moisture resistance of the material and its resistance to aggressive environments.
