Car batteries are one of the most vital parts of a vehicle. A battery acts as the “heart” of the vehicle and powers it. Even if you are driving a gas guzzling SUV, your vehicle will not start without a battery. It is one thing to have a good car; it is another to have a strong and reliable car battery.

Have you ever been in a situation where your car couldn’t start due to battery failure? If you have, then you will be familiar with the inconvenience, embarrassment and disappointment that come with it. If you haven’t, then try everything to avoid it. It is not a pretty scene.

Most of the time, there will be a need to change your car battery after a while. The question of after how long a car battery should be replaced solely depends on some factors which include the kind of battery the vehicle uses, the conditions it has been exposed to and other similar factors. After a while, you will start noticing some changes in the functionality of your battery and general operation of the vehicle. You know your battery should be considered for replacement when you notice one or more of the following:

• Sluggish Engine Crank: When you attempt to start your vehicle and you notice the cranking is slow and takes longer than usual to starts.
• Battery Leakage: When you constantly notice corrosion around the area the positive and negative cable connections are located, there is a battery leak.
• Bloating Battery Case: When your battery case starts swelling; this is usually caused as a result of excessive heat and it drastically shortens the life of the battery.
• Engine check light: whenever the check light is on, it is usually a sign that the battery power is weak and needs to be checked.
• Old age: Depending on the type of battery, your battery should last well for more than three years. After this year mark, it is always necessary for you to check the condition at least once in six months.

When you notice any of the conditions above, you don’t have to wait till your battery totally knocks down before you change it. The good news is, car batteries are readily available and are easily accessible.

Prices of Car Batteries in Nigeria

Car batteries vary in sizes, durability, capacity and prices. It should be noted that the prices of these batteries are not dependent on year of production; instead, the prices are determined by the power capacity. Let us take a look at the prices of the most common brands of car batteries in the market today.

Global Brand

• 75AH: N30,000 – N40,000
• 100AH: N45,000 – N70,000

Sukam Discharge

• 75AH: N 45,000 – N60,000
• 100AH: N70,000 – N90,000

Diamond

• 75AH: N22,000 – N35,000
• 100AH: N35,000 – N50,000

Master

• 75AH: N22,000 – N30,000
• 100AH: N35,000 – N40,000

Rocket

• 75AH: N25,000 – N32,000
• 100AH: N35,000 – N43,000

Everstart

• 75AH: N21,000 – N25,000
• 100AH: N24,000 – N35,000

Arnold

• 75AH: N18,000 – N35,000
• 100AH: N30,000 – N40,000

Target

• 75AH: N20,000 – N28,000
• 100AH: N32,000 – N40,000

Solite

• 75AH: N23,000 – N30,000
• 100AH: N35,000 – N45,000

Master

• 75AH: N22,000 – N30,000
• 100AH: N35,000 – N50,000

Evergold

• 75AH: N20,000 – N26,000
• 100AH: N300,000 – N40,000

Things to Consider Before Buying a Car Battery  

The market for car batteries has grown. New models and brands are designed and pushed to the market every day. Car batteries, like other car parts, vary in sizes, capacity, quality, design, and durability. Gone are the days when there were just few brands of car batteries. Today, there are lots of brands with diverse unique car batteries out there.

The most expensive car batteries may not always be the best for you in certain scenarios. Some car batteries are designed for some specific purposes. It is always important to consider some basic factors before deciding to buy a car battery. Car batteries are delicate parts of the car and should be carefully selected. Here are some of the factors to look out for when buying a battery for your car.

• Size: Car batteries come in various sizes. You should know the battery size that fits into your vehicle perfectly. Consider the height and width of the entire battery and make sure it matches the car battery space in your vehicle. Buying a smaller or a bigger battery will definitely not serve you well. You might need to go through a car battery chart to know the actual size that will fit your vehicle.
• Brand: There are lots of car battery brands in the market today; some even have similar names. You should be careful to go for a brand that is trusted and reliable. The best battery to pick is the one recommended by the owner manual, although the brand might not be readily available. In that case, seek for expert’s opinion and get as much information as you can about the brand.
• Standing Power: Batteries vary in diverse capacity. This measures the amount of time that it is in position to continuously supply the minimum voltage required to keep the car going before the alternator or the fan belt fails. You should always consider the reserve capacity. The higher the standing power, the better the battery. Some batteries have reserve capacities of up to 90 minutes which is good enough.
• Age of the Battery: Car owners should be familiar with this one. Most battery numbers start with two characters. The first is a letter and the other a digit. The letter usually indicates the month the car was manufactured. A stands for January, B for February, C for March, etc. The second character (the digit) stands for the year it was manufactured; 1 stands for 2001, 0 represents 2000, 2 for 2002, etc.
• Warranty: No matter how short it is, warranty matters when it comes to car batteries. Some brands offer about 12-month warranty with free replacement when the battery develops issues within the warranty period. Better safe than sorry.
• Your Budget: Just like any other product, car batteries vary in prices. If you can get a quality battery that suits your need at a cheaper rate, why not? Plan within your budget. There are expensive batteries and there are cheap ones.