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Auto Repairs and Servicing

Hello, my name is Walter. Over the past few months, I have been working on my car. I never used to think much about my car. I would just jump into it and hit the road. Things were fine at first, but soon I realised that things were starting to go wrong. Strange white smoke started to appear from the exhaust. Sometimes when I changed gear, I could hear a strange noise. Foolishly, I ignored all of this until my car broke down. When I got to the auto repair shop the mechanic repaired my car and then gave it a full service. As he did so, I began my auto servicing education.

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Buying Guide for Your Replacement Car Battery

by Margie White

Your car comprises so many different components and systems, all of which may need to be replaced at some point. One of the car components that you may need to replace is your car battery. You can sit back and let a car battery specialist replace your old battery, or you can replace the battery by yourself. If you are taking the DIY route, you will need to know how to go about the battery purchase process. 

Follow these tips to ensure you select the right replacement battery for your car.

Vehicle manufacturer's specifications

When you purchase a car, it will come with an owner's manual provided by the car manufacturer. The manual usually contains manufacturer recommendations on how to best care for your car and how to do basic things like battery replacement. Therefore, consulting your car owner's manual when it is time to choose a battery for your car would be a great starting point. You will find vital battery specifications, such as voltage and type of electrolyte, included there.

Maintenance requirements

Even though some car batteries are said to be maintenance-free, no car battery is completely maintenance-free. Because every car battery requires some level of maintenance to keep it working properly, you should consider the maintenance requirements of your replacement battery before making a choice. 

You should be aware that standard (maintenance-required) batteries are cheaper to purchase but require that you keep tabs on the water level to check if adding water to the batter is required. Standard car batteries are usually "unsealed" so that you can pour in more water when necessary.

Maintenance-free car batteries do not require you to add water to them, as they use a gel instead. They are usually sealed permanently because topping off of water isn't necessary. Of course, they do cost more than standard batteries. 

Expected lifespan

All car batteries are designed to provide the power used to start a car and make electrical components functional, but not all car batteries are built to last for the same duration of time. Each battery has a specified service life that indicates when replacement will be required. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons why you might be replacing your existing battery in the first place is because it has reached the end of its useful life. 

As with most car parts purchases, you get what you pay for when you are buying a replacement battery for your car. If you want a product that can provide a longer lifespan, be ready to pay extra.

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