How To Read A Car Battery Label

Are you having trouble making sense of the label on your car battery? Don’t worry; you’re not alone!

With so many battery options available, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for your car.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to understand how to read a car battery label, along with pictures, so you know exactly what to look for.

So let’s get started!

Here is what’s covered,

Table of Contents

What do the numbers on my car battery mean? – Quick Summary

Let’s take a quick look at all the specs displayed on a car battery- If you want an in-depth explanation, click on each spec.

• Cranking Amps (CA): Measures the battery’s cranking ability at 0 degrees Celsius

• Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): Measures the battery’s cranking ability at around -18 degrees Celsius

• Date codes: Two codes are displayed; manufacture date and date of purchase.

• Reserve Capacity (RC): The time a battery will continue to operate essential accessories if the alternator in your car fails.

• Deep Cycle: A 100-hour test of a battery’s ability to resist repeated recharge/ discharge cycles

• Amp Hours (AH): Measure the amount of energy the battery can deliver continuously for 20 hours.
• Group Size: Standardized classification for the battery size, height x width x length and polarity.

There are a bunch of more terms you’ll come across when looking at car batteries online. So, we’ve put together this quick guide that covers all of them.

Cranking Amps and Cold Cranking Amps: what’s the difference?

Cranking Amps (CA) is the amount of power a battery can provide for starting your vehicle. Cold-cranking amps (CCA) is the same, but at -18°C (0°F).

CCA measures how well a battery will work in cold weather, so if you live in an area with colder climates, you should look for a battery with higher CCA ratings.

Date codes: how old is my car battery?

There are two date codes to look out for in a car battery; the manufacture date and the purchase date for warranty purposes.

Let’s look at them in more detail.

Purchase Date

There should be a rectangular label on the top of the battery with specs.

Usually, at the bottom of this label, you’ll see two lines of circles indicating when the battery was purchased. The first row features the months of the year abbreviated in two letters, while the second row has numbers denoting the year of purchase.

When you buy a battery, the relevant date would be punched out or highlighted, so you will know how long the battery will be in service.

For example, if the label has the letters ‘AU’ and ‘8’ highlighted, it means that the battery was purchased in August 2008.

Manufacture Date – 2 Ways to Check This

There are two options to read the manufacture date on a car battery.

1. Round Sticker

Look for a round sticker that’s usually located on the top or side of your car battery.
It indicates the month and year the battery was manufactured in numeric form. For example, if the round sticker has 8/ 16 on it, it means the car battery was manufactured in August 2016.

2. Heat Stamped Manufacture Date – Quick Chart

Can’t find a sticker or couldn’t read it? Look for an alphanumeric code (containing numbers and letters) that’s heat stamped into the battery’s plastic case.

The first two characters of the code will indicate the original date of manufacture.

Here’s how to crack it,