Car Battery CCA Too High – Introduction and Meaning

We all know the battery plays a crucial role in how the vehicle performs. It converts chemical energy to electrical energy, which is then used in starting the car and running other electrical systems.

Batteries are rated based on various specifications, which most car owners may not be aware of. These include CCA, MCA, PHCA, and HCA, among others.

CCA, or cold cranking amperes, is the most popular rating in the industry today. You may have come across something like this when researching the best battery for your car and wondered what it means.

This rating is the benchmark for checking whether your battery will start the engine in cold temperatures. As the name suggests, it determines how well the battery will perform under extreme cold.

Batteries are generally affected by temperature. You may have realized that your car has trouble starting when left outside in the snow overnight. That is because the battery's CCA is not strong enough to perform in these conditions.

It is believed that the higher the CCA rating, the better the battery. If your car battery uses a lower CCA, it would be better to check it in colder weather.

In this blog, we will discuss how to increase the CCA and what happens if the battery no longer has enough rating. Keep reading.

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How to Increase CCA in Car Battery

First, can you increase the Cold Cranking Amps of a car battery? Yes, and you should if you want to get the best from the battery in colder weather.

As stated above, temperature conditions have the biggest effect on the performance of your battery. If it's too hot, the battery will drain too fast and may not start the engine well. And if it's too cold and the battery has a lower CCA rating, it might fail to start the engine.

So yes, increasing the CCA is important when the weather is cold. This ensures that you get higher performance from the battery and that it will not fail you along the way.

How do you increase the CCA? The best way is by thinning out the internal plates and using stronger electrolytes. You can use a cheap but strong electrolyte, and it will still give you the performance you want.

At What Percentage of CCA Should Vehicle Batteries Be Replaced?

It's crucial to always check your battery and ensure it's in the best functioning conditions. The CCA rating is one of the most important factors to consider when doing so.

You can check the battery's CCA using a quality load test meter. If it shows green, it means your battery is still in the best condition. But if it shows red, you must start thinking about replacing it as soon as possible.

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Replacing the battery based on the CCA percentage depends on the car and the battery. Some people have used cars with a higher capacity than required, and the car runs well but with greater degradation than others.

If you don't want to run into trouble, we recommend replacing the battery once it reaches a 20 to 25% CCA. Most battery testers err in this case because they don't know the car and other factors that make a car work properly. And so, to be on the safe side, consider your own measurement.

It's good to know the right CCA rating and replace the battery at the right time. If possible, this rating should be equal to or exceed the original rating to keep it from poor performance and for your safety.

A good CCA ranges between 350 and 600A. This figure can be higher for trucks and other higher-performing vehicles.

Best Battery Performing CCA Rating

When the temperature is at 80F, 12.5 volts or higher reading on your battery indicates a full charge. When it's at 12.3 volts, it means a 75% charge, and when it's lower than 11.8 volts or lower, your battery has lower than 25% and should be charged.

A battery is too weak when it does not start the engine and needs to be boosted at all times. That means the capacity has dropped significantly, and you need a new battery.

On average, a car battery lasts for 5 to 7 years. You don't even need to measure the CCA if the battery has been working for that long. You can't increase the CCA; the best solution is a replacement.

Can You Use a Lower CCA Battery?

Before answering this question, we need to look at the symptoms of a low CCA. As stated earlier, CCA is the industry rating for measuring the battery's ability to start the engine under freezing temperatures. Also, it's the number of amps a 12V battery releases in a cold environment at 0F or -18C for 30 seconds.

There are several benefits to measuring and understanding CCA ratings. The most important one is that it tells whether the battery will give your car enough juice to start when the temperature drops too low.

The main symptom of a lower CCA is that your car fails to start, especially in lower temperatures. Imagine getting stuck on the highway when you stop to take a break in the cold weather because the battery refuses to work. It can be quite frustrating, right?

Using lower CCA?

A battery with a lower CCA will work, but it will not perform as well as the one with a higher rating. Remember, the CCA rating of the battery indicates its ability to work properly under cold conditions.

A battery with a lower CCA may start the car under mild conditions. But it might not have the ability to perform the same task or handle heavier loads under extreme conditions.

Is it good to use a higher CCA?

Yes. It's a good practice to focus on using batteries with higher CCA ratings in a car. A lower CCA will run the car well in warmer conditions, but what if it turns cold? The last thing you want is to struggle to start the car when you are in a hurry.

Here is the bottom line. A battery with a low cold cranking will give you performance problems. Aside from that, it can potentially cause damage to the car. Although the damaging part rarely happens, it's still good to stay on the safe side.