How Many Cold Cranking Amps Do You Really Need? (Hint: It's less than you think)
Have you noticed many engines are getting smaller, but many car batteries are getting bigger? We sure have! Car batteries aren’t getting physically larger because smaller, turbo four-cylinder engines are harder to start than big block V8 engines. Many automotive batteries are increasing in size because of the reserve capacity needs of the vehicle.
Cold Cranking Amps (also known as CCA) is a bit of an antiquated form of measurement for battery power, because the testing environment takes place at 0°F for 30 seconds, with the standard requiring the battery to maintain at least 7.2 volts. The reality is, most (not all) drivers will never encounter 0°F, even in their coldest winter months. Many in the South rarely see temperatures even dip below freezing. The other reality is that even modern diesel engines in very cold environments don’t take 30 seconds to start.
It does give consumers an apples-to-apples point of comparison between batteries, but is more CCA better? Not necessarily. Going back to reserve capacity, we would say that batteries in many modern vehicles are put to the test more by how they are being discharged as they sit, than how hard they have to work to start the engine. Modern vehicles have a myriad of accessories and features that consume far more energy when the engine isn’t running, than vehicles of even a generation ago.
WiFi, OnStar, integrated car alarms, presets, dash cameras and many other modern features continue to draw significant amounts of energy long after a car engine stops running. Combine that demand with an increase in people working from home, longer periods of non-use and shorter drives when vehicles are being used and you can begin to see how car batteries can become discharged over time.
Automakers have basically acknowledged both sides of this equation- increasing electrical consumption by the vehicle and less than ideal driving conditions for maintaining proper battery voltage, by installing increasingly larger car batteries into newer vehicles. Many modern vehicles only use one specific battery size and while there can be some variations at battery retailers in terms of different specifications, if you purchase a battery in the appropriate size for your vehicle, all of the options will have more than enough cranking amps (and cold cranking amps) to get your engine started.
However, the key differentiator among different battery options in the same group size may be Reserve Capacity, often measured in Amp Hours (AH). Another key indicator of a lead-acid battery’s ability to hold energy is the weight of the battery, as it often indicates how much active material is in the battery. Using an H6 battery as an example, some flooded H6 batteries weigh less than 37 pounds, while OPTIMA’s DH6 YELLOWTOP weighs in at 54 pounds! That’s a significant difference that shows up in battery capacity.
If your vehicle doesn’t see regular use or if you find yourself making a lot of short trips (or both), you may want to look more closely at the AH rating on the next battery you purchase. You may also want to consider purchasing and using a quality battery charger or maintainer. We recommend new vehicle owners top off the charge on their batteries on a monthly basis (fully-charged YELLOWTOPs will measure ~13.0-13.2V).
If when charging, you routinely find your battery voltage is below 12.4 volts, you may need to increase the frequency of your maintenance charging. However, if you find your battery voltage is generally where it needs to be, you can expand that cadence. Keeping that voltage properly maintained will help keep your electrical fuel tank full and give you the best performance and lifespan possible from your battery.
Cold Cranking Amps (also known as CCA) is a bit of an antiquated form of measurement for battery power, because the testing environment takes place at 0°F for 30 seconds, with the standard requiring the battery to maintain at least 7.2 volts. The reality is, most (not all) drivers will never encounter 0°F, even in their coldest winter months. Many in the South rarely see temperatures even dip below freezing. The other reality is that even modern diesel engines in very cold environments don’t take 30 seconds to start.
It does give consumers an apples-to-apples point of comparison between batteries, but is more CCA better? Not necessarily. Going back to reserve capacity, we would say that batteries in many modern vehicles are put to the test more by how they are being discharged as they sit, than how hard they have to work to start the engine. Modern vehicles have a myriad of accessories and features that consume far more energy when the engine isn’t running, than vehicles of even a generation ago.
WiFi, OnStar, integrated car alarms, presets, dash cameras and many other modern features continue to draw significant amounts of energy long after a car engine stops running. Combine that demand with an increase in people working from home, longer periods of non-use and shorter drives when vehicles are being used and you can begin to see how car batteries can become discharged over time.
Automakers have basically acknowledged both sides of this equation- increasing electrical consumption by the vehicle and less than ideal driving conditions for maintaining proper battery voltage, by installing increasingly larger car batteries into newer vehicles. Many modern vehicles only use one specific battery size and while there can be some variations at battery retailers in terms of different specifications, if you purchase a battery in the appropriate size for your vehicle, all of the options will have more than enough cranking amps (and cold cranking amps) to get your engine started.
However, the key differentiator among different battery options in the same group size may be Reserve Capacity, often measured in Amp Hours (AH). Another key indicator of a lead-acid battery’s ability to hold energy is the weight of the battery, as it often indicates how much active material is in the battery. Using an H6 battery as an example, some flooded H6 batteries weigh less than 37 pounds, while OPTIMA’s DH6 YELLOWTOP weighs in at 54 pounds! That’s a significant difference that shows up in battery capacity.
If your vehicle doesn’t see regular use or if you find yourself making a lot of short trips (or both), you may want to look more closely at the AH rating on the next battery you purchase. You may also want to consider purchasing and using a quality battery charger or maintainer. We recommend new vehicle owners top off the charge on their batteries on a monthly basis (fully-charged YELLOWTOPs will measure ~13.0-13.2V).
If when charging, you routinely find your battery voltage is below 12.4 volts, you may need to increase the frequency of your maintenance charging. However, if you find your battery voltage is generally where it needs to be, you can expand that cadence. Keeping that voltage properly maintained will help keep your electrical fuel tank full and give you the best performance and lifespan possible from your battery.
