- Vehicles require a higher rated Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Reserve Capacity (RC) performance battery in northern climates and lower ratings in southern climates.
- Sluggish oil in cold climates makes cranking an engine more difficult. In hot temperatures, the battery's components corrode rapidly, aging the battery more quickly.
- Vehicle underhood temperatures have risen over the last decade. High heat causes reduced battery life, especially in southern climates.
- Batteries in southern climates can suffer reduced life when too high of a CCA value is chosen.
- Batteries with high CCA values require more internal plates per cell, which results in less internal cooling ability.
Cold to Moderate Climates
When choosing the proper battery for a vehicle, consider both the CCA and RC rating. For example, if a battery has a rating of 100 minutes based on an 80 degree F (26.7 degree C), it will only have an estimated 40 minutes of reserve minutes at ) degrees F (-17.8 degrees C).
Now consider that with all of the electronic accessories, plus the normal vehicle's electrical loads, a vehicle may be discharging the battery at every stop light and stop-and-go traffic situation.
Look for the battery with a high CCA value and RC rating for best performance.
Warm to Moderate Climates
If a person lives in a southern climate where the temperature doesn't fall below 20 degrees F (-6.7 degrees C), then CCA at 0 degrees F (-17.8 degrees C) is not the biggest priority. At 20 degrees F (-6.7 degrees C), a fully charged 600 CCA-rated battery can produce an estimated 700 Amps of power for 30 seconds.
Helpful Hints
And finally, here are a few final helpful hints to ensure you make the best battery choice for your vehicle's needs:
- Meets or exceeds CCA and RC ratings for your specific vehicle
- Availability of correct product to fit your vehicle
- Nationwide distribution of product
- Warranty (Free and Pro-rated)
If all this seems a little overwhelming, just contact an Interstate Batteries dealer, and they will have the best battery for your local climate so your vehicle can receive the optimal performance and service life.
Click here for more information about Interstate Batteries in Arizona
The best Arizona and most reliable car batteries for Ahwatukee, Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Camp Verde, Carefree, Casa Grande, Cave Creek, Chandler, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, El Mirage, Eloy, Florence, Fountain Hills, Gila Bend, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Guadalupe, Litchfield Park, Marana, Maricopa, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, and Tempe. Counties include Maricopa County, Pima County and Gila County.
