Car battery date codes come in different shapes and forms. For example, it might be a date sticker showing circles for months and years, or it could come in round stickers showing letters to designate the months and numbers designated the years. Hot-stamped cryptic letters are another form of car battery date code that you might find on the side of your car's battery.
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Your car's battery is not designed to last forever, and there will be a point of time where it breaks out requiring replacement. Unfortunately, most battery breakdowns happen in undesirable situations where you will ask for some help from roadside assistance.
The one rule of thumb to keep in mind is that most car batteries will break down at around three to five years. Therefore, as we would close to the same timeframe, it's recommended that you keep an eye on your car’s battery.
One of the most useful pieces of information that you could check to help get a better idea about when your car's battery will expire is the car battery date code. If you don't know what's the car's battery date code or you haven't checked for it before, this might be the best time.
This article provides you with only what you need to know about the car battery date code. It also highlights different methods to help you understand the age of your car's battery. Once you have some information about your car's battery age, you can determine when to expect its failure and be prepared.
Does a car battery have a date on it?
Before we dive into the details about how to tell the age of a car battery, let's answer this very basic question that we receive from many of our customers: does a car battery have a date on it?
Of course! The battery will have multiple dates depending on the manufacturer. Some of these states might indicate the “in-service date,” while others might indicate the manufacture date. Thus, keep reading through the next sections to get a better idea about where to find these dates and what each one means.
Where can I find the car battery date code?
Since the battery date code is one of the easiest methods to check for your car's better age, it's important to know where exactly this code is located. The battery date codes come in different forms and sometimes in different locations :
- Car battery date stickers
Depending on your manufacturer, you might see some date stickers on top of the car battery. These stickers indicate when the battery went into service. In other words, it doesn't have to do anything with the manufacture date, but it means when you started using the battery.
That's why the battery date sticker will be marked immediately after you purchase it. And you will find that the date is saying something like “in-service date.”
Usually, the in-service date comes with a rectangle sticker with many circles indicating both months and days.
The car battery date sticker is very helpful in determining the expiration date for the battery warranty.
- Car battery round stickers: how do you read a battery code?
Another important date sticker on the car battery is the round sticker. These round stickers indicate the manufacture date, which is different from the in-service date mentioned earlier. The manufacture date indicates when this battery was manufactured, which could be very insightful and helpful for when to expect the breakdown of this battery.
The round stickers usually, with either numbers only or numbers and letters. For example, the battery round sticker might say “02-07”, which means that the battery was manufactured in February 2007. Other types of battery might say something like “B-7”, which means that the battery was manufactured in February of 2007. The letter B is used in alphabetical order for the other months. In other words, January is designated by the letter “A” and so on.
- Car battery hot-stamped cryptic letters
Finally, you might find some dates hot-stamped cryptic letters on the side of the battery. Unfortunately, this type of date does not have a standard form, which means you can't tell which unless you refer back to the manufacturer or the vehicle's owner’s manual.
In general, the hot-stamped cryptic letters start with two characters indicating the manufacture dates. These two characters are a letter designating the month and a number designating the year like some of the round sticker dates.
The rest of the hot-stamped cryptic letters code refers to some additional information like the manufacturer, the manufacturer dates, the future, etc.
Keep in mind that the hot-stamped cryptic letter dates might come in two different forms. It might start with the month and then the year or the other way around. Usually, the latter represents the month, and the number represents the year. So, if you see that the 1st two characters start with any letter from A to M, it indicates that the code starts with the month, not the year, and vice versa.
How to tell the age of a car battery?
While car battery date codes are the most accurate when determining the car's battery age, there are other common methods that you can also try to get an idea of and be prepared for any breakdown.
Let's take a closer look below:
- A brand-new vehicle age
One of the simplest methods to determine the car's battery age is through the age of your vehicle. In other words, if you purchased a brand-new car, your battery's age will be the same as the age of the vehicle itself. Thus, by referring to the purchase date, you can get an idea about how old is your car battery now.
- A new battery
Like the previous bullet point, if you decided on purchasing a brand-new battery, you can mark the date on where you purchased it and use it to determine its age. For example, you can revisit the receipt and see when you will purchase it and install it as a replacement. Once you get the dates, you can subtract from today's date to get your car's battery age.
You might not need an exact date-to-date subtraction because the car's battery usually goes by years, which means as long as you can get a rough estimate about how many years old is your car's battery, that's all you need.
Keep in mind that these other additional methods are useful only when you have a brand-new vehicle or a brand-new better battery. In other words, if you purchased a used vehicle, the only way to determine the age of your battery is through the mentioned methods like the car battery dates code sticker or the cryptic codes on the side.
What to do when the car battery date code is about to expire?
Obviously, if the car battery date code indicates that the battery is at the end of its lifetime, you must be prepared to get it replaced. Otherwise, you will be led to dealing with some starting issues that could happen in undesirable situations.
Usually, the battery we'll show you some symptoms indicating its failure before it even reaches the end of its lifetime. Therefore, we recommend that you keep an eye on some common symptoms of a failing car battery to prevent getting stuck in some areas with no help.
Remember that replacing the car's battery is not a cheap job, which means that you must evaluate the situation to determine whether it's worth replacing. If you notice that battery replacement costs are beyond your budget, it might be the right time to sell this car instead.
Who is interested in buying a vehicle with a bad battery and other major mechanical problems? Cash Cars Buyer is one of the fewest companies that guarantees to buy your car whether it has major battery problems or even some other engine or transmission issues.
What are the common symptoms of a failing car battery?
Understanding the age of the car battery is very useful to be prepared for emergencies of sudden breakdowns. However, the aid itself might not be the only thing to keep in mind in preparation for these emergencies.
There are plenty of other symptoms indicating that your car's battery fails before reaching the end of its lifetime. Let's take a closer look at some of these symptoms below:
- Dimmer headlights
One of the easiest and earliest symptoms indicating a failing battery is dimmer headlights. If you notice that the headlights are not as clear and sharp as before, it indicates that the battery is draining out, and you should take care of it immediately before things worsen.
Some people might think that the vehicle itself adjusts the headlights depending on visibility. While that might be skate for some modern cars, you should not ignore the symptom, and you must have your battery inspected by a professional mechanic immediately.
- Weird clicking noises
Have you ever tried turning the ignition key and noticed some weird clicking noises? Did you know that this is an obvious symptom of a feeling or draining car battery?
The battery is responsible for sending the initial electrical charge to your vehicle to get it started. So, if you found it hard to start while hearing some clicking noises, it's the car's battery, and you should have it repaired immediately.
- Pressing hard on the gas pedal
If you realize that you need to press very hard the gas pedal to get the vehicle started, it might be an issue with the car's battery. First, try jump-starting the vehicle and see if it resolves the problem. If that happens, it is a clear issue with the battery itself, and you must act by inspecting the battery immediately.
- Problems with backfiring
Unfortunately, if you ignored minor symptoms of a bad or failing battery, you might get into a situation where you're dealing with major backfiring due to some sparks related to a drained battery. These sparks can get accumulated in the cylinders, causing some backfiring. But, of course, you won't miss this symptom because it will raise some warning lights and errors on your vehicle’s dashboard requiring your immediate attention.
Conclusion
Your car's battery is one of the essential components in your vehicle, and if it's not running properly, it can give you a hard time starting your vehicle. Thus, it's important to keep an eye on your car's battery age to be prepared in cases of emergencies.
Car battery date code is one of the easiest methods to determine your car’s battery age. You can find this code either on stickers or as cryptic letters stand to the side of the battery.
If you notice that your car's battery requires replacement along with other mechanical problems in your vehicle requiring very expensive repairs, it might be the right time now to sell your car to Cash Cars Buyer instead.
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