FAQs

You will most likely need a 10/11 mm socket and a socket wrench. Remove the negative clamp before the positive clamp from the old battery and lift it out of the battery compartment. (Always keep batteries upright when moving them.) Remove any battery hold-downs, if applicable. Put a new battery in its place, then connect the positive terminal before connecting the negative clamp to the negative battery terminal.

NOTE: Make sure always to wear protective eyewear, gloves and an apron or other protective clothing when replacing a battery.

Before the battery fails and before the battery warning light turns on, you may notice a few warning signs:

• Headlights that dim or flicker when you’re idling
• Odd electrical glitches, such as losing memory or slow startup
• A noticeably slow engine start

Otherwise, batteries don’t give much warning before they fail. We recommend getting a battery test every six months. If your battery is low on charge, make sure to recharge it as soon as possible.

A car battery will last 3 to 5 years, potentially longer if protected from temperature extremes and kept fully charged.

Low temperatures suppress a car battery’s strength, making it work much harder than usual. High temperatures can leave permanent wear-and-tear on a car battery. When enough wear and tear has built up, a car battery may be too weak to survive winter.

Use our battery finder. You can use the VIN, license plate or vehicle information to search for batteries that fit.

A standard starting battery provides the power to start a vehicle and support standard electrical accessories. An AGM battery delivers starting power and long-running power to support all the vehicle’s electronics, as in a vehicle with stop-start technology. Explore all the ways AGM batteries power today’s driving experience.

If the original equipment manufacturer requires it, then your vehicle needs it. You can upgrade to an AGM if your vehicle has frequently drained regular car batteries.

Use extreme caution when handling electrolyte, a sulfuric acid/water solution that can damage clothing and skin. Keep an acid-neutralizing solution available, such as baking soda.


Lead-acid batteries contain hydrogen-oxygen gases that can be explosive and sulfuric acid that can cause severe burns. To help avoid the risk of danger and injury, observe these precautions when handling or working with a lead-acid battery:

• Wear the proper eye, face and hand protection.
• Make sure the work area is well-ventilated.
• Never lean over battery while jump-starting, testing or charging.
• Cigarettes, flames or sparks could cause a battery to explode. Keep all ignition sources away from the battery.
• Remove all hand and wrist jewelry. Jewelry could make electrical contact and cause severe burns by touching the terminals.
• Always shield eyes and face from battery.
• If the electrolyte is splashed into an eye, immediately force it open and flood it with clean, cold water for at least 15 minutes. Get prompt medical attention.
• If the electrolyte is taken internally, drink large quantities of water or milk. DO NOT induce vomiting. Call a physician.
• Neutralize any spilled electrolyte with a neutralizer like baking soda. After neutralizing, sweep the area and dispose of materials according to federal and state guidelines.
• Mixing acid can be hazardous. Do not attempt without proper training.
• Do not charge or use booster cables or adjust post connections without proper instructions and training.
• Keep vent caps tight and level.
• Keep car batteries out of reach of any children.

In the event of an accident, flush the affected area with water and call a physician immediately.

Return your battery to Tractor Supply. You’ll receive a core credit in exchange.

A battery core charge is a deposit paid when you purchase a battery. That fee can be retrieved by recycling your old battery, as mentioned above.

The age of a car battery can be determined using the battery date code.

The code is a two-digit code stamped into the cover as part of a longer code or on a battery's top or side label. The battery date code indicates when the battery was shipped from the manufacturing plant and is read as follows:

• Letter - indicates in which month the battery was manufactured (Example: A is January, B is February, C is March, etc.)
• Digit - indicates the year in which the battery was manufactured (Example: 9 for 2019, 0 for 2020, 1 for 2021, etc.)
• For example, an automotive battery date code that starts with "B1" would be February 2021. In February 2027, this battery would be 72 months old.

Simply connect a battery charger to your car battery. Depending on the charger, it can take 6-10 hours to fully charge a drained battery. Smart chargers come equipped with automatic features that keep your battery from overheating or overcharging. You can also use a trickle charger, which can take 12-24 hours to fully charge a drained battery.

Make sure you charge batteries in a ventilated area. As batteries charge, they warm up and release hydrogen gas, which can be dangerous in high concentrations. Leaving the hood of your car and the garage door open while charging your battery will dissipate any dangerous gases.

Continue driving and make your way to a repair shop or outlet where you can get a battery test. If your vehicle doesn’t feel significantly different in the next 10 minutes, then it’s likely a weak battery.

If your battery light came on, your vehicle probably detected low voltage from the battery, which is a sign that the battery is drained and probably not recharging enough from the alternator. While you’re driving, a weak battery will not affect the engine significantly. That said, the alternator tries to recharge the battery while you’re driving at highway speeds. A battery light at highway speeds means the alternator is trying and struggling to charge the battery. That could be a sign of a problem with the battery or the alternator.

You can tell if it’s the alternator if your onboard electronics start losing power while driving. In some cases, an issue with the alternator can shut a car down entirely.

Car batteries work best at warm temperatures, especially at 80 F. Extremely high heat can cause lasting damage to a car battery, eventually leading to battery failure. Every car battery has some water content, and high heat causes it to evaporate. The water vapor doesn’t leave the battery, except if there’s too much pressure; however, it does affect the internal acidity of the battery, causing the battery to age faster than it normally would. This results in decreased electricity storage capacity, a weaker ability to start an engine and ultimately a shorter service life for that car battery.

CCA is a battery rating that shows how many amps a battery can provide at 0 F (−18 C) for 30 seconds until the battery voltage drops. It’s a measure of how strong a battery is, and most engine starters come with a CCA requirement, stating how much power they require to crank the engine.

For example, a 12-volt battery with a 650 CCA rating means the battery will provide 650 amps for 30 seconds at 0 F before the voltage falls to 7.20 volts for a 12V battery. In freezing temperatures, a higher CCA level is required to crank your engine. Also, as more cranking power is used, the amount of battery power available decreases.