Marine & RV Batteries

Best Car Battery Buying Guide

At some point, you'll need to shop for a new car battery. It might be intimidating to purchase auto parts like a car battery on your own. This helpful automotive battery buying guide should help. Learn more about car batteries, how they work and how to buy the right one for your vehicle.

Still feeling overwhelmed about car batteries? The helpful and knowledgeable team at Sam's Club can help you pick out the right car battery for your car. We offer a large selection of automotive batteries for your car, truck or SUV.

Common Questions About Car Batteries

If you've never bought a new battery before, you probably have a lot of questions. Don't worry, you're not alone. Most drivers know their car needs a battery, but it can be confusing to know how they work.

How much does a battery for a car cost?

You can purchase batteries for most types of powered vehicles. Your lawn mower, boat and power sports vehicles all take small engine batteries similar to your car. These smaller batteries usually start at prices around $30 and go up as the size of the battery increases.

Car batteries are more expensive than small motor or marine batteries. You can expect a car battery to cost between $80 to $180 with exclusive members-only pricing from Sam's Club. The biggest factor in the cost of car batteries is what size group your vehicle needs. The brand of car battery and quality of materials can also affect the cost of a car battery.

How do automotive batteries work?

Car batteries work by providing the initial jolt of electricity your car needs to run its electrical components. Without the electric current of your car battery, your car can't start.

The actual process involves a chemical reaction that allows your car battery to convert chemical energy into electrical energy to power your car's starter. Once the car is started, the battery works to keep the voltage stable, giving your engine consistent electrical power.

How long does a car battery last?

Your car battery can last as long as it can hold a charge and continue to be recharged. For most cars, the battery will last about 5 years. Most car batteries last between 2 to 6 years in regular conditions. However, certain factors can affect how long your car battery lasts, such as:

• Humidity
• Extreme temperatures
• Human error, such as leaving a reading lamp running overnight
• Electrical issues, such as faulty wiring
• Bad alternator, or the part that charges your car battery
• Starting the car too often
• Loose connection cables, this causes your battery to not receive as much power as it should

How do I maintain my car battery?

Proper maintenance can help lengthen the life of your car battery. You should follow these important maintenance tips to extend your car battery as long as possible:

• Take fewer short trips
• Make sure your battery is tightly fastened and cables and charging system connections are in good condition
• Make sure to turn off all lights when you turn off the car
• Minimize the exposure to extreme temperatures, especially heat and humidity
• Check your battery voltage regularly and use battery chargers if you don't often drive the car

How do I figure out what battery is right for my car and find car batteries near me?

Follow these steps to determine which battery is right for your car:

1. Find the group size: You can find the battery group size in your car's owner's manual.
2. Choose the brand: Your owner's manual may recommend a specific car battery brand.
3. Check the manufacturing date: Newer batteries usually perform better than older batteries that have sat on a shelf.
4. Look at the reserve capacity: Your owner's manual will probably recommend the reserve capacity (RC) rating, or how long the battery can run if the alternator fails.
5. Look for the cold-crank amp rating: Cold-cranking amps (CCA) determine how much power your car battery needs to use to start the car during freezing or extremely cold temperatures. Your owner's manual should suggest a certain CCA rating for your vehicle.

You can find Sam's Club car batteries near you at your local store. Buy online and ship to your nearest store for store pick up.

Still not sure what's right for your car? Ask our helpful Tire & Battery Center team for help picking the right car battery.

FAQ: Buying Auto Batteries from Sam's Club

Once you find the battery that's right for your car at Sam's Club, you might have additional questions. We strive to give you a great customer experience, so we put together some of the common questions customers ask about our automotive batteries.

Will Sam's Club install my car battery?

When you purchase a car battery from Sam's Club, you're getting great members-only pricing. However, if you purchase your car battery and have no clue how to install it, you might be wondering what to do.

We recommend having new car batteries installed by a professional. We offer free car battery replacement at our Tire & Battery Centers for most vehicles. Our experienced car battery team can help you find the right battery and install the replacement battery quickly.

What is a core charge and how much does it cost?

A core charge is an additional fee you pay when you purchase an item that can be recycled. Batteries often contain hazardous materials, like a lead acid battery, but a dead battery can be recycled. You'll pay a small fee, usually between $10 to $15 when you purchase your replacement car battery.

We'll happily refund your core charge on batteries purchased at Sam's Club. If you have an old battery that wasn't purchased in our stores, we offer battery recycling to make sure it's disposed of properly.

Do batteries from Sam's Club come with a warranty?

Automotive batteries from Sam's Club come with a warranty to ensure the battery is in good working order. Warranties last for the amount of time specified on the battery.