Differences Between New, Reconditioned (Refurbished) and Recycled Car Batteries - Vol.324
The car battery is what your car requires for that vital spark that begins the magic of transportation. This can be a costly piece of the mechanical process, and a brand new car battery can run anywhere from $100 to $300. Furthermore, they tend to need replacing rather frequently with heavy use and according to quality.
Nevertheless, there is a cost effective alternative that many motorists around the world are using to mitigate these high prices. Rather than replacing their old battery with a new one, old car batteries can be refurbished or reconditioned and put back to use.
This is because the car battery has so many parts that can be recycled. The battery acids (electrolytes), lead plating, terminals and resilient outer container can all be reused in another battery. Ergo, a problem in one of these parts doesn't mean the end of the battery's life; the old battery can be restored to operations.
Even batteries that are over 8 years old can be addressed by a professional in car battery refurbishing and be restored to a functional performance, for far less than the cost of a new car battery. A refurbished car battery can last another 5 or more years with proper care and maintenance.
Motorists are consistently looking to cut back on the maintenance costs of their vehicle. Many have found the option of taking their used battery to a battery shop in exchange for a refurbished or recycled battery to be a cost effective way of staying mobile.
As with most cost effective alternatives, there are some important considerations to keep in mind to make sure you don't get left in the middle of nowhere with no battery power.
The Major Differences between a Refurbished Battery and a New Battery
-Longevity
A new car battery can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years in optimal function, depending on the use and quality of the battery purchased. In addition to being long lasting, a new battery often comes with a guarantee from the manufacturer that will protect you from defects with immediate replacement.
Many people mistakenly assume that if a car battery can be recharged, it can last forever. This is not the case, a recycled or refurbished car battery can only be recharged a specific number of times before it becomes too old to be charged further. Once it hits this mark, it will no longer hold the power required of it.
-Bad Memories
Refurbished batteries are the victim of a strange phenomenon. Referred to as a "bad memory", this effect inhibits the old battery from being charged past a certain point, this problem can occur days or years after the battery has been refurbished.
A new battery will have no such problem. When purchasing a car battery from a retail outlet, the purchase usually comes with an arrangement to exchange the battery for a new product if an error should occur. This insurance is a comfort to moneywise motorists.
In Conclusion
Would it be worth the risk of malfunction to shave some valuable dollars from your regular automobile maintenance? Car batteries can be very expensive, the higher-tech varieties can be even more so. The good news about the high-tech battery options made for hybrid cars is that they can be refurbished with optimal results.
But whether you are driving a hybrid or a non-hybrid, a refurbished battery would be fine to mitigate a single cost. But if recycled batteries are employed as a permanent solution, the motorist may find themselves beset by scathing car problems quite early.
Expect refurbished batteries to lose power much faster than new batteries and provide a fraction of the service life and you will be making the most of your cost effective solution.