Where to Check the Battery Date?
4 Answers
The production date of the battery is located on the side of the battery. The precautions for battery use are as follows: 1. Charge promptly. The battery begins to sulfate after discharge, and obvious sulfation will occur after 12 hours. Timely charging can remove minor sulfation. If the battery is not used for a long time, it should be fully charged before storage and recharged once every 15 days to a month. 2. Replenish water in time. Electric vehicle batteries are designed with a lean electrolyte system. During the charging process, gas evolution occurs in the battery, causing the distilled water in the electrolyte to gradually decrease. Therefore, check the battery for water shortage every six months or so. If water shortage is found, distilled water should be replenished in time.
I'm quite experienced in checking battery dates! Usually, there's a code consisting of letters and numbers printed on the front or side of the battery. Here's a trick: the first digit represents the last digit of the year, for example, 7 means 2017 or 2027, and the second letter represents the month, with A being January, B being February, and so on up to M for December. For instance, my battery is stamped with 9D15, indicating it was manufactured on April 15, 2019. It's worth noting that different brands have slightly different coding rules. Japanese cars often use a dot matrix marking method, with 6 small dots representing the month and 12 representing the year. When checking, it's best to use a phone flashlight at an angle, as these engravings can easily become blurred in humid environments. I recommend recording the battery date during each maintenance check, especially since batteries older than three years require extra attention to their charging capacity.
Here are a few common methods I've figured out for checking battery dates. Mainstream brands like VARTA and Bosch use laser engraving codes, for example, the code 'C8' represents March 2018, where 'C' corresponds to March (just remember A to L represents January to December). Fengfan batteries prefer to use labels showing the production year and month, formatted like 201905. Once at the auto mall, I discovered a handy trick: new batteries come with a protective film printed with the most accurate manufacturing date—never buy old stock without this film. After finding the date, jot it down in a notebook and determine the replacement cycle based on your driving habits. With my long commute, my battery lasted four years before replacement, but friends who frequently take short trips should get theirs checked after three years. Always confirm the date when purchasing, as battery performance starts to degrade after six months in storage.
I remember making a joke of myself when looking for the battery date for the first time! I secretly learned a few tricks at the repair shop: most batteries have raised printing on the top, in a format of number + letter + number combination. For example, 0B08 means it was produced on February 8, 2020 (0 stands for 2020, B stands for February). To check the position, squat down and look horizontally to avoid the terminals blocking your view. Japanese standard batteries often use a heat-stamped date code that feels raised to the touch. I noticed some brands use colored stickers, with red representing new products of the year and blue indicating stock items. It's recommended to check the battery's age before winter, especially for friends in the north, as sub-zero temperatures are particularly harsh on old batteries. Self-checking is also simple: if the dashboard lights flicker during a cold start, be alert.
