The newest decoding of the production date of all car batteries

However, not all car owners know how to correctly determine the production date of a battery, and dishonest sellers often take advantage of this.

Brands: Varta, Bosch, Berga, Energizer, Delphi
Where to look: Laser engraving on the top cover
Example code: С7С123456789
What it means: The needed data is hidden in the 4th, 5th, and 6th characters (in the example — 123). Here, 1 is the last digit of the year of manufacture (e.g., 5 means 2015, 6 means 2016), and 23 is the encoded month of production:

Let's break it down in practice: take a Bosch with marking С7С 557201123. It hides the date 557: the five indicates 2015, and code 57 corresponds to the ninth month. So, the battery was manufactured in September 2015.

Brands: Westa, Forse, Uno, Istok, Flagman
Where to look: On the top cover
Example code: 0123 456789
What it means: The first four digits are information about the conveyor and capacity, which we don't need. The date is encoded in the first three characters of the second group (in the example — 456). The first digit (4) is the last digit of the year (5 = 2015), the second (5) is the half-year, and the third (6) is the month number within that half-year.

Let's clarify with a specific case: marking 2060 525121. Decoding: 2015, second half-year, fifth month of that half-year, i.e., November. So, the battery was made in November 2015.

How long can a battery be stored in a warehouse and what is needed for that

First of all, pay attention to the humidity in the room. If the battery is stored in a garage, that's bad: dampness causes accelerated self-discharge. Temperature is also important — it should not drop below zero. In frost, the battery's voltage and electrolyte density drop, and at too low density, it may simply freeze.

What storage period is considered normal

For serviceable and low-maintenance models, storage of up to six months is acceptable. It doesn't matter whether the battery has been sitting for two days or five months — there's no difference, it can be installed in the car without pre-charging. However, if a year or more has passed since manufacture, it's worth checking the voltage at the terminals: it should be no lower than 12.3 volts. If the reading is lower, it's better to refuse to buy such a battery.

Maintenance-free batteries can be stored for up to a year and a half. As in the previous case, there is no difference between a fresh battery and one manufactured a year and a half ago — this will not affect the service life. But if the battery is more than two years old, consider that it has already "worked" for one year: with a designed lifespan of five years, it will last about four more.