Preamble

Which batteries are called 17 plates? The range of car battery sizes that fall into the following specifications are known as 17 plates batteries:

Table 1. Range of Specification for 17 Plates Battery.

The most important specification for cold climates is CCA, which indicates how much starting current the starter motor needs to crank the car engine.

For warmer climates, the most important specification is AH, which indicates how much electrical energy the battery has available when the car is running. Higher AH means more electrical energy for your car’ s electronics, so if you live in a warm climate, you should opt for a high-capacity vehicle with lots of battery capacity.

A battery with an amp-hour (AH) capacity between 80Ah and 105Ah is called a 17 plate battery. For example, a 12 V, 88 Ah battery and 720 A (EN) rating would be considered a 17 plate battery.

There are two shapes of 17 plates car battery, the FLAT 17 plates battery (also known as Group LN5)

and the BLOCK TYPE 17 plates car battery (also known as Group D31)

What does plates mean in battery? What is plate in battery?

“Plates” refers to the number of internal lead plates within the cells of a battery. The larger the number of plates, the larger the battery power capacity. Also, as the number of plates increases, the size of the battery increases and its strength increases.

The term plate in reference to a lead-based car battery is usually found in India, Pakistan, Ghana and perhaps Nigeria. It is not usually found anywhere else, nor is it ever mentioned in any car manuals or on any batteries labels. If you see the word “plate” on a car battery, then someone printed the label at their local office supply store and then stuck it on the battery.

A recent survey of automobile batteries available on the local Ghanaian market (aka Abossey Okai in the Accra metropolitan area) included products such as:

• Med Energy Battery (Italy)
• Amaron Battery (India)
• Bosch Battery (Korea)
• Boliden Battery
• MF Car Battery,
• Platinum Car Battery,
• Atlas Batteries,
• Aokly Battery,
• Tech Batteries
• AGS Battery etc.

None of these brands shows the number of plates on its label.

How do you check a battery plate?

So how do you check a battery plate?

You cannot actually physically see the number of plates inside a battery when you’re buying one. So car repair shops, mechanics, and batteries stores have adopted certain unwritten rules and naming convention for their products.

Within this range, all models should perform similarly. On every label, there are three numbers which you can easily look up and see for yourself:

• Voltage
• Ampere Hour (AH) and
• Cold Cranking Amps (EN/CCA)

What is the difference between a 15 Plates battery and a 17 Plates battery?

The difference between a 15 plates battery and a 17 plates battery lies in the physical size and power of the batteries.

Voltage:

We rate both 15 plates and 17 plates of car batteries at 12V. They are exactly the same in terms of voltage. This means they are interchangeable without causing any damage or ill effects to your vehicle. However, this doesn’t mean you can just swap between the two battery groups. Below are other important factors to consider.

Cold Cranking Capacity

CCA stands for Cold Cranking Amps, and denotes the maximum amperage at which a car battery can crank an engine over when it’s cold or not been cranked over for a long time (eg first thing in the morning).

A 17 plates battery is designed to output more power to start your engine than a 15 plates. This means they can start or crank bigger engines faster. If your vehicle requires a 17 plates battery to start the engine it would be unwise to go for the smaller 15 plates battery. The cold cranking requirement of your engine maybe more than the 15 plates is capable of providing.

Initially, as the battery is new, you may not notice any difference in performance. However, the 15 plates battery fail prematurely under the increased load. Try to maintain the same battery capacity specified by the car manufacturer or go higher but don’t go lower than that.

Ampere Hour (Ah)

The capacity and durability of a battery is measured by its Amp Hour (AH) rating. It basically means how long a battery will run without having its charge restored. A bigger Amp Hour rating can handle more electronic and electrical systems in your vehicle. If you have installed aftermarket equipment like audio amplifiers, alarm systems, DVD players etc in your vehicle, you may consider getting a battery with a bigger Ah rating. A 17 plates battery would usually have a higher Amp Hour rating than a 15 plates battery.

Physical Size

Because of the increased number and size of internal lead plates, 17 plates batteries are physically also bigger in terms of dimensions than 15 plates batteries. If you decide to go for a bigger battery, you must ensure that there is enough space in the battery compartment to fit the bigger battery.

If you decide to go for a smaller battery, you should check that the battery bracket and hold downs will secure the battery firmly. Excessive movement and vibration can damage the internal connector and battery casing and shorten its lifespan.

What are the different car battery sizes?

In Ghana, we have adopted (invented) the naming convention of battery plates. Plates are only in odd number so you can have the following range of battery sizes:

• 9 plates
• 11 plates
• 13 plates
• 15 plates
• 17 plates
• 19 plates, etc

Which car battery is the best in Ghana?

We can only speak to the batteries we handle. We carefully test and source the strongest brands of battery from all over the world.

We also:

• Provide free battery installation
• Check your alternator
• Offer a wide range of batteries
• Battery Delivery
• Battery Maintenance
• Advance Payment through Mobile Money or Cash on Delivery Service
• Warranty on all batteries sold

Contact us for our current battery price.