If you are in need of a car battery, but money is tight, or you do not plan on keeping the car for long, you may be considering a used battery. You can often buy used batteries at junkyards and salvage yards. However, as you search the cars in the junkyards for batteries, there are a few things you need to look for and pay attention to. Knowing what to look for can help you find a used battery that still has some life left in it. Here are a few things to consider when buying a used car battery.

Check the Age of the Battery

When you are looking to buy a battery, always check the date stamp on the battery. The date stamp indicates when the battery was made. Unfortunately,, most people do not know how to read the date stamp on a battery. The month is in an A through L letter format. A is January, B is February, C is March and so on. That letter is then followed by one or two digits. For the year 2016, the stamp may be 16 or may simply be a 6. As such, a battery made in April of 2017 may either be displayed as D7 or D17. Knowing how to read the date stamp will tell you how old the battery is.

Be on the Lookout for Corrosion

When you are looking to buy a used battery, always carefully examine the battery. A newish battery may have some dirt, dust or debris on it from road salt. However, it should not have any orange or green corrosion on it. Corrosion can be found anywhere on a battery, but is most commonly found around the terminals. If you see corrosion on the battery, skip it, as it may not have a long life left.

The Warranty

Lastly, when buying a used battery, ask the seller what warranty the battery has. Most places that sell used car parts offer a warranty on their used parts. If they do not offer any kind of warranty, you should be wary of buying from them.

If you are looking to buy a used car battery, or any other number of used car parts, visit Ace Auto Parts in St. Paul, MN. We sell a multitude of used auto parts, including used tires and used batteries. The inventory at our salvage yard is always changing as new used cars come onto the lot. Take a peek at what used auto parts we have available today and be sure to check back to find the parts you need.