Battery: Specifications

Battery Marking

Performance
The performance of a car battery is normally expressed as follows:
- Cold cranking amperes, CCA.
- Reserve capacity, RC.
- Capacity, C20 (in certain cases).

Recommended charge current

The cold cranking amperes according to the SAE and DIN norms and the corresponding capacity and recommended charge current are shown.

Cold cranking amperes according to the SAE norm and the corresponding capacity and recommended constant charge current

Cold cranking amperes (CCA) Capacity Recommended constant
according to SAE charge current
420 A 45 Ah 4 A
440 A 50 Ah 4 A
520 A 50-60 Ah 5 A
600 A 65-70 Ah 6 A
680 A 90 Ah 7 A

Cold cranking amperes according to the DIN norm and the corresponding capacity and recommended constant charge current

Cold cranking amperes Capacity Recommended constant
according to DIN charge current
250 A 45 Ah 4 A
310 A 63 Ah 5 A
420 A 72 Ah 7 A
590 A 60 Ah 9 A

Volvo battery labels







The illustrations show an example of how the battery labels may appear.

American labels







1. The nominal terminal voltage of the battery (12 V)*
2. Capacity (60 Ah)
3. old cranking amperes, CCA (550 A)
4. Reserve capacity, RC (100 min)
5. Volvo part number (9459947).

(*)12 V is the nominal terminal voltage. This means that the battery has a stand-by voltage of 12.72 V when fully charged. Note that a battery with a stand-by voltage of 12 V is only charged to approximately 35% of capacity.