Advice · updated 2026-10-03
What battery does my car need?
The battery the car needs is the one on the label: flooded, EFB or AGM, plus the Ah, the cold-start rating and the case size. Send us the registration, or a photo of that label, and we'll match it.
Start with the label you already have
The old battery usually carries the answer on the end or the top. Look for AGM, EFB or a flooded description, then Ah, cold cranking current, and the case size or group. Terminal layout matters too: posts at the wrong end will not reach the leads without strain.
If the label is missing, the vehicle data still decides. Do not pick a battery because it is the one a shop had on the shelf. An AGM must not be downgraded. An EFB may be upgraded to AGM. A plain flooded battery does not stand in for either.
Stop-start changes the shortlist
If the engine cuts out at the lights, the car is almost certainly on EFB or AGM. A basic flooded battery will often start the engine and then leave stop-start unavailable. That is not a successful match.
Battery registration is commonly required on Volkswagen Group and many BMW and Mini models and varies on other marques. The correct physical battery still needs to be written in, where the car stores battery type. Say the make on the quote form.
Size is not a suggestion
The hold-down has to clamp the case. A taller battery can stop the cover fitting. A shorter one can sit loose unless the clamp still catches it. Loose batteries crack. Cold cranking current should meet what the car was specified with, not a lower figure chosen because the Ah number looked close.
Bring those details to the quote. Type your mobile number. We call you back and the fitter comes to the car in London, Birmingham or Manchester with the agreed battery, or to fit a correct one you have bought.
Questions before you send a quote
Can you tell from the registration number?
The callback uses the vehicle and the label. Have both. The form is where you start.
What if two sizes are listed?
The one that matches the tray, the hold-down and the car data is the one to fit. We confirm it before the visit.
Do you fit it at the car?
Yes. We'll come to the car in London, Birmingham or Manchester.
A worked example
The label reads AGM, 70Ah, 760A EN, with the positive post on the right as you face the terminals. That is the spec to repeat, including AGM. A 70Ah flooded battery with a similar case is still the wrong battery. Photograph the label, send the quote, and take the callback.
Safety
Disconnect nothing if the case is cracked, leaking, swollen or frozen. Do not jump that battery. Tell us on the quote form.