Electronic Power: Challenger Batteries

The battery of your Challenger is used to provide the vehicle with an electrical charge. The 12-volt system needs the battery to come to life. After this point, the battery is still used to charge the car but most of its juice is used to simply turn the engine over.

Starting: The battery is linked directly to the starter and is responsible for turning the engine over and powering the ignition system on its own until the car is running.

Running Power: When the car is running your Challengers lights, stereo, touchscreen, and pretty much all other electrical components are fed power by the battery. Though, the battery is not working alone to feed the current demand brought forth by these components.

Charging: As the engine is running the alternator is fed 12 volts from the battery and works to recharge the system. This is why when a Challenger is running you will find that a voltmeter will read 13.8-14.5 volts. The alternator is the primary source of power when the engine is running, but it does keep the battery from dying due to the constant draw of electrical power needed to run the engine and electronics in the vehicle.

The factory battery specs are perfect for a factory car. There are plenty of instances that will push you to reach for an aftermarket battery. If the battery dies and you need a new one anyway, you can reach for an aftermarket unit. There are still some telltale signs that you should reach for an upgraded battery otherwise.

Built Engine: With a powerful engine that has boost or high compression, the starter and battery will need to work harder to get the engine turning. If you’re in a situation where you’re after a high torque starter you will want a better battery to match.

Additional Accessories: Speakers, amplifiers, ignition components, and lighting accessories are all great ways to draw up more power from the battery. In this case a bigger alternator is usually the cure but a better battery should be tossed in along with it.

Poor Weather Conditions: Cold weather loves to eat up weak batteries. We’ve all left work on a cold night only to get to our car that’s battery is completely dead because of freezing temperatures. If you’re in an area where your Challenger is exposed to seriously cold weather, you will want to get a good battery under the hood.

Reliability: You never want to go to your Challenger when you need it and turn the key to find a dead battery. Aftermarket batteries can be purchased in the name of increased reliability.

There are a few different features that go into batteries that you need to keep an eye on to ensure you get the battery you need for your car. Otherwise, it’s really easy to walk away with a standard battery that’s just a direct replacement of the factory battery you’re trying to get rid of.

Deep cell vs Standard: Deep cell batteries have a lot in common with standard automotive batteries. The difference is that a deep cell battery is designed to provide a full discharge over a long period of time where a regular automotive battery is only meant to provide full discharge during cranking. These batteries are best used for auxiliary power rather than full time vehicle operation.

Fiberglass Mat vs Standard: Fiberglass mat batteries are a great upgrade to make. These units work exactly the same as a standard automotive battery but use a fiberglass mat to soak up sulfuric acid. This design makes them spill proof which is safer. They also will take much less time to lose their charge when they sit around. This also means they will charge much faster. These batteries can be used to crank a car over, run the electrical system, it’s safer, and will hold a charge longer and charge faster.

Car batteries are very heavy components and their placement in a car will affect performance. The Challengers are very heavy cars though and this leaves many questions as to whether or not it’s worth relocating the battery at all. It’s absolutely worth moving the battery to the truck to help balance things out. The front end of the car is weighed down by the engine, steering system, and all the underhood accessories. The battery may only weigh about 50 pounds, but by pulling the weight to the rear, you are balancing out the weight distribution which will help performance a little.