Guide to Reading Japanese Car Battery Specifications

When you have to replace the battery in your car, it helps to understand how to read battery specifications such as part numbers. Depending on the region, the part number may sometimes be different. For example, Japanese vehicles have batteries that use the Japanese Industrial Standard or JIS for naming the part numbers which is different to European vehicles. 

(DIN) Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Industrial Standard)

Commonly used for European vehicles

Eg: 5 63 16

(JIS) Japanese Industrial Standard

Commonly used for Japanese vehicles.

Eg: 55 D 23 L

 

In Japan, battery specifications or part numbers are represented by numerical and alphabetical values. 

Let us look at the example from before 

Eg: 55 D 23 L

From left to right, the numbers represent battery performance, classified by capacity and the amount of power that can be released upon starting. The larger the number, the greater the capacity of the battery.

Eg: 55

The next alphabet represents the size classification. This symbol is classified by the width of the short side and the height of the box. (see the table below) 

Eg: D (Approx)

The next number represents the width of the long side, which is the length of the battery in centimeters.

Eg: 23

The last letter of the alphabet indicates the position of the terminal terminal. The position of the positive terminal is represented as L (left) and R (right) as right. 

Eg: L (Left)

 

When replacing a battery, increasing the performance value may increase the capacity and have a positive effect, but changing other values or symbols may make it difficult to install the battery in a car.

Symbol

Width × box height (mm) 

Applicable type

Conventional applicable type

A

Approx. 125 x 160

28A19、30A19

12N24

B

Approx. 127×200

28B19、46B24

NS40、NS60

C

Approx. 133×204

N40

N40

D

Approx. 170×200

48D26、75D31

N50、N70

E

Approx. 173×209

95E41、100E41

N100

F

Approx. 180×210

120F51、130F51

N120

G

Approx. 220×210

150G51、155G51

N150

H

Approx. 276×216

190H52、210H52

N200

 

How to Read External Dimensions
How to measure dimensions

The terminal position

+ terminal is on the right side when viewed from the short side (width) of the + terminal, and L is on the left side when viewed from the short side (width) of the left terminal.
How to read terminal positions

Battery Part No. List (Domestic Cars)

 

Performance Ranking

30・32・34

40・42・44

50・55・58

60・65

70・75

80・85

90・95

100・105

110・115

120・125

130~

Size

A19

30A19R

30A19L

34A19R

34A19L

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

B17

34B17R

34B17L

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

B19

-

40B19R

40B19L

42B19R

42B19L

44B19R

44B19L

55B19R

55B19L

60B19R

60B19L

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

B20

S34B20R

S34B20L

44B20R

44B20L

55B20R

55B20L

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

B24

-

-

50B24R

50B24L

55B24R

55B24L

58B24R

58B24L

60B24R

60B24L

65B24R

65B24L

70B24R

70B24L

75B24R

75B24L

80B24R

80B24L

-

-

-

-

-

C24

32C24R

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

D20

-

-

50D20R

50D20L

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

D23

-

-

55D23R

55D23L

60D23R

60D23L

75D23R

75D23L

80D23R

80D23L

90D23R

90D23L

95D23R

95D23L

100D23R

100D23L

105D23R

105D23L

-

-

-

D26

-

-

55D26R

55D26L

-

-

80D26R

80D26L

85D26R

85D26L

S80D26L

90D26R

90D26L

95D26R

95D26L

100D26R

100D26L

115D26R

115D26L

120D26R

120D26L

125D26R

125D26L

-

D31

-

-

-

-

-

-

95D31R

95D31L

S95D31L

105D31R

105D31L

115D31R

115D31L

125D31R

125D31L

135D31R

135D31L

145D31R

145D31L

D38

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

140D38L

E41

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

120E41R

120E41L

-

F51

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

130F51

135F51

150F51

G51

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

155G51

160G51

H52

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

210H52

 

Battery Types

These are the main types of car batteries:

  • Open-cap type battery

    • A battery that can be rehydrated by opening the lid. There is a risk of vehicle fire due to depletion of liquid.

  • Maintenance-free battery (sealed)

    • The electrolyte runs out slowly and does not need to be replenished, so there is no risk of electrolyte overflow. The electrode plates are made of calcium alloy and the cell caps are designed to prevent evaporation.

  • Dry battery  (fully sealed)

    • Batteries that do not leak even when tipped on their side. Although the price is high, many of them have excellent starting performance.

 

※ Be careful of self-discharge!

  • If a sealed battery is left uncharged for a long period of time, it may self-discharge and become unusable.
  • Problems caused by this symptom are often out of the manufacturer's warranty.