Battery Part Numbers and Date Codes
Battery Part Numbers and Date Codes
In Australia, batteries and cars are imported from all around the world so we have a large mix of Japanese, European
and American part numbers and some only used in Australia.
55D23L - 55 D 23 L
First numbers represent the amp hours: 55 = 55AH, 165 = 165AH etc.
Next the letter represents the terminal size: D = standard terminal, B = small terminal, E is for long batteries like an
N100, F & G is for terminals down one end like N120, N150 and N200.
Next numbers represent the battery length: 23 = 23cm long, 51 = 51cm long etc. This is the most important number
as it tells the physical size of the battery.
Last letter represents the battery polarity: R is for negative terminal on the right, L is for negative terminal on the
left, although it is an industry standard to ask which side of the battery is the positive terminal when both terminals
are closest to you.
Sometime the number may have an S at the end; this is for terminal size and is always a standard terminal, eg
S55B24LS. It seems the S at the end overrides the B in the middle; remember usually the B in the middle is for a
small terminal battery.
Other common numbers we use like these are: 40B20L, 95D31R, 165G51L.
American part numbers use battery group sizing, many are used here in Australia. Common numbers used are:
56220 DIN55
56030 DIN55 High case
57412 DIN66 High case
58515 DIN88
60038 DIN88 High case
Date Codes
All batteries should have a date the battery was manufactured; the hard part is deciphering how to read them. Most
battery companies will use a letter for the month and a number for the year.
A – January
B – February
C – March
D – April
And so on… Some manufacturers leave out the I to avoid confusion with 1.
9 – 2009
0 – 2010
1 – 2011
2 – 2012
And so on…
This is how we date all of our batteries; they are stamped into the top of the case on the edge of the battery close to
the positive terminal.
KS2K14, the bolded letters are the important ones, 2K is November 2012, ie 14/11/2012
The last two numbers are the day of the month it was manufactured.
2CR22, the bolded letters are the important ones, 2C is 22nd April 2012, 22/04/2012
The last two numbers are the day of the month it was manufactured.
Delkor skip using the “I” to avoid confusion with 1, so J = September, K = October.
Fullriver date code
Ignore the first letter, first two digits are the year, next two are the week of production and the last two the day of
month.
Motobatt date codes are the easiest, they are basically the date. First two are the day of the month, the next two
are the month and the last two are the year.
MB041011 04/10/2011
MB280114 28/01/2014
First number is the year and the next three are the day of the year it was made.
7130 - 130th day of the year works out the be 10th May 2017
Challenge/Dong Ah
First number for the year, nest letter for the month and next two numbers are the day of the month.
Odyssey
For most sizes the 5 numbers after the first letter are the year and day of the year.