[xanderlane]

I work near ICAD and drive a Mitsubishi Lancer, and I have a question that nobody around me can answer properly. My battery is about three years old, and it has started cranking slowly in the morning after the car sits in the sun at work. I asked two people what to buy and got two completely different answers. One said any battery is fine as long as it fits. The other said it depends on how you drive, and that my kind of driving needs a different choice. That confused me, because I thought a battery was just a battery. I read a bit online, and one page I found had Certified advice for picking the right Amaron car battery near ICAD, which gave me a rough idea, but it did not explain this part. My driving is about twenty five minutes to work, then the car stays parked for nine hours in the heat, then twenty five minutes back. On weekends it often sits for two days without moving. Does that kind of use change what I should buy? Is there a type that handles heat and long parking better? And does a short trip habit really hurt a battery, or is that just a story people repeat? I also want to ask about the basics. How do I find the right size for my car, is it on the old battery or in the manual? How do I read the date sticker? Mine has a letter and a number and I cannot understand it. I don't want one that sat on a shelf for a year. What should the warranty paper say? Last time I only got a stamp, and it was no use later. Should I ask them to check the alternator too? If you changed yours recently around ICAD, please tell me what you picked, what you paid with fitting, and how long it took. Easy answers are fine. I am not good with cars. Thanks a lot.