Battery Prices/Recommendations

Discussion in 'Non Technical' started by SpaceFrog, Feb 16, 2014.

  1. SpaceFrog

    SpaceFrog Member

    Hi, the last post I made was about difficulty starting the Zed. Turns out the optima yellow top was dying slowly.

    I can start the car without a jump start, but it struggles, even commuting to work. A 30 min drive, and then parked for 8 hours is enough to weaken the battery.

    I called up a few places, and prices have gone up from what I remember.

    I bought the yellow top, because my batteries usually last 1.5 -2 years, and I tend to not start the car for 2-3 weeks at a time, and I think this year I may have left it for 5 weeks.

    The yellow top lasted 3.5 years, not sure if it was worth it. My finances aren't ideal right now, so I think I should stick to a cheap battery this time.

    I've been quoted $199 - $215 for Century batteries with 520-540 CCA (Supercheap & Repco)
    or a Kmart Excide for $144 with 460 CCA

    The yellow top was around $400.

    What do you guys think of Excide? Can you recommend any other places to get a better deal?
     
  2. gmbrezzo

    gmbrezzo Moderator

    I use the Excide red top in Kitty.
    My century battery died and I am using a basic Big W battery from my daughters Laser in my wifes Zed and it cranks fine.
    That battery is all of $78.00
     
  3. SpaceFrog

    SpaceFrog Member

    Is the Exide this one for $165? I think I was quoted $144 for an Exide 'Endurance'
     
  4. MikeZ32

    MikeZ32 das Über member

    Get a cheapo. As long as it's got enough cranking amps for the zed it'll last you a few years. I think 450 CCA is probably enough to get by but 500 is recommended.

    I used to have a small lightweight sealed cell with around 450cca and while the weight savings were good, it didn't last very long.
     
  5. CHILI

    CHILI Indestructable Target

    Century and Exide are both OK.
     
  6. rob260

    rob260 Administrator Staff Member

    Exide are famous for leaking.

    You should be paying about $200 for 600cca and 3yr warranty.

    Call RACV
     
  7. gmbrezzo

    gmbrezzo Moderator

    Never had a problem with leakage.

    A bit of advice: photocopy your receipt and keep it in the glovebox.
    Don't just keep the receipt as over time it will either fade or go black from the heat
     
  8. rob260

    rob260 Administrator Staff Member

    I'd confidently say I've seen/changed more batteries than anyone else on the forum -I wouldn't use exide based purely on past experience.

    Delco
    Yuasa
    Atlas

    all seem to give good service life
     
  9. QLDZDR

    QLDZDR ID=David

    If you are changing your battery, size might be important if you want to fit one of those radiator overflow tanks beside the battery.

    I put one of those 700cca Century batteries that has a circuit to stop it overcharging.
    When my CAS plug suffered corrosion contact issues a mechanic popped the bonnet and asked me to try starting it. He quickly called me to stop because he said its turning over too easily, must be the timing belt.
     
  10. andy

    andy Member

    Are you sure it is the battery and not excessive current draw when the car is switched off?
     
  11. Egg

    Egg ....

    Have you tried?

    Giving it a really good charge with a battery-charger, it's a deep cycle yellow top, so unlikely to be degraded/sulfated like a typical car battery... might just need a good fully saturated charge.
     
  12. waynoz

    waynoz New Member

    century with +500cca FTW!


    you should also be able to extend the life of the battery by every few months placing it on a deep charge cycle.

    good car chargers will have a 24hr trickle charge (ideally used when a battery is dead flat and won't even light a LED)
    it rejuvenates batteries from the ground up basically.

    after the deep cycle it will run through a standard charge and then go into float mode so it won't over charge the battery. I suppose you can leave a battery on a good charger indefinitely if you had to.

    unless you have a rediculous sound system, a stanard battery sub 150 - 200$ should be fine. and use a yellow top as a duel battery for a stezza if you have several subs and amps in the hatch. but if I'm thinking of the same yellow top you are talking about, they are north of 700CCA, and some have 1000CCA despite only having 700 written on them... Waaaay overkill to start the VG V6.


    edit:
    just checked,
    yeah the yellow tops are deep cycle batteries,
    they arent really designed with your average starting needs in mind (although they will do it just fine)
    they are designed to have stereos and refrigerators, lights etc run on them for long periods of time, and will recharge fast once run flat. their plates are a different make to what you find in your standard batteries.

    you can get hybrid batteries with a mix of plates (correct me if I'm wrong)
    but for the money, a standard battery will be more than enough for a few years of starting a V6.
     
  13. ivan129

    ivan129 Active Member

    Try a Lipo battery

    I run a Lithium Polymer battery. Surprised a lot more of you guys aren't using them. They are the latest technology in batteries are much smaller, about 1/5 the size and 6 - 10 times lighter. The no load voltage sits at about 13.2V so they will crank your engine over faster too. The other good things about this type of battery is they will happily operate on any plain, do not have any acid so no leakage. The only precaution you need to be aware of is never never place a short cct on them, I mean a screw driver across the terminal. They can catch fire. Regards Ivan

     
  14. rob260

    rob260 Administrator Staff Member

    Cost is big deterrent
     
  15. ivan129

    ivan129 Active Member

    LiPo battery prices are less than $400

    If you look on eBay you'll find a 700CCA LiPo battery for around the $360 - $370 delivered. That's a better deal than a Yellow top.

     
  16. rob260

    rob260 Administrator Staff Member

    Any good though?

    I use Braille AGM batteries -pretty sure their lithium range is well above that?
     
  17. ivan129

    ivan129 Active Member

    Yes LiPo are good

    This is the battery I use:- $379.00. I was blown away by the small size, light weight and the amount of energy it could deliver. Cranked the engine over much faster that my 3 months old yellow top optimax. I wanted a little more grunt to run my ignition system "MSD CDI" so that's why I looked at these. Now I have more space available in the battery well for my fuel reg, gage and filter.

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lithiuma...=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35d22221c9



     
  18. rob260

    rob260 Administrator Staff Member

    Nice -I expect this technology will only get more affordable by the time I need a new battery :D
     
  19. Egg

    Egg ....

  20. ed300zx

    ed300zx Active Member

    Nice.

    Do you have a photo of it installed?
     

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