Minor Differences: Car Battery Edition

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
05/29/2020 at 15:54 • Filed to: The Hot Mess

As mentioned in a previous post, the Jag’s battery is the incorrect size... but that is somewhat of a simplification of the REAL story....

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

While buying the Jag the battery was dead when I got there. Knowing they’d just moved it a few days previous, I decided to use “needs a new battery” as leverage in negotiating. Hours later as I was signing the paperwork and unbeknownst to me, the owner of the dealership was “helpfully” swapping out the battery in the Jag.

After I’d bought it.

To a smaller battery.

His explination is that he knew I had a long drive and the battery was indeed bad, so he was swapping it out for the only one he had.

I know enough about car buying that this was NOT OK to do without asking, but also REALLY didn’t feel like fighting it and had already mentally budgeted for a new battery.

I’m not sure what his motivations are and, frankly, I don’t care. I assume he was swapping out the big, heavy H8 battery for whatever the smallest battery he had in-house was. Not sure WHY, as the difference in cost (at least for me as a human buying one) is like... $10 between the two batteries.

ANYWAY, with the Jag’s ongoing electrical problems I decided it was time to get it a big boy battery and BOY IS IT.

Just look at it.

900CCA vs 600CCA

185 min vs 110 min reserve capacity

Also this one has the little vent hookup that I know nothing about but seems like a thing I might need.

Anyway, we’re all swapped out now. TBD if it fixes anything but it is done.

DISCUSSION (14)

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:01

Handy if you need to jumpstart a dead planet!

Future next gen S2000 owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:11

I’ll bet that does help.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:11

Hmmm, deep cycle goodness.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:11

My car had a battery out of a Civic apparently when I replaced it. . . though it did last 6.5 years so I guess the extra capacity wasn't needed. The new one is like twice the size. I've come to the conclusion it didn't matter one bit but maybe in a sensitive performance car it does.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:29

95R?

Vent hookup connects to a piece of tubing which basically dangles under the car. It vents both battery gasses to exterior as well as provides an escape route for the electrolyte solution should it boil, so it doesn’t eat anything.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
05/29/2020 at 16:47

H8. Oh that makes sense since the battery is in the trunk fumes can easily get into the cabin . I guess my Alfa doesn’t have one since while it is also in the trunk there is no connection between the trunk and the cabin. Also old.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:53

I’ve even seen them on underhood batteries. Keeps the fumes from getting sucked into the cowl should there be any and any acid overflow off o f the battery tray, engine, etc .

Might be a flooded vs sealed vs agm deal though if you find one without it . N ot sure tbh.

JMordu becoming “savethemilanos” > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 16:59

Yeah, definitely seems to be common/universal on trunk batteries. Makes finding a new battery for an Evo X really hard apparently. My brother spent like a year on and off searching for one, seems no other car ever needed a vented battery in that size, or the vent hookup wasn’t standard or something. I didn’t really follow all of his struggles, but I recall that they happened because of the vented trunk mounted battery

Thisismydisplayname > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 17:05

The vent hook up is for the VAG cars that put this battery under the drivers seat (Q7) or the trunk (A8/S8). If yours in under hood you probably don’t need it.

Thisismydisplayname > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
05/29/2020 at 17:06

Or a car that lives in subzero temps half the year. Then you need the CCAs

MM54 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 18:15

I think they took inspiration from the Germans for that one. You should lift the battery out of an E38 some time...

Rufant > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/29/2020 at 20:44

It will make you smile every time you start it because it will spin the engine like it’ s got no compression, compared to the other battery.

I fitted an Optima to the Cruiser and I actually thought the starter wasn’t engaging once when it wouldn’t start, so effortless did it sound.

Jb boin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
05/29/2020 at 23:44

It’s especially important on d iesels as the engine cannot start if the starter doesn’t turn fast enough and being high compression engines they require more cranking power ; not to mention the glowplug when its cold .

S eems like a huge battery for a forced induction gasoline engine (CR of 9.1:1) even if it’s a V8 , as a comparison i got a 800A /95Ah battery on my 3.0 TDI (17:1) but its always safer to have too much reserve than not enough :)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jb boin
05/29/2020 at 23:54

1.8 liters of apathy ain't care in sun y Georgia. 138 lethargic horses probably need a AA battery and no more.