Battery Replacement...

[kb100]

Guru's

MY OE Battery in my Accent CRDi has lasted me over three years... its still going strong but I get indication that it must be on the decline... I just plonked in a pair of 140/100 headlights.... Plus am in the middle of planning my ICE... This is likely to have comps in front and back + ONE sub + two amps(maybe only one amp... undecided but the total of the fuses on the amps alone is 160 amps !!)

Hence I thought its best I get my battery replaced as well ..... my replacement battery had better be an upgraded one as well..

Please advice me on Brands/models... I was thinking of the yellow top .. (..Ultimas's I think they are called - distributed by Amaron) ...

Now the CRDi's engine bay is so packed that its impossible to fit anything other than the OE sized Battery.. Hell - I had to remove the Battery to even get at the healight bulb!!.. Therefore I was planning to place the battery in the rear Boot... can this be done??... how...guage of cables to be used... precautions to be taken etc...

Secondly - the alternator is rated at 120 amps.... with the upgraded headlights... the ICE ... etc.. will this be able to handle all of this PLUS charge the upgraded batt as well..?... or recommend a suitable batt upgrade which can work well with the above requirement..

Muchas Gracias!

[drifter]

Yes i have been in the same dillema...how to fit an upgraded battery and an upgraded alternator. Waiting for the electrical experts.

Drifter

[veyron1]

well, perhaps you could try experimenting with the amaron's latest series- the ones with 48 month warranty. but the last they have in their range is 70 AH, i guess; last time i checked (which won't fit under the hood). otherwise, you could try with a new 50 AH one under the hood, and keep a SECOND battery (48 AH or so) in the boot, connected in series. but be warned, this type of setup is gonna DRAIN the alternator like hell. upgrading the current 120 AH alternator is not going to be so easy either. it can, however, be overhauled (the winding/armature setup can be replaced) and pumped up to 140 AH or so, but be sure to get it done from a reputed mech. getting a 160/180 AH alternator might be even better, but outer casing dia. and mountings will differ, so be prepared for some extensive work. and there's no guarantee that the existing pulleys will have enough clearance- since the engine bay's tight. plus a new alternator could cost you upwards of 17-22,000.

my opinion; get the current alternator overhauled, and get a second battery connected in series from the boot. about the wire gauges, no idea, as i haven't yet gone to such detailed info on these setups. and yes- be sure to get a proper voltage reg., as the electrics for the fuel lines run on the alternator; overloading the alternator could prove, well, ka-boom...

p.s- REMOVE those 100/140 bulbs A.S.A.P; those things will FRY the reflector; you could be looking at a set of new headlamps every other year. instead, get a good set of hella rally lamps (spot-lamps), with a good cut-out and proper wiring. else, go in for a HID setup; that would produce less than half as much heat, and give a brighter beam.

hope this layman's view helps...

[kb100]

I thought Amara Raja gave more than just a single years warranty on their batteries...

[F50]

Threads Merged........

[kb100]

BUMP

Anyone any thoughts on Battery in the boot....??... Feedback/pros/Cons...

[DRC]

BUMP

Anyone any thoughts on Battery in the boot....??... Feedback/pros/Cons...

Why?
If it is an additional one for amp or so, OK, still a lot of hardship for the alternator...

If it is a stand alone stuff, which has to power the starter motor also, not very good idea. There will be a lot of potential drop for the starter and hence lower voltage, may take longer cranks and strain thebattery..

[nitrous]

If it is a stand alone stuff, which has to power the starter motor also, not very good idea. There will be a lot of potential drop for the starter and hence lower voltage, may take longer cranks and strain thebattery..

Nice theory,man.

But, our members 'Sideways' and 'Ford Rocam' are happily using it.

[wolfinstein]

Well if you guys are wanting another soruce of power from the boot, I would suggest meet with any good UPS-Inverter seller, who can customize your power system using Sealed Batteries, and you can charge that battery every day/alternate days or week by a power cable...!
It will be better than placing a regular car battery in the boot...!
Plus the inverter will be specially desgined for you to fit in the boot, provide the right current as per your need and cost-effective...!

[veyron1]

@wolfinstein: the inverter would supply A/C current, not D/C. but yes, dry batteries are better than lead-acid batteries, as they can sustain heavy loads for a much longer duration. although getting an inverter setup might not be logical, the dry battery is a good idea, and would be a very good secondary source.

@DRC: technically, IF the second battery is standalone, then there's NO power drain from the primary, and hence no load to the starter/alternator ckt.

@nitrous; they're using only ONE battery from the boot; but the relocation is kinda tedious...

@kb100; amara raja ALWAYS gave 36 months warranty minimum on their batteries, the 1st year being a replacement quota. their new ranges have 48 months warranty. and IF you want to go in for a boosted electrical setup, there's nothing better than a second battery from the boot. but like i said, connections should be proper, in series, and the alternator should be beefed up.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by zulfikar

well should have gone for Amaron...
i had installed it in my old sierra...
didnt give any problems till 3.5 years after which i sold the car so done know if the new owner had any isssues...

I second you...my initial Exide in the Uno gave up after 24 months..I wanted to replace...Excide quote rws Rs 3600 for a 44 DIN...I finallay purchased an Amaron for 2500 Rs..notbecause it was cheaper but I was pissed with Exide for just lasting 2 years...
The Amaron is still in service after 42 months...but of late I am facing an alternator issue in the uno...as soon as I switch on the AC/blower, the Voltage dips from 13.5 volts to 11.5 volts and the battery gets discharged even after one hour of driving with AC...driving witout AC is no problem..so guess I will have to engage someone to find out where is current loss is happening...can you suggest someone good in hydereabd?

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

The battery on my Palio D went dead once. My wife was driving and was trying to manipulate a steep climb from stall. The ac and the music system was on. The engine stopped a few times as she wasnt an expert. This happened for a few times. And then the car wudnt start at all.
The battery had gone dead. I poured in some distilled water in the battery cells, most of them were dry (lack of maintenance). Waited for a few hours and with some help from neighbours got the vehicle jump started. Left the engine on for some time for the battery to charge. There was no problems after that.

Now, I am away from home and the car has been lying almost idle for a month now, only weekly starts by my good neighbour. It seems the battery has died again and the car wont start.

I guess all this happened because of my careless maintenance of the battery. Can anyone give tips on how to properly maintain the battery in a car. Also suggest replacements for the stock palio battery.

Sorry if there has already been a post on this topic.

I understandthe cells weree dry because the Service centre forgot to put water in them...this was the case with my Uno too....horrible service by Fiat

[DRC]

Originally Posted by veyron1

@DRC: technically, IF the second battery is standalone, then there's NO power drain from the primary, and hence no load to the starter/alternator ckt.
...............
@kb100; and IF you want to go in for a boosted electrical setup, there's nothing better than a second battery from the boot. but like i said, connections should be proper, in series, and the alternator should be beefed up.

By stand alone, I meant, there is no other battery, in the hood either.. If the battery is replaced to the boot, there are transmission losses (RI), which causes more drop of voltage at teh starter.

Did you mean, beefing up the alternator = to 24V, putting the batteries ion series means, a 24V setup...

[mridul]

Guys ...It depends on what battery they are currently using whether it is "Zero Maintenance"(Amaron) or Exide -Which needs topping up once in 45 days depending on usage..To gain maximum life out of a battery is to check the charging system once in 30 days.i.e the car's alternator which is heart & soul of the vehicle ,as new generation cars are fitted with MPFI they require correct voltage and current for their ECM's to run...

On battery maintenance:
Any ordinary battery requires water (Distill water) as they are subjected to heat and vibrations and due to reactions within battery during operation they loose water...To say in commom man language Any chemical reaction leads to heat thus it needs a coolant to perform better ...Hence water is the coolant....Unless the battery is an Amaron which does not require top up in its life span as it comes packed with Silver Alloy to eliminate heat.

But any battery has its limitations ..If the charging system fails it results in discharge of battery or worse permanent damage..

To improve battery life one has to follow these tips

Check the voltage pumped out of the alternator by measuring voltage across battery terminals using a Multimeter...

With NO LOADS( No Aircon/Headlights) it should be 14.00 +/- 0.20 Volts
with ALL LOADS( With Aircon/Headlights) it should be 13.80 +/- 0.20 Volts ..

This is in ENGINE IDLE condition . When the revs are increased more voltage/current is produced cutting off at 14.50 Volts respectively....

Overloading the alternator beyond the capacity of the alternator (i.e current rating) can reduce the life of the battery...If the vehicle is subjected to heavy loads it is wise to increase the capacity of the alternator to improve the life of the battery....Just by increasing battery capacity it would not add any value..IT IS JUST A MYTH..

For more u could call and talk to me at 9841019624

Cheers

Mridul

[wolfinstein]

"

Originally Posted by Buffetfan

I second you...my initial Exide in the Uno gave up after 24 months..I wanted to replace...Excide quote rws Rs 3600 for a 44 DIN...I finallay purchased an Amaron for 2500 Rs..notbecause it was cheaper but I was pissed with Exide for just lasting 2 years...
The Amaron is still in service after 42 months...but of late I am facing an alternator issue in the uno...as soon as I switch on the AC/blower, the Voltage dips from 13.5 volts to 11.5 volts and the battery gets discharged even after one hour of driving with AC...driving witout AC is no problem..so guess I will have to engage someone to find out where is current loss is happening...can you suggest someone good in hydereabd?

"

It must have been the alternator then also, Exide although is expensive but its no match for any other battery...! Quality/Life/Replacements..Exide have been almost no issues...! Amaron and SF would be a second choice...!