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Sorry I seemed to have missed mentioning the price. I paid Rs 5600 (they took the old battery). I didn't consider a high current battery.

Hi,

I got the same battery installed in my car. Existing battery (Exide 36ah made in India) lasted only 1.5 years. First time it discharged after car was lying idle for 2 weeks. This time car was used only on weekends and battery went down again. To avoid this issue and hassle of getting stuck somewhere I got the battery replaced.

Regards.

Did you replace it with a 60Ah unit? BHPian drpudhi was concerned about the increase in the capacity of the battery.

Hi Gannu,

Yes, I replaced this with 60ah instead of 45 ah. I believe it won't be an issue since we are only increasing storage capacity of battery by a small margin. I wonder why did they install 36ah battery in Vento.

Regards.

It may overload your alternator. We have seen alternator issues in some cars which used a higher rated battery than recommended.

Since I too have been mulling over upgrading my car battery so please allow me to share my thoughts here. What follows is IMHO only.

While a smaller increase wouldn't do any harm per se, a 35 to 60 AH increase represents a 75-80% increase and frankly I wouldn't do it. Alternators, batteries, power wires & fuses are sized according to expected load with a margin built in to cater for spikes.

Diesels have higher capacity batteries due to the additional cranking power required to start the engines (much higher compression ratios and component weight) and as a result more powerful alternators to charge those larger batteries.

It is my observation (just an observation mind you) that alternator output amps are approx 1.5-2x battery capacity. So if a car comes with a 60AH battery the alternator is likely to be between 90-120A.

I was thinking of up sizing my Corolla Altis' car battery from the OEM spec of 45 AH to a 68 AH part (an over 50% increase in AH) that's present in the diesel variant. The stock alternator is 80-100A depending on where you read the specs because unfortunately Toyota does not divulge these details. But some questions keep popping up in my mind:

• Is an upgrade really necessary, given the 45 AH battery has functioned very well for years? The current Amaron is 3 years and 9 months old and still going strong even though my car sees low running. To top it off my car has an ICE upgrade with a 7" DVD head-unit, 2 amps (4 channel & mono) with a component speaker system and a sub-woofer.
• Will an upgrade affect overall battery life in a low running car?
• Is the additional cost for a larger battery and change in other parts like the hold-down bracket, battery tray etc. justified given battery life is not going to be magically extended? What are the additional benefits ?
• My experience with my 15 year old Palio 1.6, that has a 90A alternator, saw a marginal battery upgrade of 50 to 55AH. The Exide Matrix battery lasted for over 6 years. I put this down not due to the 10% higher capacity but overall battery and charging system maintenance.

PS - Has any BHPian done an upgrade from stock alt. to a high output version?

Wise words. R2D2.

The battery starts the engine, right? Therefore an "upgrade" is not necessary.

Hi,

I believe OEM alternator in 1.2 TSI is 110amp and the one in 1.6TDI is 140amp. Ideally OEM battery in 1.2 TSI should be atleast 45ah, they might have provided 36ah as part of cost cutting.

Regards.

Is data from from the EU spec models? A 110A alternator for a small 1.2L engine seems a bit over the top. :) Besides IIRC turbo engines have lower compression ratios which makes them easier to crank/turn over compared with NA. BTW, a 110 amp alternator would certainly suit a 60-65AH battery IMO.

Just adding my thoughts again: Manufacturers MAY downsize the alternator (and therefore the battery) in tropical countries due to warm weather (easier to start the car) with better light and visibility which means you don't need the headlamps/DRLs etc switched on all the time. A smaller alternator and electrical loads also helps enhance fuel economy, a critical factor in India.

From whatever I have learned in >3 decades of driving in India and overseas is OE parts are mostly good enough to get the job done and provide reliable service. And they may not necessarily be the best of breed.

Which is why I drool at some of the after market high output alternators (150-300A) for my car but only available in the US. Thing is, a big three upgrade (alternator, high gauge B+ and earthing cables) has been playing on my mind for years. Bought the earthing kit (not installed) but never got down to upgrading the other 2 because I am still not convinced it will provide me any day to day benefit other than the confidence of knowing my car will not run out of electrical juice. But then to top it off there is the question of reliability of aftermarket alternators. Denso (the OE alternator manufacturer) makes some of the best electrical parts you can buy. So here I am still thinking. But then @Thad E Ginathom hit the nail on the head - if a 45 Ah battery starts the car without hassles there is NO need to upgrade the battery. And maybe the alternator too. :D

Actually, it was you that hit the nail on the head. Or... passed me the hammer at least :D

It's too easy to believe that bigger numbers is always better. Here, you woke me up to the idea that sufficient number is sufficient.

Maybe someone who lives in the frozen mountains, or needs to leave parking lights on all night might have a different value of sufficient, but most of us don't, so I guess there's better things to do with that particular sum of money!

Hi,

PR code in the service manual suggests 140A alternator.

8GU GEN Alternator 140 A

If someone can cross check the same for 1.6TDI we can confirm if alternator is same in both 1.2TSI and 1.6TDI Polo/Vento.

Regards.

The owners manual of the Fiat Punto suggests an upgrade of around 10% only, if and only if we have extra accessories installed, like an amplifier, headlamp wattage upgrade, etc.

My 2010 Vento 1.6 TDI has a 110 A alternator, with the PR code being 8GG. The battery was 60 Ah 480 EN CCA.

Gannu, I have booked a GT TDI and expecting it in the second week of June. I'm new to the forum and I must say you (and your GT) had a major role in my decision of the car.

I have been following your ownership thread since you started it but I couldn't interact with you since I wasn't a member till now. Thank you for all the efforts you have put on your ownership thread that serves
as a guide to all of us.

I plan to change the stock headlight bulbs as I will have to do night drives quite often. Do you happen to know the maximum wattage of the headlight bulbs we can have without installing a cutout relay or splicing the wire?

I'm aware of Osram night breakers and Philips extreme vision but I'm interested to know the maximum wattage of the bulb I can have without any changes to the stock electrical setup.

Welcome to the forum, to the TDI club ...and the Gannu Admirers Society! :D

:D