[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

...- The battery output is 12v, which is okay for my car. Then why does it say "For 3 Wheelers Only" ? What is the difference here ?

So far everyone in the thread seems to have spoken of Amp-hours (Ah) only, and not actual power output (Amps).

My guess is that while the "for 3-wheeler only" battery might have similar or higher Ah (ie STORAGE) capacity than the stock car battery, it is not designed to put out the same high current (ie CRANKING AMPs) as a car battery.

This only really matters when cranking the car, which draws by far the highest amperage from the battery.

This is also similar to the difference between car batteries and inverter batteries. The inverter batteries might actually have higher Ah ratings, but due to their internal construction, they are not designed for as high-current output as an automotive battery is.

Even if this is the case, it just means your new 3-wheeler battery *might* die sooner than a "car" battery would. But now that you have it, there's absolutely no issue with hanging on to it - as others have also said.


This recent thread might interest you and explain the basics behind some of this: LINK

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

One last, kinda silly question - It is okay if I leave that plastic wrapping on the battery ?

Probably better to take it off (at least at the top), just in case there is some sort of venting etc (though unlikely on a maintenance free battery).

[Hashim]

Three wheelers vibrate a lot due to small engine and poor suspension the battery will get more mechanical shocks than it can get in a car. So for 3 wheeler only, if Amaron is not fooling then this battery plates should be constructed more rigid to handle those shocks.

If the battery is working fine then I will not be worried. However only 2 things I see to be concerned of is:

1. battery not secured in its position properly - it will always be irritating to see whenever you open the hood.

2. its a Amaron black series which has only 18 months warranty. Amaron Go and Pro and better options for car.

[NiInJa]

In theory, upgrading to 65 Ah will not make a difference as it is just the capacity of the battery that increases. e.g. a battery rated 100 Ah means if you plug a device that draws 5 Amperes of current constantly, your battery will drain to a certain fixed low voltage in 20 hours.

However, there are many other parameters defined by the construction and design of a lead-acid battery which change the specifications/ratings, the most important being cranking amperes or cold cranking amperes which specifies the amount of steady current a battery provides for 30 seconds while maintaining the voltage at least 1.2 V per cell. Operating temperatures also play an important role.

I dont think it should pose a problem if it is fixed properly. If in doubt, take a digital multimeter and see how much current your car is drawing with one electrical device- say headlamps- switched on. Do the same test with another Beat or a car having similar electricals.

[mvadg]

I saw a few posts from people with 'smart' desuphator/desulfator chargers (CTEK/Battery Minder) on TBHP. If any of you are using these chargers, what is your opinion? Did it extend / recover the life of your battery? How long have you been using it? Any local makes / DIY?

Thanks.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by mvadg

I saw a few posts from people with 'smart' desuphator/desulfator chargers (CTEK/Battery Minder) on TBHP. If any of you are using these chargers, what is your opinion? Did it extend / recover the life of your battery? How long have you been using it? Any local makes / DIY?

Thanks.

In practice, a battery which is low on charge for prolonged duration gets sulphated. Means, a layer of Lead-Sulphate formed on the lead plates gets permanent and doesn't dissociate from the plate to form Sulphuric acid again while charging with the regular charger / alternator. A shot of high current pulse gives the Lead-Sulphate to dislodge from the plates and hence allows more area on the plates to engage on charge / discharge cycles. I

It does extend the life marginally as this device gives a shot of pulse current once in while and keeps the plates inside clean. Works good in a vehicle being used daily. The downside is that the device itself works by drawing current from the battery. Hence the battery tends to drain over time if the vehicle is not used for a longer time. Better than DIY, buy them from ebay. Saves your time and might get a warranty from the manufacturer.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Just check with Amaron customer care if you will get warranty claim in case the battery malfunctions within warranty period. Otherwise fitting a slightly higher rated battery should not be a major problem except that it should be sitting snug on the plate where it is supposed to be fitted.

Normally, a battery that is not officially meant for a certain application, wouldn't be given warranty benefit if it is used for anything else. For example, if you buy a car battery and use it to run a home UPS and the battery fails after a few months you wouldn't get warranty claim.

Incidentally, the OE battery that is supplied with the car is given as per the specifications provided by the car maker. The battery maker can suggest changes but beyond a point it is the car maker that decides what battery would go into which car.

[Zinda]

considering these in 3 wheelers:
much more and longer cranking than regular passenger car
much more jerks and vibrations
much more chances of rough usage

I would expect 3 wheeler's battery to have
extra tough casing,
extra electrolyte, and
maybe extra thick plate connectors/terminals and
more plates per compartment for slightly higher amperage.

These reasons result in bigger size - which you are coping with.
however, lead-acid 6-cell battery cannot produce more than 13.5 volts when fully charged. Difference in size and amperage translates into slower battery drain and charging - thats it.
And both the batteries here in question are similar, if not identical.
so my dear friend, just make sure battery is properly and tightly fit in its place and enjoy its extra power. Also, you may get bit more than normal life for this battery.

On a lighter note, is this the first example of "Battery Upgrade" in Team-bhp?

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Zinda

however, lead-acid 6-cell battery cannot produce more than 13.5 volts when fully charged.

Good analysis. Will there be any additional overload on the alternator and the charging system of the car owing to the higher amperage rated battery in place?

Also, I think that lead acid batteries produce 2.1V per cell, hence the output should be 12.6V when fully charged for a 6 cell battery.

Regards.

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by saket77

hence the output should be 12.6V when fully charged for a 6 cell battery.

Regards.

A fully charged lead acid battery can show an open circuit/light(as in minimal) load voltage till 14.4V. 12.6V is a "health check" figure, the ball park for a fairly charged battery, which can be expected to perform reliably.

The OP needs to ensure the "new" ground position is torqued correctly. It is better to abrade the mating areas shiny, re-torque and apply a protective coating of Vaseline.

Little OT: The ground wire, carries the sum total of ALL currents in the car; the return path basically. Now, the car maker has vendors to supply the harness, which has a specific gauge and a specific way the wire is crimped within the terminal "clamp". In case the wire needs replacement due to an acid spill or general aging, it needs a bit of care.

OEM wire will be pure copper, meant to be crimped to spec, while, most cheap desi replacement wire is now CCS(copper clad steel) or CCA (Copper clad aluminum), which don't hold too well after a crimp. So, buy the wire yourself, and insist pure copper. Just for your information.

[createrkid]

As everyone has already mentioned, this should not cause any problem at all, your car is cranking even better than before along with a few added benefits you've mentioned :-D. Yeah, the battery will die out earlier than a car battery as rehaan mentioned. The only thing you've got to worry about is getting it clamped correctly in the engine bay.

OT: this explains why I had trouble keeping up with you on the ORR. :-D

[Zinda]

Originally Posted by saket77

Good analysis. Will there be any additional overload on the alternator and the charging system of the car owing to the higher amperage rated battery in place?

Also, I think that lead acid batteries produce 2.1V per cell, hence the output should be 12.6V when fully charged for a 6 cell battery.

Regards.

1. Should not be an issue because new battery is not significantly bigger then the older one, and usually electrical devices have good tolerance, considering they are made to last a lifetime. Attaining full charge will be a bit of task for alternator, nothing more than that.

2. Theoretically yes - however 6 cell lead acid batteries attain around 13.5 Volts at peak charge.

[fighterace]

It may also be for tax reasons: things made for tractors attract less tax. Same may be the case for three-wheelers.

[::CMS::]

Have you checked with an expert, else please consult one. I am doubtful since the label clearly says 3 wheelers "ONLY", the last word seems to have some significance. To say whether it is compatible we need to make sure that the charging and the discharging condition in both the vehicles are same, else the word "ONLY" will have more importance. The charging circuit / the pulses have to be the same, else it will affect the battery. 3Wheelers will not have the discharge pattern as a 4 wheeler so the current requirement will not be the same and need to make sure that the battery can withstand the surge (with all the equipments ON and OFF). There can be difference in the quality / the composition of the plate material which only manufacturer can say. If there is no difference b/n those batteries why did they mention a warning label. This is not a simple battery swap for higher amp, its b/n two class of battery (if they are different as I said earlier)

[red.devil_19]

Soumyajit9 , I have a query. You mentioned that your stock battery was an Exide 50 Ah one. Today my stock one died (after 3.5 years & 35k kms) & when I checked out the battery, the model no. written on it was "DIN44LMF" (Exide). I'm not entirely certain of this but does it translate to a 44 Ah battery? I have ordered an Amaron Flo 50 Ah battery (AAM-FL-550114042) from BatteryBhai. I hope there is no issue in putting this in my car? It's under extended warranty so I hope that won't get void due to this.

[scythian]

Just wanted to share some anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of a desulfator. I don't use a desulfator in my car yet(I might, at some point, considering there are long periods when I don't drive it, or I drive for a short while in the city where the battery doesn't get a chance to charge), but we have been using one in the inverter at our house, and the local inverter guy, in his most recent visit to add an additional battery to the inverter was quite surprised (and probably a little sad at the lost sales opportunity) at the great condition the previous battery was in, considering its age.

Bought it from ebay 6-7 years back. There are probably much better ones in the market now.