[Soumyajit9]

I own a Chevrolet Beat 2011 Petrol. The stock battery was Exide 12v 50 AH.

The car had showed symptoms of the battery dying. During the scheduled service 2 months back, it went dead while I was taking the delivery.

This time, while returning from a trip from Mysore, on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, the car went dead, after I had stopped for a tea break. I managed to get a mechanic, who jump started it and I drove for around 10 kms where the car went dead again all of a sudden in the middle of traffic. I had my headlights and all other electrical devices switched off to save battery power, but it went dead just like that.

The MID lights were faint and flashing. I managed to locate a battery dealer who dealt in Amaron batteries.

After speaking to him on phone, he came in 15 mins with a new battery. But the specification of that battery was 12v 35 AH. He went back and got another battery which was 12v 65 AH (as compared to 50 AH of my stock battery).

The only grouse was that the battery wouldn't fit in completely in the engine bay. He had to remove the grounding wires and re-connect at a different point so as to get some extra length of the wiring harness to connect to the battery.

It was late evening around 9:30 PM and although I managed to notice the battery model, I didn't notice the sticker which said that it was "For 3 Wheelers Only".
More scary, it does not feature on the Amaron website !!

I enquired with a couple of my Team-BHP friends on phone and they said that it was okay, as long as the cranking voltage comes to more than 12v.

The shopkeeper / mechanic tested the voltage of both the batteries.
My old stock Exide showed 9.6v or so.
The new Amaron battery showed 12.85v.

The battery is running fine now and I am able to notice certain improvements like:
- Car starts in one go without 2nd attempt.
- Power windows roll up faster in Ignition stage (engine off).
- After cranking the engine, the stock music player starts immediately (earlier, it used to take about 5-6 seconds to start playing).
- At slow speeds, car doesn't stall even if I don't use clutch much. Earlier, it would jerk and the engine would switch off.

So now the scene is:
Stock Battery: Exide 12v 50AH
New Battery: Amaron Black BL600LMF

However, there are something which are still making me worried.

Hence posting it here for advice:

- 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 ?

- Would this cause any overloading of the wiring harness or electricals of the car ?

- The holding clamp of the old battery doesn't fit the new one since this one is bigger in dimension. It is snugly fit, so do I still need to fabricate a clamp to hold it more firmly.

- Since this is a bigger battery, it weighs more as well. Would it cause any major change in the car dynamics, or overload the LHS suspension or some mechanical parts ?

I am planning to take it to an Amaron dealer sometime this weekend, and get it checked. If at all they say that this is not the correct one (in terms of size & weight) for the car, and have the correct replacement in stock, should I exchange it with them ? What will be the probable buy-back price that I may expect for this new battery ?













Mods: Posting this as a new thread for more visibility and quick advice. If deem fit, kindly move or merge.

[dhanushs]

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 ?

- Would this cause any overloading of the wiring harness or electricals of the car ?

Nowadays, its always 12v. Only the amperage varies. Its OK to put a 65ah battery in place of a 50 ah one. The only difference it will make is a 30% longer time for the battery to attain full charge, with the current alternator and load set up.

- The holding clamp of the old battery doesn't fit the new one since this one is bigger in dimension. It is snugly fit, so do I still need to fabricate a clamp to hold it more firmly.

- Since this is a bigger battery, it weighs more as well. Would it cause any major change in the car dynamic, or overload the LHS suspension or some mechanical parts ?

This is where you HAVE to make sure, its done right. An incorrectly placed battery is very dangerous. Jerks, or if it falls, can lead to even explosions. Please make sure the fitment is snug, and the battery is properly damped, so that the plastic walls doesnt wear out over a period of time and cause leaks.

I'd say - anyhow you've bought this battery. So, fabricate a proper mount for it, and use it.

[purohitanuj]

I think that this should be just fine; a thumb rule for battery upgrades says that you should not exceed 15 A/h in addition to the stock rating.
A/h is basically measurement of the battery's "capacity" and is often measured in Cold Crank Amps.
The disadvantages that I can think are:
1. If drained completely, it will take some more time (relative to stock) to completely charge
2. Some warranty issues (but not sure).

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

So now the scene is:
Stock Battery: Exide 12v 50AH
New Battery: Amaron Black BL600LMF
- 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 ?

Will take more daily crank cycles according to marketing info out there. So technically more good for stop and go traffic.

- Would this cause any overloading of the wiring harness or electricals of the car ?

15 Amp easily will be accommodated by the alternator.

- The holding clamp of the old battery doesn't fit the new one since this one is bigger in dimension. It is snugly fit, so do I still need to fabricate a clamp to hold it more firmly.

If you ask me this would be my biggest worry. In my old swift also i had the AH upgraded while changing. Good thing was only the terminal wire needed to be connected to another spot. The clamps were spot on.

Battery needs to be safely anchored for safety as well as longevity.

- Since this is a bigger battery, it weighs more as well. Would it cause any major change in the car dynamics, or overload the LHS suspension or some mechanical parts ?

Difference would be marginal in weight.

I am planning to take it to an Amaron dealer sometime this weekend, and get it checked. If at all they say that this is not the correct one (in terms of size & weight) for the car, and have the correct replacement in stock, should I exchange it with them ?

If it fits proper, don't bother.

What will be the probable buy-back price that I may expect for this new battery ?

Depends on the dealer, generally they will try to make a quick buck. So expect minimum 1000 bucks. Hence not really worth it.

Also if you are particular use the original dealer to get the exchange.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

He went back and got another battery which was 12v 65 AH (as compared to 50 AH of my stock battery).
So now the scene is:Stock Battery: Exide 12v 50AH
New Battery: Amaron Black BL600LMF

Soumyajit, You have no reason to worry at all. The new battery is suitable, if not of a higher charge capacity than the old one. This is how you decode the model number
BL - Black (I think so)
600 - Cold Cranking Current, could have been 500 Ampere with the old battery. Hence the starter motor can ramp up speed still quickly
L - Left side. Means, looking the battery with the battery terminals to your side the -ve terminal is on the left hand side
MF - Maintenance Free

So BL600RMF is the same battery with the terminal positions swapped

- 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 ?

Could be because of an odd sized battery tray which you may not find commonly on cars. Also, looking at the picture above, all the examples where this battery is used are long stroke single cylinder Diesels which need a lot of current initially to crank the engine. Your engine is multi-cylinder and hence the motor wouldn't draw as much peak current. So your are not using the new battery to its full capacity.

- Would this cause any overloading of the wiring harness or electricals of the car ?

Not at all, as the Ah is just marginally higher than the old one. Just the alternator might take little more time to full charge the battery.

-The holding clamp of the old battery doesn't fit the new one since this one is bigger in dimension. It is snugly fit, so do I still need to fabricate a clamp to hold it more firmly.

Take suggestion from a mechanic and buy a battery of clamp of another car of similar battery size. Saves you from looking for a fabricator and paying him more.

-Since this is a bigger battery, it weighs more as well. Would it cause any major change in the car dynamics, or overload the LHS suspension or some mechanical parts ?

It would have added hardly 3-4 kgs over the old battery. Just as much as 2X2.25 litre pepsi bottles, don't worry.

[purohitanuj]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

W..15 Amp easily will be accommodated by the alternator...

It’s not an additional load (of 15 ampere!) on the alternator. You can charge a 12 volt battery from different current source like 14v @ 1 Amp or 14v@20 Amp.
The ampere of charger would relate to the speed in which the battery charges. Battery cannot draw specific amperes directly.

However once it is charged, it is capable of delivering 12volts @ 15 ampere for 1 hour (for a 15 A/h battery) before the voltage starts to drop.
This also means that you may draw 12V@30 amperes but the battery may provide 12 volt for 30 minutes only; after which the voltage will drop.

Say you have an inverter at home which uses 12volt battery. Then you may combine 2-3-4 batteries in parallel which will not smoke your inverter but take much more time to charge them (and last much longer).

[theexperthand]

If you still is not convinced (after reading the above detailed replies), do make a call to the customer care to check if there is any adverse effects (I personally think you will be perfectly fine with the current battery).

Change in weight will be marginal, but do make sure that the battery is properly secured. Use additional clamps \ mounting brackets and use old rubber tube to sandwich the clamps and battery.

--Anoop

[shifu]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

- At slow speeds, car doesn't stall even if I don't use clutch much. Earlier, it would jerk and the engine would switch off.

Sorry, I don't have much idea about your predicament. However, I am stuck at your above sentence. How does having a bigger battery (interms of AH) help in not stalling a car at slow speeds? Is this just psychological or really true?

[Soumyajit9]

Thanks everyone for the re-assurance that eveything should be fine with the electricals.
From the mechanical point of view, since the old clamp doesn't hold and it is not safe to run with an untagged battery, I would speak to the fabricator behind my house (he deals with window grills and stuff), to fabricate a clamp for the battery.

One last, kinda silly question - It is okay if I leave that plastic wrapping on the battery ? Won't it melt gradually with the engine heat ? Or should I carefully remove it completely ?

Will anyways go to a Bangalore dealer this weekend to verify everything.

Thanks once again everyone.

Originally Posted by shifu

Sorry, I don't have much idea about your predicament. However, I am stuck at your above sentence. How does having a bigger battery (interms of AH) help in not stalling a car at slow speeds? Is this just psychological or really true?

It is mostly because of the old battery life. The earlier battery was end of life and no charge left. So a little mis-management of clutch used to cut off power to the engine, mechanically and electrically.

Now, the new battery holds the power steady to the components I guess. Because of this even at low speeds, even though clutch is mis-managed, the battery holds up the electrical power to the components. Not related to the bigger AH thing. Just a new battery.

[purohitanuj]

Originally Posted by shifu

Sorry, I don't have much idea about your predicament. However, I am stuck at your above sentence. How does having a bigger battery (interms of AH) help in not stalling a car at slow speeds? Is this just psychological or really true?

Its true and much more noticeable in petrol engines (and much more in CNG/LPG) . If you have a bad battery which is always a load on the alternator (which is a load on engine), then during initial pickup, you will get lesser grunt than usual.

I learned this when we had a petrol genset(with battery and charger) which used to struggle as soon as the compressor of fridge started and would die out because of the lack of immediate torque required to turn the alternator. This was solved by replacing the battery. As diesels have huge torque available in lower revs, thus this problem is not noticeable.

[DerAlte]

Check the charging characteristics - ask Amaron if they can share that with you. The only difference between batteries for larger engines / vehicles and 3-wheelers / small LCVs is the alternator rating - and hence the charging current. This battery may be designed with a different charging profile. The only impact is on the average temperature of the battery - you might need get the electrolyte level checked once in a while.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by purohitanuj

It’s not an additional load (of 15 ampere!) on the alternator. You can charge a 12 volt battery from different current source like 14v @ 1 Amp or 14v@20 Amp.

Ok!! to clarify having an additional 15 amp at battery end, wires would not overload (Original question that i have replied to). Only alternator which would be designed for the 50 amp would take more time to charge and that is not an issue (my answer).

[sandeepmohan]

Two months is quite a bit to attend to a weak battery. I feel you should have replaced it much sooner, especially when it died when you were taking your car back from service. All of this caused inconvenience to you, your family and a safety hazard as you were driving without lights. It is not worth it. Please attend to the needs of the car in time.

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Check the charging characteristics - ask Amaron if they can share that with you. The only difference between batteries for larger engines / vehicles and 3-wheelers / small LCVs is the alternator rating - and hence the charging current. This battery may be designed with a different charging profile. The only impact is on the average temperature of the battery - you might need get the electrolyte level checked once in a while.

Yes, will take it to a Bangalore dealer who would have more knowledge on this type of battery.
I don't think I need to check the electrolyte level. This is a zero maintenance battery with a black casing.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Two months is quite a bit to attend to a weak battery. I feel you should have replaced it much sooner, especially when it died when you were taking your car back from service. All of this caused inconvenience to you, your family and a safety hazard as you were driving without lights. It is not worth it. Please attend to the needs of the car in time.

True Sandeep. I was very terrified with this issue.
I had my dad and mom with me. Dad had underwent Angioplasty exactly a year back and he had to assist me to move the car, run around with me searching for help. Lesson learnt the hard way. Would be careful about any such indications of failure !

Originally Posted by ilangop

This is how you decode the model number
BL - Black (I think so)

Yes, it indeed stands for Black. Found some FAQs about Amaron.

- We were the first to introduce Zero Maintenance batteries for automotive applications in India.
- We were the first to introduce non-white battery casing; after all our batteries do not require topping up!

That explains why the battery casing is black and hence the series name.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

One last, kinda silly question - It is okay if I leave that plastic wrapping on the battery ? Won't it melt gradually with the engine heat ? Or should I carefully remove it completely ?

Remove the polythene cover completely as it would affect the heat dissipation from the battery. It won't melt away as you fear.
Usually window grill makers tend to overdesign such brackets. So insist on making the bracket / clamp with a material of just enough thickness.