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Old 1st April 2009, 23:08   #91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rippergeo View Post
The batteries that come as OEM from exide are letting down quite a few of us. i dont think Exide is really bothered. The contracts they have to supply the car companies will keep them going. Good news is, maruti now installs Amaron instead of Exide as OEM for the swift D. Exide is going to have to pull its socks up soon.
You know what? You may be right. Exide has about 70% of the OEM marketshare and they simply dont care. Amaron is a bit player in the OEM mkt.

If you dont like the Exide OEM fitted in your car, go ahead and replace it just like many TBHPians replace the tyres, alloy wheels, stereos etc. A battery only costs 2.5-8K depending on the car. The amount spent is possibly worth the 'peace of mind' it buys you. Factor the cost in the 'aftermarket accessory' must-haves.

I have been using Exides, both aftermarket and OEMs, for almost 20 years and have faced no issues. Butttt, given the noise levels around Exide and the fact my 6 month old car came with an OEM Exide MF battery, I am keeping a close eye on it. If it lasts me 2-3 years I will be happy.

Cheers!

R2D2

Last edited by R2D2 : 1st April 2009 at 23:27.
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Old 1st April 2009, 23:11   #92
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Originally Posted by greatmana2000 View Post
In a flooded lead acid battery it is not sealed . you can still tp up the electrolyte and keep using it
Not necessarily. Exide Matrix is completely sealed and cannot be topped up. In India this battery is an exception not the rule.

MF is a label that is a comparative indication of the level of maintenance required when compared to the old style Sb/Sb battery.

Rgds,

Last edited by R2D2 : 1st April 2009 at 23:16.
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Old 1st April 2009, 23:18   #93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
Not necessarily. Exide Matrix is completely sealed and cannot be topped up. In India this battery is an exception not the rule.

MF is a label that is a comparative indication of the level of maintenance required when compared to the old style Sb/Sb battery.

Rgds,
Is the "Exide Freedom" completely sealed?
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Old 2nd April 2009, 01:09   #94
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Originally Posted by Amey View Post
Recently i got a new Getz CRDi.
When i took the delivery, everything was fine, Went to my tyre shop,fitted alloys,new tyres and proceeded to accesory shop.Everything was ok till there.Got the accesory work done, came home,no issues.
Next morning the car wouldnt start. I guessed it was a discharged battery or so, called the dealer who told me to jump start it and get the car to the showroom so they could check. (the showroom is 25 Kms from my place)
I was like, why do you think i have tons of charged batteries to start the car with it and put the original battery so it can charge ?
All this for a brand new car which was not even registered !!!
I told him, I am not going to do anything, you come, replace the battery with a new one.
Then i get a call from Exide saying, take the battery to nearest dealer and if he has stock he will replace hand to hand. Again same question pops in my mind, why should I ?

With a bit of hard talking, the dealer collected the faulty battery and delivered a brand new battery the next day.
This has happened to me for the first time, Faulty battery on a brand new car !
Well, we had a similar experience when we took delivery of our Esteem. Right in the showroom, the car would not start. Goes without saying that the battery was an Exide. They apparently push started it and sent us off. After this, the battery died within a weeks time. It was of course replaced in warranty, and the new battery also died just a month or so after the 1 year warranty expired! And thats the story of my experience with Exide, in a nutshell.

In my bike, the wretched battery (Exide of course, what else?) corroded the metal around it, etc., etc. Have mentioned all this in other threads, so wont repeat.
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Old 2nd April 2009, 21:49   #95
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Originally Posted by janitha View Post
Is the "Exide Freedom" completely sealed?
No it's not completely sealed. It has the 'coin' type flush-fit filler caps. Exide Freedom is mostly seen in the avatar of an OEM battery. Exide's aftermarket brands are ATB, Matrix among others.

Regards,

R2D2

Last edited by R2D2 : 2nd April 2009 at 21:51.
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Old 3rd April 2009, 00:52   #96
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Its freedom FROM Exide thats worth a lot more than Exide Freedom!
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Old 3rd April 2009, 23:00   #97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
Not necessarily. Exide Matrix is completely sealed and cannot be topped up. In India this battery is an exception not the rule.

MF is a label that is a comparative indication of the level of maintenance required when compared to the old style Sb/Sb battery.

Rgds,
I tried having a look at the exide site ,but the site is down . May be i can confirm after having a look at the site orthe battery . personally , i am of the opinion that lead acid batteries need to be topped up once the electrolyte level goes down .
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Old 4th April 2009, 09:25   #98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greatmana2000 View Post
I tried having a look at the exide site ,but the site is down . May be i can confirm after having a look at the site orthe battery . personally , i am of the opinion that lead acid batteries need to be topped up once the electrolyte level goes down .
Yes, you MUST top off the water. When plates are exposed to the air, they go bad due to sulphation.

If it is an Exide Freedom, then I believe it is best to check the batt every 3-6 months depending on ambient temperatures. Should be more frequent in the summer obviously. With normal non-MF batteries check every month. If the car is not in use, disconnect the negative terminal. For even longer periods of non use say over 3 months better to take out the battery and connect it to a charger. Charging at home will require you to monitor the battery continously with a DVM and/or hydrometer to prevent over charging. Monitoring is not required if you have a microprocessor controlled 'smart' charger.

The Exide Matrix is fully sealed and cannot be topped off. If for some reason (mostly by over charging) the electrolyte evaporates, then the battery will die. The only way out is to replace it.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
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Old 4th April 2009, 11:37   #99
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My exide experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by rippergeo View Post
Good news is, maruti now installs Amaron instead of Exide as OEM for the swift D. Exide is going to have to pull its socks up soon.
My new Safari DiCOR too, came w/ Amaron OEM.

And I have mixed experiences on other Exide usage:
  1. On my Wagon-R, OEM Exide lasted for over ~40k Kms and 5.5 years. Replaced with Amaron- working fine for about a year and 2k kms.
  2. In my home inverter both Exide batteries went dead in just about two years. Replaced with Amaron- working fine for last 1.5 years
  3. On my bullet, oem exide went dead in about 2.5 years, 10k kms. Replaced w/ exide as no other option in 14AH battery
  4. On my sparingly used Kinetic, OEM Exide lasted for about 5 years, 5k kms. Not replaced as I do ot use electric start on it :-)
1 and 4 was good, but, 2 and 3 are not so good. Whenever I find a matching replacement in Amaron, I go for them because, their batteries look better built, cleaner and lighter than exide ones plus I find their retailing experience better (in Pune) compared to Exide.

Indeed, to continue leading the pack, Exide needs to pull up their socks fast.
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Old 4th April 2009, 13:26   #100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
No it's not completely sealed. It has the 'coin' type flush-fit filler caps. Exide Freedom is mostly seen in the avatar of an OEM battery. Exide's aftermarket brands are ATB, Matrix among others.

Regards,

R2D2

Lot of thanks since I used to think otherwise. Never checked electrolyte level in my old Uno and still the OEM Freedom lasted more than four years. May be because the service centre took care of it, since I was prompt in getting it serviced. Now that my new Vista too has the same battery I will be careful.
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Old 4th April 2009, 16:59   #101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janitha View Post
Lot of thanks since I used to think otherwise. Never checked electrolyte level in my old Uno and still the OEM Freedom lasted more than four years. May be because the service centre took care of it, since I was prompt in getting it serviced. Now that my new Vista too has the same battery I will be careful.
You're welcome. Loss of water is the #1 battery killer especially in hot countries like India. Just check the electrolyte levels regularly as mentioned in my post below.

To be honest I got an OEM Exide Freedom with my now 6 month old car. But feedback on TBHP has made me a little wary about Exide's quality. Let us see how long it lasts. I check the electrolyte levels and charging voltages and do my bit to maintain the batt by ensuring the battery posts and terminals are clean and fixed tight.

Cheers!
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Old 4th April 2009, 19:10   #102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
You're welcome. Loss of water is the #1 battery killer especially in hot countries like India. Just check the electrolyte levels regularly as mentioned in my post below.

To be honest I got an OEM Exide Freedom with my now 6 month old car. But feedback on TBHP has made me a little wary about Exide's quality. Let us see how long it lasts. I check the electrolyte levels and charging voltages and do my bit to maintain the batt by ensuring the battery posts and terminals are clean and fixed tight.

Cheers!
I too used to check previously ( for more than two decades) using hydrometer and multimeter. But was somehow under the impression that it was totally maintenance free, presumably due to the strap which covered the vents. Now have to be even more careful since the new two month old OEM Freedom has warranty for only 6 months. BTW, used to see hoardings advertising Freedom with 36 months warranty!
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Old 4th April 2009, 19:50   #103
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janitha View Post
I too used to check previously ( for more than two decades) using hydrometer and multimeter. But was somehow under the impression that it was totally maintenance free, presumably due to the strap which covered the vents. Now have to be even more careful since the new two month old OEM Freedom has warranty for only 6 months. BTW, used to see hoardings advertising Freedom with 36 months warranty!
OEM batts generally have a 1 year warranty unless otherwise specified. Check your car's warranty booklet. And dont always count on the dealer checking the batt during the free/paid service.

The Freedom with 36 mths is the aftermarket version. A battery's cost is in proportion to the duration of the warranty period. Longer warranty = higher cost and not necessarily better quality.

Rgds,
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Old 4th April 2009, 20:08   #104
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
OEM batts generally have a 1 year warranty unless otherwise specified. Check your car's warranty booklet. And dont always count on the dealer checking the batt during the free/paid service.

The Freedom with 36 mths is the aftermarket version. A battery's cost is in proportion to the duration of the warranty period. Longer warranty = higher cost and not necessarily better quality.

Rgds,
Thanks. The warranty card states-

6 months from the date of sale or 9 months from month of manufacture whichever is earlier.
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Old 4th April 2009, 20:36   #105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janitha View Post
Thanks. The warranty card states-

6 months from the date of sale or 9 months from month of manufacture whichever is earlier.
Gee! Only 6 months? Better take care of that thing. My car's mfr says 1 year.

The most pathetic battery I've seen is the Motorcraft, OEM on Fords. My friend bought a new Ford Fiesta Diesel in March 09 and the battery's sides were bulging. i told him to get it replaced ASAP with an aftermarket unit.

Rgds,
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