Battery choice

[philjohnson911]

Battery is dead . . . anyone got any recommdations? (based in the UK). Obviously looking for something sealed.

Optima (red top) - from what I hear is great, but twice the price . . . is it really worth it? (epecially considering all the other money I've thrown at the car)

Does'nt Exide do one?

I've found Delphi (that famous france brand)- they do a sealed battery for half the price of the Optima. Anyone tried these? (www.delphiauto.co.uk)

What should the requirements be (i.e. don't want to blow the Alternator up) . . . . Cold Cranking Amps and the like.

Thanks for the help . . . Phil Johnson
1.7 (now 1.9) 1972

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I have Optimas in both of my cars. Love 'em. The only complaint I have is that they're very heavy, and the one in the Honda is a little too big for the space it has to fit into.

I figure as long as you get one of those sealed batteries that does not leak, you'll OK. CCA minimum for the 914 is listed at something like 480. All Optimas that I know of put out well over that.

In both cars, I noticed that the starter motor cranks quicker with the Optima installed.

--DD

[norustscott]

...whatever brand...just go with a sealed, gel celled, battery. It is a four to five year amortization...Then you get to buy another.

[DSPTurtle]

It sounds like we have a lot of fellow bbs members using Optima's. I was afraid to go get one cause I heard horror stories of the cases exploding and bad things happening (over a year ago). SOunds like all this has been fixed. Is it really worth the $100???

[anthony]

It's worth it if you don't want battery acid dripping near your fuel lines and rear suspension. If you never drive in the rain, car is garaged, and you never wash it you could probably get away with using a regular battery. I suppose a regular battery in a sealed marine battery box is also a solution but all the boxes I've seen are too big to fit in the stock battery tray.

[DSPTurtle]

I have mine in the trunk inside of a marine box with no cover. The fluid stays in the box but the fumes do linger with anything that was stored in the trunk for more than a few days. Can those fumes have a negative effect, or is it only if the liquid gets on something?

[anthony]

Don't know the answer about the fumes but personally I wouldn't want that smell on anything I put in my trunk.

[gregk1]

Optimas or jell cell are better for G force and vibrations I used them in drag cars Because they tolarate the G force when the car leaves real hard. Where the water ones slosh around. You see alot of them in drag cars and offroad. I have to in my Offshore Boat and in my autox car also

[Will98D]

Hey Phil... Delphi isn't French, although some products are made there. We were formerly part of General Motors, spun off in 1999 and are now starting to market our products under our own name for the aftermarket (I work for Delphi Steering; pumps, halfshafts, columns and gears). The Delphi batteries are quite good (all AC Delco batteries are ours), but I do not have any experience yet with the advanced glass mat sealed-type. I hope to get one once they are available in the US. Lots of luck.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Optima, Exide, as long as you get one of that type of gell cell/sealed mat cell/whatever, you should be OK.


I have mine in the trunk inside of a marine box with no cover. The fluid stays in the box but the fumes do linger with anything that was stored in the trunk for more than a few days. Can those fumes have a negative effect, or is it only if the liquid gets on something?

The fumes contain two things that are important. One is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen--which means that things can get exciting if you have them in a tightly sealed box and then you open up the box one day to mess with something.

The other is acid vapor. The acid can condense onto whatever it runs into--like your sheet metal--and then start its insidious work.

Battery boxes generally should be covered and vented, generally by using plastic tubing, to somewhere underneath the car.

--DD