Battery recomendations please

[FNQCairns]

I need a decent and new 4wd battery, I would like the biggest 'reliable' storage battery I can fit in the original space under the bonnet and charge fully with the car.
A hybrid if others think so too might be an option as the car is a fast starter and it might help run say a Engel for longer without undue drama...dunno?

Anyone got any known good brand and model/type recommendations I can check out?

The battery that fits ATM is of the N70 (light truck?) type and around 600cca seems pretty standard but would love an 800????

Thanks fnq

[BenDover]

If you want the ducks nuts. The gell cell ones I saw a few years back where awsome. Its gell, not fluid and can be mounted sideways if you want. Vibration doesnt affect them at all. And they are a completely sealled unit. They are both deep cycle and starter. Have a great spike rating for running fridges etc. They have great life and recovery aswell. 9% discharge if left for 3 months. I dont have all the facts though, but look them up.

[FNQCairns]

Been looking around a little, the idea of a hybrid? is looking ok atm, can anyone with the knowledge give me the biz on these two? The supercharge calls it's self both a crank and deepcycle but the centuary doesn't, yet the specs say it has the same design idea...am I correct??

The Supercharge MRV70L

http://linux.supercharge.com.au/prod...allrounder.php


The Century N70ZZL4WD, specs are on the link one the right.

http://www.centurybatteries.com.au/a...oductsubtype=0


Thanks Ben I will look into them too.

cheers fnq

[Benny01]

N70 is a big battery that will probably do everything u need it to do. We carry exide and it has a 2yr warranty but we never have a problem with exides.

im guessing you dont want to mount your battery sideways or sotre your car on its roof so theres no reason a lead-acid wont do it for you. and they are as reliable as anything else

[FNQCairns]

Thanks Benny it does look like I will be staying with a lead acid the AGMs don't like underbonnet temps so I read and i have no interest in a dual battery system.

The last n70 exide i owned did the violent internal short jobbie on me just out of warranty and it had the life of a princess with hardly a bump and never a large discharge seen so until the memory fades I have a shitty on them ATM...shoulda picked the one next to it on the shelf

cheers fnq

[oldboot]

If you want the ducks nuts. The gell cell ones I saw a few years back where awsome. Its gell, not fluid and can be mounted sideways if you want. Vibration doesnt affect them at all. And they are a completely sealled unit. They are both deep cycle and starter. Have a great spike rating for running fridges etc. They have great life and recovery aswell. 9% discharge if left for 3 months. I dont have all the facts though, but look them up.

we've been thu this one before.

NO acid battery is completely sealed..... check the manufacturers data sheets.

It is not al all advisable to mount any acid bassed battery anything other than upright if it is to be charged in that position. see the point above.
....... check the manufacturers recomendations

If it is a true gell battery or a standard starved electrolite battery they will not stand high charge or discharge currents for significant periods.
...... check the manufacturers specifications

There is a great deal said about so called sealed batteries that is not supported by the manufacturers documentation.

In simple terms... if the battery is overcharged it will either vent or explode....therfore they have vents......if it vents lying on its side....it will vent acid.

In reality what is required here is a reputable brand robust construction battery, intended to cope with vibration.....a battery marketed as marine or specificaly for 4WD use is what you want........an AGM or other exotic battery will be so much more expensive than a marine battery.

Big brother has a 4WD and travels away several months a year for work over heavy bad roads and runs 3 x 120 AH batteries a pair of crankers for the 24V truck electrics and deep cycle for the engel that runs 24/7/365.
over the years he has had variable durability from batteries..... even had one of the pair of crankers die after 1 trip and the other go for over 2 years......he very rarely gets over 2 years out of a battery...they just rattle to bits.
The bottom line is you get what you pay for.

cheers

[GBC]

I've heard good things about the allrounders, but won't be able to back it up for a while. I'm getting one in a couple of weeks for a forthcoming desert trip - so we'll see then. It'll be the 15 plate - same size as yours.

[FNQCairns]

GBC I might too, depends on what prices I find when I ring around but swaying toward the Century ATM because of it's on paper specs.

It's not worth dealing with a borderline battery/s when away from the bright lights....not long ago I had 2 flat battery's and a gennie that died so ended up hooking the inverter and battery charger to one of the flat ones to give the other just enough charge before the inverters voltage cutout....luckily it was just enough to get a start from the cranking battery.

Happy this time to spend what it takes to keep self made dramas like this at a minimum. Hope your big trip goes well.

cheers fnq

[BenDover]

Oldboot, Here is the first website I pulled up. It says it plain and simple. This is how its advertised.


12V 38AH Deep Cycle Gel Cell Battery


These add genuine deep-cycle batteries to Jaycar's already substantial range of batteries. As with all gel cells, they can be operated and charged in any position, are leakproof and completely sealed. Gel batteries are ideal for solar power, camping, 4WD, auxiliary applications and anywhere deep discharge and recovery is required.

Im no battery expert. They are expensive but everyone I know who have them in their comp trucks put them through hell abuse.... And then take them upto the cape and camping. No hick ups as of yet.

[TOPAZ]

Hi All,

Have a look at Optima batteries - ARB sell them


Richard

[oldboot]

This is plain and simple.
Jaycar is not a manufacturer and that is not a manufacturers specification or recomendation.

start with www. sonnenschein.org one of the longest standing manufacturers of true gell batteries.

follow the link marked "gassing" what it says is plain and simple.

"ANY rechargable battery can and will produce gass. Ventilate to outside air!"

Many manufactures claim their products are safe to use on their sides.....including some models of sonnenschein......BUT......many equipment manufacturers took this advice in the early eighties.......I attended many alarm panels installed this way and witnessed many cases of acid damage.

If you look at the MSDS on the site.....it states that the gell batteries may vent among other things sulphuric acid mist

now onto DiaMec the brand that jaycar sell. www. diamec.com
in their handling precautions section

on one hand it says

" diamec battery is designed to be used in any position, but charging upside down should be avoided. Othewise leakage of electrolite from safety vents may occur during excessive charge"

then

point 5
"When batteries are used in vibration conditions, they shall be mounted in upright possition and with proper cushioning for protection from vibration."

under transport precautions

"Transport batteries in the upright possition and avoid abnormaly strong shock and vibration."

Now if the battery may vent acid upside down... the liklihood of venting acid on its side is pretty good too.


OH then read the disclaimer......

One issue that have not seen mentioned is the internal structrual issue....regardless of type or size any plated battery will support its own internal guts in an upright position

So even the manufacturers hopefull recomendations are tempered with cautions and conditions that disclaim their own sales hype.


If you have expectations of a particular battery, you need to look at the specifications of that particular battery... because there is a great variation in seemingly similar items.

many batteries are described as "gell batteries" and are not. One of the importers of batteries was recently stung for describing a particular battery range as "Absorbed Glass Mat" and they were not.

There is a lot of hype and BS said over batteries. One needs to be carefull that one has the truth and the whole truth, whick may not be initialy obvious or easy to access.

In short... dont mount any battery other than upright.
AND a good quality, standard design product will always be better value than something exotic.

cheers

[GBC]

FNQ, I've had 2 supercharge straight deep cycles before - got about 3 years out of each which for me is O.K. as I don't turn the fridge off - ever - and the battery'd go fairly flat each weekend which lead plate batteries don't particularly love.
I also get supercharge at the right price so it is a major factor for me. I'd be happy with an optima or something if someone else would buy it - I just can't come at paying 400+ for a battery.
I've got a couple of CSB non spillable batteries at the moment which I've not been enamoured with - they don't like to be jammed with charge from the alternator etc etc and that doesn't sit well with my ethos - 'If I have to give a stuff about something unnecessarily then I don't want it' - back to simple lead acids for me then.

Just on what Oldboot was saying - apparently marine batteries give a little less bang for your buck due to extra space being required for a stronger case to take the pounding?? Sounds plausable.

[oldboot]

In general terms a marine battery should be of stronger construction with some form of absorbent matting between the plates to stop the plates and stuff flapping about and stop the acid sloshing about as much.

similar to $WD batteries and other arduous use batteries.

So...marine batteries have glass mates between the plates, some 4WD batteries and some earthmoving batteries have glass mats between the plates, standard sealed lead acid batteries have glass mats between the plates and Absorbed Glass Mat batteries have glass mats between the plates........so what is the difference??????

Answer.....other important small details about how the battery is made.

cheers

[chisel]

I have a Century Overlander as starter and a Fullriver 120AH AGM as auxiliary in my 100 series. I've heard the Supercharge Allrounders are great too. I know someone who has an Optima as starter for a diesel 100 and it is a tiny battery with huge output cca. Good if you need to keep it lightweight/small ... but expensive!

[BenDover]

There is something seriously wrong with the people who advertise and sell the gell cell ones then. Ive heard them say all these kinds of bogus claims, even at the 4x4 shows.

Do you know much about hydrogen cells oldboot.