How many cca's do i really need
09-10-10, 06:59 PM
#1
How many cca's do i really need
Ok guys my optima yellow top took a **** on me so im in the market for a new battery. Im looking at the braille 3121...it weighs 21 lbs, i can get it for 185 shipped and has 550 cca's...then they have the deka intimidator its about the same price and has 800 cca's but weighs 42 lbs...my old optima was 45lbs...would the braille be fine or would it die from being so little...any other recommendations for a battery with low weight in the same price range or a little higher maybe...i know the oddysey(spelling) batteries are really expensive for a decent sized one i think
thanx
thanx
09-10-10, 07:05 PM
#2
I dont think it gets that cold in texas, so I can bet the 500 should do the job, lots of FD guys put tiny batteries in their cars, I had a 51R 550CCA battery in my TII coupe and it was fine
however if I were driving the car everyday I would probably want more CCA, I am just paranoid about that
however if I were driving the car everyday I would probably want more CCA, I am just paranoid about that
09-10-10, 07:31 PM
#3
Why the exotic battery gig? My Vert had an Optima Yellow top in it when I bought it. It died about a year later. It was no advantage to have a $200 battery. I put a standard 5 year warranty battery from Orielly Auto. The car always starts, and I have lots of reserve cranking amps. Just a thing that is important to me as well.
If the exotic battery is the weight reduction thing, you can find cheap effective ways to save more weight. Just eat fewer french fries, dated slimmer girls, fill the gas tank to half way, leave your spare and jack at home,and my personal favorite- take a crap before you drive.
If the exotic battery is the weight reduction thing, you can find cheap effective ways to save more weight. Just eat fewer french fries, dated slimmer girls, fill the gas tank to half way, leave your spare and jack at home,and my personal favorite- take a crap before you drive.
09-10-10, 07:39 PM
#4
Me personally would take a high CCA and longer reserver cranking amps battery.
but thats only because I live in philly where winters are hell, I need all the CCA I can get lol.
My fans also runs after the engine is shut off, need all the backup juice I can get there too.
I would just spend 60-70 on a 500+cca battery from a local auto part store.
20 pounds difference is not noticable in real world applications.
but thats only because I live in philly where winters are hell, I need all the CCA I can get lol.
My fans also runs after the engine is shut off, need all the backup juice I can get there too.
I would just spend 60-70 on a 500+cca battery from a local auto part store.
20 pounds difference is not noticable in real world applications.
09-10-10, 08:21 PM
#5
You live where winter is something you have to visit, not something that hangs around for 6 months and literally turns oil to the consistency of taffee, so high cca are nice-to-have, not must have. That said, the larger, higher cranking battery will likely last longer; heat is hard on a battery, and you do have to deal with that.
My choice (your mileage may vary): I went the cheap/light route with my current battery - I got the smallest, cheapest auto battery Walmart sold (still a regular lead-acid, not anything fancy like an Optima or dry-cell) , saving 20 some pounds over the correct battery, and some pesos. Only about 425 cca, but when the snow hits here, my car hides in the garage under a cover waiting for spring, and the battery lives in my basement. Much to my surprise, that little, cheap battery with only a 2 year warranty has served for 5 driving seasons. But I'm fully aware I don't have a lot of reserve if the lights get left on or the car doesn't start quickly and easily. And I track the car, so 20 lbs here, 15 there, 40 there, starts to add up.
My choice (your mileage may vary): I went the cheap/light route with my current battery - I got the smallest, cheapest auto battery Walmart sold (still a regular lead-acid, not anything fancy like an Optima or dry-cell) , saving 20 some pounds over the correct battery, and some pesos. Only about 425 cca, but when the snow hits here, my car hides in the garage under a cover waiting for spring, and the battery lives in my basement. Much to my surprise, that little, cheap battery with only a 2 year warranty has served for 5 driving seasons. But I'm fully aware I don't have a lot of reserve if the lights get left on or the car doesn't start quickly and easily. And I track the car, so 20 lbs here, 15 there, 40 there, starts to add up.
09-10-10, 08:47 PM
#6
I have had the Optima Red Top and a Wal-Mart special in my FB and my vert and in all honesty, the Wal-Mart special performed just as well in the long run. Save the bucks to put where you can realize the benefit. If you are a member of Costco, they have good deals on batteries. Even an Optima is a good bit cheaper there.
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09-10-10, 10:45 PM
#8
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Optima batteries are good for In car Battery Relocation.
the Deka battery is good to save weight and is you are trying to make the Battery smaller due to Piping issues around the stock battery loacation.
Really it is "to each his own".your Decision on what you want to do.
I have had Cheapo Motomaster( Canadian Tire) batteries last 10 years without issue.
the Deka battery is good to save weight and is you are trying to make the Battery smaller due to Piping issues around the stock battery loacation.
Really it is "to each his own".your Decision on what you want to do.
I have had Cheapo Motomaster( Canadian Tire) batteries last 10 years without issue.
09-10-10, 11:09 PM
#9
my battery is relocated to the rear bins, which is why i want a dry cell battery...i havnt had good luck with optima batteries which is why im moving away from them...i dont kno any other off the shelf dry cells other than optima around my area unless im not looking hard enough...honestly the weight thing dosent bother me just another thing too look at i guess...i just want a good reliable battery that is safe to have inside the cabin...
09-11-10, 07:33 AM
#12
my battery is relocated to the rear bins, which is why i want a dry cell battery...i havnt had good luck with optima batteries which is why im moving away from them...i dont kno any other off the shelf dry cells other than optima around my area unless im not looking hard enough...honestly the weight thing dosent bother me just another thing too look at i guess...i just want a good reliable battery that is safe to have inside the cabin...
What about this-get a sealed battery box with a vent hose. Anchor it securely in the bin. Run the vent hose out a hole in the bottom of the car. Done-safe-cheap.
09-11-10, 09:51 AM
#13
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The No-Weight batteries only have a 1 or 2-year warranty. Their heavier Endurance batteries have a 5-year pro-rata warranty.
If you just want a high-quality battery for street driving, I really like the Interstate Mega-Tron Plus battery. You can get it for about $120, it has an 85-month pro-rata warranty, and it weighs about 38 lbs.
To answer your original question, I once had a battery rated at 370 CCA and it worked fine in Florida. However, I did notice that the engine cranked easier when I replaced it with a better battery.
Most racing organizations do allow vented wet cell batteries in the passenger compartment if they are mounted in a special marine grade non-conductive container.
09-11-10, 10:40 AM
#14
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I'm fairly sure that the Braille batteries are just rebranded Dekas, with a price increase of course.
I'd recommend the Deka Intimidator. Outright CCA isn't really that important and is a somewhat arbitrary measurement anyway. Any battery big enough to crank the engine (which covers anything from a massive marine deep cycle to a tiny 12AH motorcycle battery) will do the job. But consider this: if you spend 4 hours at the side of the road with your lights on, will you be able to start the car? Or if the engine floods, how much cranking do you have?
I've been through a bunch of no-name batteries, several Optimas and all have let me down after only a little abuse. My Deka Intimidator (which I learned of because it is used in EV drag racing) has been fine for 5 years. I've actually converted many of my friends over to the Intimidator and always have had positive reviews.
The nice thing about the Intimidator is that it uses a better grid then the round Optima, and is somewhat of a hybrid between a starting and deep cycle battery.
I'd recommend the Deka Intimidator. Outright CCA isn't really that important and is a somewhat arbitrary measurement anyway. Any battery big enough to crank the engine (which covers anything from a massive marine deep cycle to a tiny 12AH motorcycle battery) will do the job. But consider this: if you spend 4 hours at the side of the road with your lights on, will you be able to start the car? Or if the engine floods, how much cranking do you have?
I've been through a bunch of no-name batteries, several Optimas and all have let me down after only a little abuse. My Deka Intimidator (which I learned of because it is used in EV drag racing) has been fine for 5 years. I've actually converted many of my friends over to the Intimidator and always have had positive reviews.
The nice thing about the Intimidator is that it uses a better grid then the round Optima, and is somewhat of a hybrid between a starting and deep cycle battery.
09-11-10, 11:03 AM
#15
Optima'a are teh Worst most peice of **** battery i have ever seen. They always take a dump on people, never will i even look at one of those turd batteries. I had a red top, nothing but a pain in my ***, garbage.
Now the interstate Megatron-Plus = one of the best batteries ive ever owned with a very reasonable price and great warranty. I would highly reccommend this battery to any 7 owner. Great CCA's, and very very reliable.
Now the interstate Megatron-Plus = one of the best batteries ive ever owned with a very reasonable price and great warranty. I would highly reccommend this battery to any 7 owner. Great CCA's, and very very reliable.
09-11-10, 04:24 PM
#16
Racing batteries not only save weight, but they are also designed for increased vibration resistance. The AGM type batteries are much better at taking the abuse caused by off-road racing, high-G road race cornering, drag race launches, and booming competition stereos.
Most racing organizations do allow vented wet cell batteries in the passenger compartment if they are mounted in a special marine grade non-conductive container.
I did not realize that the OP was using the battery for racing etc. That is a different question than I thought I was answering.
For racing applications, the Rules will give specific details such as welded anchors or J-bolts, sealed battery box, non-conductive material etc. that make the interior application safe enough for their purposes.
09-11-10, 05:09 PM
#17
Too old for this
I'm surprised to see so much against the Optima. I have 2600W of audio in my car, and I got a yellow top after killing 3 standard wet cell batteries in under a year. I've had it for a little over 2 years and deep discharged it more times than I can count at parties and car shows. Just last weekend, I popped the hatch and let the stereo play for 6 hours, and it was still able to crank start.(the party house is at the top of a hill, so its an easy roll start) A few time the engine has flooded badly on me and through all the unflood cycles I was probably cranking the starter for two minutes. I could hear it getting weak towards the end, but it still started. 
09-11-10, 07:28 PM
#19
many people have failed optimas, they are not notoriously strong batteries(people are split down the middle, some have had several failures in different cars while some have had theirs for years with no issue). the red top is the one most refer to when they have few failures, the yellow tops love to literally explode.
as for the OP, it really depends what he plans on doing with the car. i usually push people away from the small compact batteries because they die quickly and no one likes being caught in the middle of the night with dead battery and no jumper to save a few pounds which is what? .02 seconds off your 1/4 mile time? i opt for a full size battery and do mods to produce more power, it's nice having a car that can crank for more than 10 seconds before falling on it's face.
as for the OP, it really depends what he plans on doing with the car. i usually push people away from the small compact batteries because they die quickly and no one likes being caught in the middle of the night with dead battery and no jumper to save a few pounds which is what? .02 seconds off your 1/4 mile time? i opt for a full size battery and do mods to produce more power, it's nice having a car that can crank for more than 10 seconds before falling on it's face.
09-11-10, 08:31 PM
#20
my car is just a weekend car...no racing...i was really tempted to buy a everstart extreme today..77 bucks, 3 year warranty, 875 cranking amps, 700 cca's...i just want to go throu the hassle of putting in a sealed battery box and venting it...is it a big deal to have a standard battery in the car without have a vented box?? ive seen more than a few people do it before with no issues but just not for sure on it...
thanx
thanx
09-11-10, 09:34 PM
#22
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Mounting a lead-acid battery in the passenger compartment without a proper box will work just fine until it overcharges or you get into a wreck and take an acid bath. This will work out to your advantage if your life's dream is to play the Phantom of the Opera.
09-11-10, 09:41 PM
#23
To offer a review, I've had an optima yellow top for two years and that thing is a ******* beast. I remember when my fuel pump died I sat there at school and cranked the car on and off for like four hours and the speed barely changed. I feel its important to have a strong battery in an FC in case the car floods from low compression or whatever.
09-11-10, 11:07 PM
#24
Batteries produce hydrogen gas. If placed in a small unvented container, then the gas can accumulate to the point that it becomes an explosive danger. Remember the Hindenburg?
Mounting a lead-acid battery in the passenger compartment without a proper box will work just fine until it overcharges or you get into a wreck and take an acid bath. This will work out to your advantage if your life's dream is to play the Phantom of the Opera.
Mounting a lead-acid battery in the passenger compartment without a proper box will work just fine until it overcharges or you get into a wreck and take an acid bath. This will work out to your advantage if your life's dream is to play the Phantom of the Opera.
The nice thing about hydrogen is that it is lighter than air (see Hindenburg under 'lighter than air'). Therefore it does not tend to accumulate in low spots like the storage bins. The gas tends to rise and dissipate, rather than accumulate. So it is not a danger of accumulation, but specifically a danger when the production of gas occurs at a high rate, ie when you run the battery down then jump start the car. Now the charging occurs from the alternator at a very high rate, producing maximum hydrogen. Disconnect the jumper cables at the discharged battery end and you get a nice spark for ignition. bang, splash, acid bath.
The other issue is secure mounting for a crash, to avoid the Phantom of the Opera face paint and the 'battery imbedded in the back of the head' syndrome.
Mounting strategies that are 'safe' under the hood are unacceptable in the passenger compartment.
You make your decisions and you take your chances.
09-12-10, 01:04 AM
#25
Diehard platinum here. 4 years full replacement, around 1000cca, reserve capacity for days. Group 34 seemed like a good idea when it was under the hood, now that I'm moving it to the bin I kinda wish id stuck w/the group 35 lol. Oh and its r every bit of 50lbs (in the 34 that is)