Battery replacement and fitting etc

[burfadel]

I was looking at the OEM battery in the car yesterday and basically balked at the standard battery capicity. 365 CCA or something? That's pretty pathetic. I'm guessing for the American models they put something a bit better in because I doubt 365 CCA would be a good starter in snow. The car is a 2013 MY14, so I'm not sure of the expected life expectancy. I think if I went and got the battery tested they'd tell me to replace it simply because it's well, stupid!

Anyways, if I did replace it I'd replace it with a Century Ultra-Hi Performance battery which is a much more respectable 620 CCA:
http://www.centurybatteries.com.au/reso ... uct/75d23l

Since this is the Century 'highly recommended' battery for this car I know it should fit with a stock set up. I'm however going to install a RA intake, so I presume the clearance may be different. Will this Century battery fit, or is the difference with the RA snorkel more about better width? Also how long should I expect the stock battery to last? Obviously I am keen to replace it with something 'not stupid', but I don't want to replace the battery if there is still life in it.

[sarusa]

Haven't checked but I believe battery is covered under warranty for 2 years. I believe you will find battery height consistent variation in other dimensions and pole positioning and type of connection.

[zedd82]

Most batteries should last 3 winters maybe longer depending on the climate you live in. As long as the new batter is the same dimensions as the stock one the RA snorkel will fit.

[burfadel]

Thanks . I was thinking of giving the current battery a full charge (with rejuvenation cycle on the Projecta charger) and replacing it before next winter.

Another question, can the battery be charged connected to the vehicle, or do you have to remove it? I know with some cars you can't charge with it connected.

[Lancer1993]

Just got my hands on a RA snorkel and it appears to be no deeped, or not by much, the main difference is the width so as long as the battery is not much taller it should fit fine.

Given my CJ is 6yo I can probably assume the previous owner had at least one new battery as they normally last about 3 years, so might be due soon.

Thanks for the info on CCA, id be aiming for an OPTIMA but they can cost twice as much as other suitable batteries.

http://www.optimabatteries.com.au/product/d35/

FYI it's only a few mm different in size compared to the Century one posted earlier.

OPTIMA - 238 x 173 x 199 mm
Century - 231 x 171 x 201 mm

[Dire]

I have never heard anyone complain about the CJ's battery before... So I wouldn't be worried about a replacement battery's quality too much.

I had my CJ for 4.75 years and still had the factory battery.


Supercheap should have an entire wall of Century batteries and an ipad you can search on. If you have a RA intake, search up an RA, then just measure up their batteries yourself if you want to get a better-than-recommended one.

[Lancer1993]

I'd bet the RA uses the same battery as the other CJs, probably even the stock on in the EVO sold in AU.

How do I tell if mine is the original battery? Did they use a particular brand from the factory?

[burfadel]

The CCA of the factory battery is around 365 CCA or something like that. It's very low. Most replacements except for very low end batteries would be 400+. Not sure of the brand of the original battery, I didn't check.

I was thinking that aftermarket batteries would fit, but you got to love that they made a molding insert inside the intake resonator to accommodate the battery holder. The other thing I'm surprised about is the location of the ECU. Realistically it's something that should be kept cool, yet it's right in the path of the engine heat. I guess the good thing is it hasn't caused any issues, I just guess the cars probably weren't intended for summers that get up to 45 C or higher.

[Lancer1993]

he first thing that struck me when I first saw a CJ engine bay was the layout, exhaust at the back near the firewall, battery and ECU pretty close to the engine, its all wrong!

Previously engines that run across the front had the exhaust out front for better cooling and yes the battery and ECU would be further away. Guess it's not an issue for the EVO with the battery in the boot.

I like that OPTIMA battery with the optional holding plate so you don't have the usual harness over the top. I'll be doing some work on the car this morning and will check the battery dimensions and take loads of photos to ID it.

[Davy]

Id bet the RA uses the same battery as the other CJs, probably even the stock on in the EVO sold in AU. How do I tell if mine is the original battery? Did they use a particular brand from the factory?

You're absolutely right. The RA battery is also 55D23L.

The CCA of the factory battery is around 365 CCA or something like that. Its very low. Most replacements except for very low end batteries would be 400+. Not sure of the brand of the original battery, I didnt check. I was thinking that aftermarket batteries would fit, but you got to love that they made a molding insert inside the intake resonator to accommodate the battery holder. The other thing Im surprised about is the location of the ECU. Realistically its something that should be kept cool, yet its right in the path of the engine heat. I guess the good thing is it hasnt caused any issues, I just guess the cars probably werent intended for summers that get up to 45 C or higher.

The CCA of 55D23L is 540. I think that's pretty okay. My RA is mostly a weekender and the car starts up without any issues in the morning.

[burfadel]

Really? I better check the book. Pretty sure the battery in the car matches the book, which is much less than 540 CCA!

[Lancer1993]

Yeah the Optima ones at least double that.

Here is my battery, Made in Korea and 600 CCA so I guess not stock and by the looks not serviceable with no visible way to add water.



Also here is the clearance difference between the stock snorkel and the RA one, still enough room to fit a slightly taller battery.




Speaking of the snorkel it's not a perfect fit, rubbing on the plastic cover for the top of the radiator.


Still looking good though I will do something to make it fit better.

[burfadel]

That's what I thought might happen with different batteries. Not much clearance there at all!

I checked out the battery in the car, it appears to be still the original, and it's a 356 CCA battery size 55D23L. The battery itself doesn't seem to have a brand on it from what I can see, it's got a white case, black top, with a warning sticker on it... in Japanese. How useful! In the manual the battery specification is 356 CCA for all models of cars including the Ralliart. I'm guessing this is for the Australian models only, because in really cold areas like Europe or northern US/Canada during winter I doubt 356 CCA would be enough to comfortably start the car. The other consideration is because the CCA capacity is quite low, when you start the car I can imagine that when the battery is a little older or in colder weather that the voltage will probably drop during starting to a point where it affects the operation of the computer. This is guessing of course!

I wonder if this capacity is something that has changed over the years. I'ts pretty easy to find out, it's just in the manual near the back under specifications where it lists the alternator capacity.