Battery info

hi peeps I been having some issues cold starting doris (Batt being flat in morning) but been putting off cause my trusty booster always gets her going,
well anyway went out this morning and both where flat, I thought I cant put this off any longer so i investigated, done a drop test on batt and it was low but still should be ok so i went tracking the earths down,
after cleaning up all electrical connections for the charging and starting system it was a bit better but not 100% ok time to take battery out and inspect cells etc,
to my astonishment it had completly the wrong battery in it, the hijet should have a 156 battery in and min has a 039
the 156 has 350cca at 45ah the 039 is 220cca at 34ah big difference (no wonder she been struggling to start)
anyway got on phone to price up battery and even with my trade discount they are £63 plus dredded,
I decided i am a stingy so and so and not gonna pay that, so I got my tape mesure came out, it turns out that the battery box is actually fairly big and in fact big enough for a normal battery so back on phone for price of an 063 £34 and it is rated at 420cca 44ah so a better battery at nearly half the price no brainer
moral to the post dont put a standard battery in shop about and get an 063 and before anyone pipes up yes i know i can get either batt cheaper but i wanted a half decent make and 5yr warrenty
all the best Danny

Yep, I put proper full size batteries in them.

Those stupid little compact batteries are both expensive and not very effective.

It's literally half the price to put a proper battery in them.

think that be why id been having problems in the cold, i kept asking why such a stupid little battery, seems as usual mechanics only willing to replace with same, ill get this sorted soon as i can :-) cheers

did the same to mine last month, starts like a dream now the scooter battery is out

i really dont understand why proper batterys were never fitted out the factory it makes no sense

There seems to be a trend of putting loads of stupid hardware on cars by the manufacturer:-

Run flat tyres
HID head lamps
Day time running lights
Hydraulic tappets
Hydraulic tensioning cam chains
Stupid bloody batteries
Keyless entry
Electronic handbrakes
Non standard radiator caps
Oil filters on the side, so when you undo them they make a right mess
Those paper cartridge oil filters

How the manufactures decide these things are a good idea puzzles me, they must have a load of idiots sat round a table making decision about stuff they have very little experience of.

You missed off electric steering, and I'm not too sure yet about the stop-start gimmick.
Jag AED units.
Sunroofs that are designed to leak.

Also, can anyone tell me why indicators are disabled on police-spec cars?

same as auto wipers
auto lights
over complicated radios


we are in the cars to be driving them not sitting back and chilling out

in general ppl are stupid , car manufactures should be doing things to kee ppl on there toes not relaxing, i remember reading a story years ago about an american who got an RV and put it in cruise control he thought it would drive itself so he got in back to make a drink i repeat my previous statement ppl in general are stupid lol

Lab_Rat835 wrote:
in general ppl are stupid , , i remember reading a story years ago about an american who got an RV and put it in cruise control he thought it would drive itself so he got in back to make a drink i repeat my previous statement ppl in general are stupid lol

Yep.....  

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/cruise.asp

"
[Collected on the Internet, 1995]

This guy saves up his money and finally gets the van he always wanted. Fridge and tv in the back, all the works. He starts driving out on a country road that leads to his home. He sets the van on cruise control and gets out of the drivers seat and goes into the back to get a beer. The van of course goes off the road, and when the paramedics ask him what happened, he said he thought he had auto-pilot.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/cruise.asp#wpLFyOWLiVW8TKw9.99"

gets in back to get a beer says it all
rofl

Err? Urban Myth ringing any bells?

im not convinced all the storys are myth, I mean we all know a 'malcom'

Thanks for providing this info. The 063 battery is x100 better

I am guessing the battery compatibility referred to in first few posts only applies to the van.
With the pickup battery box, dimensions are a bit more restrictive and I think I'm limited to the 156 or an 054 (as one battery retailer recommends, though that would leave some room for it to rattle around in.)

I changed to a 063 battery two years ago. Needed slight alterations to the battery strap and holding hook but really straightforward to do. Got a five year warranty 063 that cost about £45. I agree about most of the modern gimmicks installed on modern cars. My daily driver has stop start and it drives me nuts. It also has self park which I've never used. BUT I do appreciate its front and rear cameras/buzzers - not that my little Porter MPV needs them! There's a few extra's I'd like in my Porter such as power steering when I'm in a tight spot and heated seats for those cold Winter days. But the Porter is what it is - a really useful tool that happens to be fun to own and drive.

You could always measure to find out 207L x 175W x 175H

It's just the last measurement (on z-axis) that is constricting.
Nothing wider than 130mm without modifying the box unless i'm missing something

My battery died on me yesterday, was at pole position at a level crossing and turned engine off like a good boy. Fortunately a Good Samaritan helped me push-start it. Bought a Drivetec 063 battery from CPA (good people to deal with if you have one in your area) for £38.38 using partsforallcars.com to reserve online.