Cerbera Battery

[PuffsBack]

Looking for a new battery for the Cerb, but finding one to fit looks to be tricky!! Most are to high

I like the look at the Odyssey PC1230 but its expensive

Any recommendations?

[jackwibble]

Lots of threads over the last couple of months about this if you scroll back.

Basics it cannot be more than 210mm high the width is standard 175mm length is 250 mm you can fit longer but need to remove the clamp, some battery boxes are slightly different sizes typical TVR!

Oh and you need the correct terminal layout if you want to access the +ive through the hole in the F1 panel.

I went for a Bosch 086 which is 190H x 175W x 278L 74 Ah and 680CCA fits like a glove correct terminal layout good price and 4 yrs warranty.

Others will no doubt come on and champion Red/Yellow tops and Odyssey as you mention but they are all mega bucks by comparison. I got mine from a local dealer but I have had good service from the company below

http://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-search-48-596-12-0-...

[PuffsBack]

OK cool, it was the extra length of that battery I was worried about and the F1 panel as to whether it would fit. Looks like it will be very snug

Cheers

[jackwibble]

Yes I know what you mean I managed to get my F1 to slide down after organising the wires but it was snug but no fear of the battery going any where!
Gazzab on here struggled to get his to fit but his is a later car!

[Steve_T]

The PC-1230 ought to fit easily as it's only 240mm long. I have a PC1500 which is a close fit at 276mm. I have a revised battery clamp arrangement as the captive nut on a plate disintegrated. A 1500 will not fit with the standard clamp in place, but the 1230 should.

[PuffsBack]

jackwibble said:

Yes I know what you mean I managed to get my F1 to slide down after organising the wires but it was snug but no fear of the battery going any where!
Gazzab on here struggled to get his to fit but his is a later car!

Yep I read the thread, my Cerb is a 2002 like Gazzab's (as well as the same colour)

[PuffsBack]

OK went predictable and bought a Optima Red Top for the cranking capacity and painless fitting. Would have like the Odyssey but the price was another £50 on top of the Red Top.

My current battery as def on the way out, thought it may have been my Accumate playing up but nope. Its getting on for 5 years old according to the SH so had a good innings.

Interestingly ever since I bought the car in 2011 the Ice Warning Light as always played up (despite me replacing the Thermistor etc) Basically it always comes on Red for the first 10 mins or so after a start. However when Green Flag started the car from their booster the other day it stayed off so wondering if its related to a poor battery struggling while starting the car. If so maybe the Optima will resolve.

[PuffsBack]

BatteryMegaStore.co.uk gets thumbs up from me - ordered the Redtop at 2pm yesterday, delivered 9am this morning!

[Focused]

I just bought the 072 from Unipart (bottom 2 on link page) it says £100 but I paid £82 for mine a week ago. The terminals need to be flush with the top so check the overall height including terminal. 3 yr warranty.

http://www.unipartautomotive.co.uk/Electrical/Batt...

[The_Edge]

Check my recent thread. The guys at Tayna were really good though.

I also took some pics in case you're an enthusiastic amateur needing some help

[PuffsBack]

Liking the Red Top, fitted no problem. Its as people say a little short but I put a bit of spare door seal along the mounting bracket which once bolted down holds the battery nice and firm and looks neat.

Turns the engine over a dream, even if the Speed 6 gives up the ghost I probably could drive it on the starter

So we will see how long it lasts, I had a look through the service history and this its 4th battery (in eleven years) The first was replaced under warranty after a year in 2003, the next done well and lasted to 2009 (although the car only did 4000 miles in that time) and current one lasted until now (but managed 9000 miles)

Edited by PuffsBack on Friday 19th April 21:36

[Juddder]

jackwibble said:

I went for a Bosch 086 which is 190H x 175W x 278L 74 Ah and 680CCA fits like a glove correct terminal layout good price and 4 yrs warranty.

[...] I got mine from a local dealer but I have had good service from the company below

http://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-search-48-596-12-0-...

Hi Jack

I ordered the Varta from Tayna Batteries last week and fitting it this weekend it seems to be too long to get the 'scuttle' to fit back over the top?

It's not the mount of the battery bracket underneath, but the fact that on my Cerb the positive lead is positioned to go next to the battery in between the 'scuttle' and that makes it a good 1 1/2cm to 2cm too wide to bolt the scuttle on.

Any thoughts on how you got yours to fit (or where to move the positive lead to!)

[Englishman]

Got mine from Tanya too. They recommended an 096R Enduroline to me. 74Ah 690CCA, length 278 mm, width 175 mm, height 190 mm. Good fit except too long to fit the securing bracket, but isn't going anywhere with the cover on.

[Rinski79]

+1 on the Bosch 086. Had to replace my battery a month or so ago and had similar questions/probelms as yourself. Battery fits perfect, correct terminals and less than a £100 (in the trade!)

[RUSSELLM]

Rinski79 said:

+1 on the Bosch 086. Had to replace my battery a month or so ago and had similar questions/probelms as yourself. Battery fits perfect, correct terminals and less than a £100 (in the trade!)

£73 delivered, from justcarbatteries

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 9th September 22:38

[jackwibble]

Yep my +ve lead runs between the battery and the scuttle panel in fact I took it all out last week to fit a new starter solenoid but that's another thread altogether!

All I can say is that yes the retaining clamp is a no no due to new battery length but the scuttle panel slides between the air box and +ve leads/battery reasonably easily.

It's a tight ish fit but not silly if that makes sense you have to push the box shaped part down between the air box and battery leads and it means the battery can't possibly slide out.
Hope this helps.

[jammy_basturd]

I would say it depends on your usage of your Cerbera that determines your battery:

Use more than once a week just go with a normal battery like the Bosch or the Tanya.

Use less than once a week but have the ability to keep on trickle charge - again get the Bosch or Tanya.

Use infrequently/put away over winter and can't ensure being able to use a trickle charge - invest and get a gel/AGM battery like the Optima Red/Yellow Top.

[Juddder]

jackwibble said:

It's a tight ish fit but not silly if that makes sense you have to push the box shaped part down between the air box and battery leads and it means the battery can't possibly slide out.
Hope this helps.

Thanks Jack - I'll give it another go this weekend but I wasn't looking particularly like it wanted to give up the room when I tried a few times!

Will post back how I get on...

[Rinski79]

RUSSELLM said:

£73 delivered, from justcarbatteries

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 9th September 22:38

I've been had again!!

[Juddder]

Steve_T said:

I have a revised battery clamp arrangement as the captive nut on a plate disintegrated. A 1500 will not fit with the standard clamp in place, but the 1230 should.

Looks like I have the same issue that the Varta battery I bought won't sit flat as the captive nut for the battery clamp is still there and raises up 1-2 cm.

What's the easiest way to remove this?

Mine is totally rusted (rain in the UK for you!) and there appear to be two bolts either side at the front which probably dousing in WD40 can be removed - else it's brute force I guess!