Bigger battery
Discussion
Evening guys , we have a 1500 diesel Juke , it starts first turn of the key untill the temperature goes sub - zero , then it is hard work . Local garage has checked battery and charging and it appears fine . If I hook up some jump leads to my van it starts loads better .
I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
townfanjon said:
Evening guys , we have a 1500 diesel Juke , it starts first turn of the key untill the temperature goes sub - zero , then it is hard work . Local garage has checked battery and charging and it appears fine . If I hook up some jump leads to my van it starts loads better .
I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
Only changing the voltage will damage things. Ah is just the capacity and CCA is the battery's ability to deliver the CCA rated current for 30 seconds at -18 degrees celsius. I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
I reckon your battery is on its way out and even though testing may seem like it's ok, the cold weather could be revealing the real truth. Either that or the battery isn't getting a chance (or able) to charge up properly when driving. One of these little cigarette lighter adapter voltmeters are handy so you can observe the voltage as you are driving. It should be 13V+ (typically over 14V) when charging and you can also see what the battery voltage drops to when you turn the engine off. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dual-USB-Car-Charger-Buil...
A larger capacity battery will have more overhead to accommodate any extra drain whilst the engine is off (i.e. colder weather) but it's only worthwhile if your car has the time and ability to fully charge up the bigger battery, otherwise it's wasted capacity. Unless you have a battery tender which you can hook it up to overnight or perhaps once a week?
Regarding CCA, your car will only require a certain CCA rating to start. If it only needs say 480A to start then this is all it will take from the battery regardless of how much and CCA is available. And also CCA is rated at -18 degrees celsius, so technically speaking a higher CCA shouldn't make any difference unless the temperature is dropping below this.
However, things like the battery not getting up to full capacity, wear etc may have an impact on the CCA, I'm not entirely sure. So as with the capacity it may be worth going for a slightly higher CCA to give you that extra overhead. I would also keep your current battery and get a smart battery charger which may be able to repair it or bring it back to a much better state (assuming that your battery is the problem) and then you will have an emergency backup battery. This is what I do because I do a 1 mile commute four times a day plus other local trips. My poor car hardly gets a decent run these days which I why I went petrol, but the battery still takes a hammering.
townfanjon said:
Evening guys , we have a 1500 diesel Juke , it starts first turn of the key untill the temperature goes sub - zero , then it is hard work . Local garage has checked battery and charging and it appears fine . If I hook up some jump leads to my van it starts loads better .
I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
I am thinking of getting a new battery next week but wondered instead of replacing the original 60 AH battery , could I go to a higher AH without damaging anything ?
Thank you in advance .
Scrump said:
ninjag said:
Only changing the voltage will damage things. Ah is just the capacity and CCA is the battery's ability to deliver the CCA rated current for 30 seconds at -18 degrees celsius. ...
Who mentioned changing the voltage? townfanjon said:
Evening guys , we have a 1500 diesel Juke , it starts first turn of the key untill the temperature goes sub - zero , then it is hard work .
Is the car getting much use? Modern charging systems don't do much more than float charge the battery, so it needs a good chunk of time to recharge the battery - probably at least 30mins to an hour after a cold start. The battery voltage should be about 12.6V at rest. If it's less than that it's not fully charged. In that case you could try charging off the vehicle. If the battery voltage comes back up to about 12.6 V and the problem goes away, that suggests it's a charging problem (the charging system not working properly, or not getting long enough to recharge the battery between starts, or being drained between starts). If it won't hold a charge you need a new battery anyway.
The battery will probably dip down to about 9-10V while cranking. If it goes below that, it's either faulty or under-specced. A load test of the battery would tell you whether it was faulty.
If the battery voltage seems OK, also check the voltage across the starter while cranking. This should be within 5% ish of the battery voltage. If it's lower, you may have a poor earth or other wiring fault.
It wouldn't be unusual for the problem to be caused by a combination of several factors.
The battery will probably dip down to about 9-10V while cranking. If it goes below that, it's either faulty or under-specced. A load test of the battery would tell you whether it was faulty.
If the battery voltage seems OK, also check the voltage across the starter while cranking. This should be within 5% ish of the battery voltage. If it's lower, you may have a poor earth or other wiring fault.
It wouldn't be unusual for the problem to be caused by a combination of several factors.
One thing i allways do to any motor i use daily is, add extra grounds and a bigger capacity battery, it's the first thing i do when i buy a motor.
TBH in your position i would get the battery drop tested at a battery shop or specialist, that is tested under load to see what the voltage drops to, testing at rest is the first thing to do, drop or load testing is the REAL test of a battery.
TBH in your position i would get the battery drop tested at a battery shop or specialist, that is tested under load to see what the voltage drops to, testing at rest is the first thing to do, drop or load testing is the REAL test of a battery.
Unless it’s due to an obvious mistake, like leaving the lights on, my rule is one jump start only. Then it’s off to get a new battery. My old Xantia used to need a new battery every three years. I wasn’t really aware that the starter had been cranking the engine more slowly until the replacement battery was in.
How old is the battery in the Juke? Cold weather really shows the older batteries up.
How old is the battery in the Juke? Cold weather really shows the older batteries up.
If you've decided on a new battery then try here: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/FMf...
I got mine from them a year ago & though buying online seemd an odd thing to do for a battry it was quick delivery & has been perfect. They've got a bit of an offer on.
I got mine from them a year ago & though buying online seemd an odd thing to do for a battry it was quick delivery & has been perfect. They've got a bit of an offer on.
julianm said:
If you've decided on a new battery then try here: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/FMf...
I got mine from them a year ago & though buying online seemd an odd thing to do for a battry it was quick delivery & has been perfect. They've got a bit of an offer on.
Have another try with that link - that one takes me back to my GMail inbox... I got mine from them a year ago & though buying online seemd an odd thing to do for a battry it was quick delivery & has been perfect. They've got a bit of an offer on.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff