Good battery for syncro TDI van

[monkey magic]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a new battery for my funky TDI'd bus, as the current one just gave up the ghost.

12 months ago, when I didnt need a new one, i discovered the Optima brand, and thought "they seem great, i'll get one when i need a new battery".

Now I need one, i do some more reading and find that even though they are supposed to be 'rugged' batteries (seem to be loved by Landrover 4wheelers over here), they dont seem to like the cold weather.

My vehicle is a mild off roader, spends most of its time on road, but needs to be durable, and gets taken to the snow every winter.

So can you guys (im thinking cold end of canada mainly!) recommend a good brand/model thats available in Europe, and will stand up to general physical abuse? I'm after a good CCA and CA rating, and a generally reliable and tough unit that doesnt mind the cold.

Thanks  MM

[catlin_cava]

When I get a new Battery for my car I'm getting an Optima Battery.

[monkey magic]

Yes.

I could add the other similar battery i found was the Odyssey, do you guys have these over there?

[Smokey Eddy]

I used a battery rated for 1027 cranking amps and  "160 minute reserve" what ever that means.
its for some kind of truck i think? Has no problem turning the starter on my 1.6 like a hot damn!
However, your tdi is harder to turn over...
anyways, batteries by no means have to be car specific. they are rating specific meaning you would want a battery rated to output enough amps for the big diesel starter.

oh whoops i forgot to mention the brand of mine. i think its "motomaster" which is canadian tire's brand with makes this entire post pointless... sigh
sorry to have wasted your time.

if you got the cash you can never go wrong with a good dry cell.

[Smokey Eddy]

When i think odyssey i see a big ass honda mini van with two automatic sliding doors. Posssssibly not the same thing ^.^

[catlin_cava]

When i think odyssey i see a big ass honda mini van with two automatic sliding doors. Posssssibly not the same thing ^.^

sitting ontop of a brick wall with a stopped sign wedged under its driverside tire lol

[GEE-BEE]

Optima , four post here ,1000 CCA

2/0 positive wire to the starter

# 4 from the alternator to the battery

# 2 ground wire to frame

Gee-Bee

Stock was 580 CCA

[rabbid79]

I could add the other similar battery i found was the Odyssey

I have heard nothing but good things about the odyssey brand too.  Excellent CCA, reserve capacity, "dry cell" (can be mounted in virtually any orientation), operating temperature ranges, etc.  I've heard that the Diehard Platinums are just re-branded Odyssey batteries.  They aren't cheap though.

[monkey magic]

...canadian tire's brand with makes this entire post pointless... sigh
sorry to have wasted your time.

  It's all good.

When i think odyssey i see a big ass honda mini van with two automatic sliding doors. Posssssibly not the same thing ^.^

sitting ontop of a brick wall with a stopped sign wedged under its driverside tire lol

 

I could add the other similar battery i found was the Odyssey

I have heard nothing but good things about the odyssey brand too.  Excellent CCA, reserve capacity, "dry cell" (can be mounted in virtually any orientation), operating temperature ranges, etc.  I've heard that the Diehard Platinums are just re-branded Odyssey batteries.  They aren't cheap though.

I heard the die hard connection somewhere too, but heard both good and bad about the die hards. When reading reviews of failures, its impossible to know if the batteries have been abused or not.

Over here both brands are very expensive, the odyssey being the most expensive.

Still doing a lot of googling about this, at the moment the odyssey is slighty ahead despite the price.  Although I keep finding people who swear by the optimas, i seem to find more issues also with the same.

Perhaps they're both great units and im being too fussy.

Thanks for all the comments guys, keep em comin, I arent buying one until payday...

  MM

[Rabbit on Roids]

I used a battery rated for 1027 cranking amps and  "160 minute reserve" what ever that means.
its for some kind of truck i think? Has no problem turning the starter on my 1.6 like a hot damn!
However, your tdi is harder to turn over...
anyways, batteries by no means have to be car specific. they are rating specific meaning you would want a battery rated to output enough amps for the big diesel starter.

oh whoops i forgot to mention the brand of mine. i think its "motomaster" which is canadian tire's brand with makes this entire post pointless... sigh
sorry to have wasted your time.

if you got the cash you can never go wrong with a good dry cell.

Ed, TDI engines are easier to turn over. they have alot less compression than our IDI engines do. its actually alot easier to start one of those engines. the glow plugs are right in the combustion chamber, and i think they even have an intake heater. and they have a computer to adjust timing when cold starting..

[monkey magic]

Rabbit,

The irony is i've no glow plugs wired up, no intake heater and no electronics controlling timing (mtdi). It still fires up instantly (or it did when the battery worked  )

 

[Rabbit on Roids]

thats stupid. theres no way i would fire up a diesel without glows for the long term. its too hard on the starter. and for how hard it really is to hook up glow plugs, i would have just hooked them up. sure it works, but its far from right. doesnt it rattle like a bastard when you start it cold?

[monkey magic]

thats stupid.

Why kind sir, you say  the nicest things 

Curious, how is it hard on the starter?

Rattles, no more than i expect it to.