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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: Justin on December 28, 2004, 07:47:23 am
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hey guys i am in mid michagan area and the temps often get down to -5 to -10 degrees F, what battery rating would you guys buy??
what i am wondering is how many Cold Cranking Amps should I get
Sams club has a 925 CCA for like 60 bucks that i think i am going to buy
let me know what you guys are running
thanks guys
later
Justin
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Get the highest CCA's that you can get. That sounds like a good battery. The more CCA's the better, especially when it is cold out. I also hear that the Optima battery is a really good buy, the red top one. Don't forget while your at it to make sure all your electrical cables are good and have good clean contacts to the battery, engine, and chassis.
I installed a 1gage cable on my positive side and will do the same on my neg cable once things around here slow down some and my garage gets built.
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I just put a 1200ca (1050cca) battery in my golf. Plus I put a 1gauge wire from the battery to the starter, and two 1gauge cables from the negative to the engine for grounds. Make sure to paint the exposed ends so they corrode less. Good luck! :)
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the actual cold crank rating for the 1.6 TD is 1000. I've got 800 in my car and it turns over at -20C (die hard battery). 1200 cold cranking amps... holy!! Is it regular size for your car? or bigger??? Must be nice. Your car will start at -35C or lower even!
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I just put a 1200ca (1050cca) battery in my golf. Plus I put a 1gauge wire from the battery to the starter, and two 1gauge cables from the negative to the engine for grounds. Make sure to paint the exposed ends so they corrode less. Good luck! :)
where did you get your battery and cables? I have a 750CCA in mine and it starts OK but I am interested in upgrading. You are in Ontario same as me so I probably could go to the store you went to.
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what brand is that 1050 CCA battery and what part # or application is it for?
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I have an Optima red top 34R (reversed posts) and it has 800CCA and it's plenty.
1050CCA, it must be a big ass battery!
The Optima is quite smaller than a regular battery, but the weight is about the same. :wink:
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A stock sized 650CCA Interstate is all you need. Lower CCA batteries have more reserve capacity from what I was told at Interstate so a high CCA battery will work against you.
Cheers, Steve
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It hasn't appeared to work against me yet. Time will tell. It started at -25C last week without the block heater being plugged in.
I was mistaken about the cca figure, it's 1000cca, the battery is just an Eliminator from Canadian Tire. Part # 10-7424-6, 1000cca, 1200ca. They wouldn't sell me this battery, because its not for a VW. So, I looked up a battery for a Cummins Dodge, told them I had a '96 3/4 ton Cummins Dodge, and they gave me the battery with warranty. As for the cables, I made them, and soildered all the joints and cable ends.
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Also had to slightly mod the battery area. I did it at the end of last winter, so it's hard to remember, but I think I had to shim (slightly) the battery from underneath, so that it would tighten down, otherwise it fit great.
I would certainly consider one of the Optima batteries like Rammstien has. They are supposed to be great.
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thanks moonstone thats exactly what i was looking for since i know that it will fit
thanks guys
Justin
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Thanks Moonstone. Will pick one up. Should make my Jetta start great (once I get the injection pump out and get it rebuilt).
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Reviving an old thread.......trying to find a new battery for a 85 jetta 1.6 N/A.... tried a few place only to be told stock battery is 650CCA, I want to get at least 850 or is 650 really enough if engine is in good health (which it is)? I have a gas car i use really cold winter days...so i'm only using the diesel down to appx -10c......
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I have a 650CCA in my TD and it starts at -30. No problems with the battery to date. It's a VW battery, probably cost the PO an arm and leg. It actually could be 800CCA, I have too many cars :roll:
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Whatever u do don't sit there and keep cranking, you will toast that starter in no time. All the current, ie the real factor in generating massive motor torque is only achieved with alot of amperage. Running higher gauge wires is a good idea to limit the heat build up in the wires, but perfect for cold startups if u don't have a plug in for your block heater.
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This might help. It's the first part of the consumer reports auto battery tests. The link is the actual test results. 10/2006
Auto batteries: price doesn't equal performance.(SPECIAL AUTO SECTION)(Buyers guide)
COPYRIGHT 2006 Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
Auto batteries may look identical to you, but under the hood they can perform quite differently from one another.And our tests show that some of the best performers aren't necessarily the more expensive batteries.
With many auto parts stores and bigbox retailers now in the battery business, a great variety is available. Most offer batteries at various prices, with different promises of power and life expectancy. However, most replacement batteries are manufactured by just three different companies: Exide, Johnson Controls, and East Penn, which build them to retailer specifications.
Only one of the 62 batteries we tested rated excellent overall in the Ratings. And even other sizes in that model line didn't earn those high marks. Our tests included sizes that fit many passenger vehicles. Prices ranged from $40 to $100.
Longer life is critical if you take many short trips or do most of your driving in warmer climates. Short trips shorten battery life by not affording a lot of time for the alternator to recharge the battery. High temperatures can also increase oxidation of components and vaporize the electrolyte needed to create current.
Our battery-life test mimics those tough conditions by measuring how many 100-hour drain-and-recharge cycles batteries can handle before their cranking voltage falls below industry standards. Models that excelled in this test endured seven or more of those cycles; the worst performers endured less than two.
HOW TO CHOOSE
You'll find many capable batteries within the five group sizes we tested. Together, they cover many of the foreign and domestic cars and light trucks on the road. See First Things First, below, to determine the correct battery size for your vehicle.Then keep these points in mind:
Fresh is best. Batteries lose strength just sitting on a store shelf. Most are labeled with a shipping-date code. When shopping, look for a month code indicated by a letter ("A" for January, for example) and year ("6" for 2006). It's best to choose a battery no more than six months old.
Insist on real-world performance. Cold-cranking amps (CCAs) are important, especially for those living in cold regions. CCAs are a measure of how much power a battery has at 0[degrees] F, when thickened engine oil makes an engine hardest to start and available battery power drops significantly. Generally, the higher the CCA rating, the greater the starting power of the battery regardless of temperature. In our tests, where batteries are charged at lower, more realistic voltage, we've found that few meet their cold-cranking claims. Only one new model provided the full 30 seconds of cranking power required by our CCA test this year, a decline from last year, when six passed.
Consider manufacturers' CCA claims only as a rough guide, then choose a battery that performed well in our CCA tests.
Also look for a score of good or better in our life and reserve-capacity tests. A battery's reserve capacity indicates how long it will power your car if the charging system fails or if the lights are left on when the engine is off. The models we tested with the best reserve capacity provided power for 120 to 150 minutes, but even models with the shortest reserve, 60 to 90 minutes, should provide sufficient power to get you to safety or start your car.
Pick the best warranty. Other numbers printed on the battery indicate warranty information. A code such as 24/84, for example, indicates a free-replacement period of 24 months and a prorated warranty of 84 months. It's best to pick one with the longest free-replacement period available because the amount of reimbursement in the prorated period usually drops off quickly as the battery ages.
Choose the right battery for your climate. Chilling cold isn't the hardest environment for batteries; hot temperatures actually cause more damage. While starting in frigid climates can be tough on a battery, heat saps more...
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