Under-spec'd battery

cantdecide

I have a 2008 1.4 90bhp Fiat Bravo. I was never convinced that the car was starting up quite as briskly as it should and the engine seems to jerk into life. When I got it last year, I was thinking that the battery was on the way out but it appeared to be a recently fitted Halfords battery so I decided to leave well enough alone.

However, anywhere I look online seems to show 50+AH/ 480+CCA's as the spec for my car but the battery I have is 46AH/ 425CCA. This is the one that's listed but this is the one that's been fitted (both calcium although there are 'standard' batteries available also) and there is a listing for this Yuasa as the upper end option.

Is the difference in spec enough to justify changing it?

biko

I would say no, the AH and the CCA is not different enough to make a huge difference.
Bravo is such a small car it can take any battery. SUVs on the other hand needs larger batts.

I assume you already looked at how AH and CCA works?

The Sidewards Man

biko wrote: »

I assume you already looked at how AH and CCA works?

How do they work?

Interslice

cantdecide wrote: »

I have a 2008 1.4 90bhp Fiat Bravo. I was never convinced that the car was starting up quite as briskly as it should and the engine seems to jerk into life. When I got it last year, I was thinking that the battery was on the way out but it appeared to be a recently fitted Halfords battery so I decided to leave well enough alone.

However, anywhere I look online seems to show 50+AH/ 480+CCA's as the spec for my car but the battery I have is 46AH/ 425CCA. This is the one that's listed but this is the one that's been fitted (both calcium although there are 'standard' batteries available also) and there is a listing for this Yuasa[/URLq] as the upper end option.

Is the difference in spec enough to justify changing it?

Have a similar problem with my diesel focus. Only happens stone cold. Dont think its turning the engine fast enough. It splutters to life. My plan is too swap it with a bigger battery or jump it to another car and see if it starts clean then. Being a diesel it could also be air in the fuel line but reckon its the battery. On a warm day it satrts better. Your welcome to try my battery if you want. Its a 60ah. Im in south co. Meath.

biko

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

How do they work?

Kinda like this*
AH - amp hour = how long the battery can deliver juice
CCA - cold crank amps = how big a burst of juice a battery can manage

For most people this isn't a concern, just get a battery in a factors and you should be sorted.



*there may be a better way to explain this, maybe someone else can clarify if needed.

cantdecide

biko wrote: »

I would say no, the AH and the CCA is not different enough to make a huge difference.
Bravo is such a small car it can take any battery. SUVs on the other hand needs larger batts.

I was thinking that and I was hoping to find a bigger difference to justify replacement. I think under-powered batteries do starters no good.

Interslice wrote: »

My plan is too swap it with a bigger battery or jump it to another car and see if it starts clean then.

I might try that myself. Thanks for the tip.

Interslice wrote: »

Your welcome to try my battery if you want. Its a 60ah. Im in south co. Meath.

That's a very kind offer but the spin from Cork is a bit of a stretch. Thank you, though.

biko wrote: »

Kinda like this*
AH - amp hour = how long the battery can deliver juice
CCA - cold crank amps = how big a burst of juice a battery can manage

For most people this isn't a concern, just get a battery in a factors and you should be sorted.



*there may be a better way to explain this, maybe someone else can clarify if needed.

That's the long and the short of it really.

The Sidewards Man

You may have a lazy starter also.