The battery in my coupe is about 8 years old
It may be at the end of its useful life
What is the recommended battery?
It may be at the end of its useful life
What is the recommended battery?
What Battery?
- Thread starter Stan
- Start date
Get a white BMW Exide battery, it will match the Great White! Same as a 2002 battery too. These may be superseded numbers: 61 21 7 567 181 or 61 21 8 381 708, 50Ah and 55Ah. Or an Interstate group 47. And no guest room privileges if you buy an Optima!
so Chris,
what (please share with us) to you have against optima batteries. other than they don't look period correct.
what (please share with us) to you have against optima batteries. other than they don't look period correct.
My Optima red top been berry berry good to me. Lighter and no juice to ooze out. I took all the decals off.
I have a somewhat period correct Bosch from Pep Boys. About $100 installed. Going on two years and it tests like new. The Varta in my 1971 1600 lasted eight years and expired one morning with no warning. The way I want to go.
Chris,Scott,
You know me too well, keep it looking period correct.
that's exactly the problem i have with them ... but i really like that you don't have any battery acid issues on the fragile metallic structure in our coupes.
i am torn. i have a standard battery in my coupe right now ... albeit not a white BMW unit.
I haven't had any battery leakage issues on any of my BMWs. I do make sure that the terminals are clean and not turning white.
Honolulu
Well-Known Member
Stan, you can have your battery load tested to assess whether it's up to snuff. If not providing enough juice you can replace it with just about any battery that fits and provides enough cranking amps.
It is left to the reader to educate himself about Reserve Cranking Amps (RCA rating) and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and which of these is more important given the local climate and manner of use of his car.
Obviously here in Honolulu I don't give a rip about CCA ratings, RCA is more important. Don't belong to that CCA organization any more either.
It is left to the reader to educate himself about Reserve Cranking Amps (RCA rating) and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and which of these is more important given the local climate and manner of use of his car.
Obviously here in Honolulu I don't give a rip about CCA ratings, RCA is more important. Don't belong to that CCA organization any more either.
Weren't the BMW. "White top" batteries introduced in the late 70's or early 80's?
Believe the oem CS batteries were "black tops". For the period correct look, I would go for the Interstate "non-maintenance free" black top/white casing MTP series with the screw caps for adding distilled water.
Believe the oem CS batteries were "black tops". For the period correct look, I would go for the Interstate "non-maintenance free" black top/white casing MTP series with the screw caps for adding distilled water.
I've only seen the black case Interstates. In a Concours an new OEM battery is considered correct even if it doesn't look like the original. But having said that, I think your suggestion would look pretty cool. And I can't remember what my 74 2002 had when new.
Ditto on Optima Red Top
Mine's 8 years old and no issues.
Mine's 8 years old and no issues.
dbower
Well-Known Member
terminals
I assume anyone foolish enough to have a coupe would know to check the clearance between top-mount battery terminals and the spring tube across the underside of the hood. The PO of my '71 fried the paint off and, I assume, enjoyed a free fireworks show.
+1 on Optimas. Half of my battery tray is rusted away.
Don
I assume anyone foolish enough to have a coupe would know to check the clearance between top-mount battery terminals and the spring tube across the underside of the hood. The PO of my '71 fried the paint off and, I assume, enjoyed a free fireworks show.
+1 on Optimas. Half of my battery tray is rusted away.
Don
Looks like you can't get an interstate in all black anymore. So, that Bosch looks like a good choice for a correct look.
Scott
Scott
Bosch batteries are different in different regions of the US ... it depends on who makes them for Bosch. I have had very mixed luck with them in the past.
From Consumers Report:
Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the United States are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market, Exide, and East Penn. They are sold under various names and built to the specifications of retailers, so performance can vary.
And from another site:
"Johnson controls also makes some or all of these batteries as well.
Acura, Advance Auto Parts, Autocraft, Western Auto, Tough One, Alliance, American Hardware, Ames, Varta, Blains Farm & Fleet, Battery Alliance, Bosch, Carrefour(Europe), Champion, Amara Raja Batteries LTD(Joint venture with Johnson Controls India).
Varta, Optima Batteries, LTH, and Heliar are all battery manufactures owned by Johnson Controls.
Johnson Controls supplies Ford Motor company, Diamler Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu with original equipment batteries. So next time you go and buy a battery, or a automobile chances are its a battery made by Johnson Controls."
Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the United States are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market, Exide, and East Penn. They are sold under various names and built to the specifications of retailers, so performance can vary.
And from another site:
"Johnson controls also makes some or all of these batteries as well.
Acura, Advance Auto Parts, Autocraft, Western Auto, Tough One, Alliance, American Hardware, Ames, Varta, Blains Farm & Fleet, Battery Alliance, Bosch, Carrefour(Europe), Champion, Amara Raja Batteries LTD(Joint venture with Johnson Controls India).
Varta, Optima Batteries, LTH, and Heliar are all battery manufactures owned by Johnson Controls.
Johnson Controls supplies Ford Motor company, Diamler Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu with original equipment batteries. So next time you go and buy a battery, or a automobile chances are its a battery made by Johnson Controls."
Yes, and analysts predict that by 2025 83% of the global battery production will be done by one man. See this report, especially 1:46 minutes in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYaZ57Bn4pQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYaZ57Bn4pQ
Mike Goble
Well-Known Member
That's gonna be one busy SOB...
Hmmm, maybe I can outsource my retirement activities?
:lol:
:lol:
Other than for appearances why would you ...
Other than for appearances why would you put a conventional battey in an E9?
I use Odyssey and Optima, and would not put a conventional wet L-A into any old car I own except the daily beater (which required a HUGE thing due to all the modern electronics). These AGM Batteries can't leak, don't produce corrosive gas, are designed to handle deep cycling, how a charge longer, at smaller and lighter. What's not to like?
The conventional batt I my e-type leaked under the po's ownership and rusted out the front rocker/bulkhead area. For the sake of a saving $100, $1500 in repairs were required. Stupid.
In fact I probably won't buy another Optima because the Odysseys are much lighter/smaller, cheaper, and nearly as powerful. Braille also makes small AGM batteries, but I've never tried them.
FWIW; if you need 700CCA (0 deg , buried under a foot of snow, forgot to change to winter weight oil, and plugs fouled), a conventional batt is probably a better choice.
Other than for appearances why would you put a conventional battey in an E9?
I use Odyssey and Optima, and would not put a conventional wet L-A into any old car I own except the daily beater (which required a HUGE thing due to all the modern electronics). These AGM Batteries can't leak, don't produce corrosive gas, are designed to handle deep cycling, how a charge longer, at smaller and lighter. What's not to like?
The conventional batt I my e-type leaked under the po's ownership and rusted out the front rocker/bulkhead area. For the sake of a saving $100, $1500 in repairs were required. Stupid.
In fact I probably won't buy another Optima because the Odysseys are much lighter/smaller, cheaper, and nearly as powerful. Braille also makes small AGM batteries, but I've never tried them.
FWIW; if you need 700CCA (0 deg , buried under a foot of snow, forgot to change to winter weight oil, and plugs fouled), a conventional batt is probably a better choice.