Battery Question: Is it ok to have higher Cold Cranking power than Audi recommends...
12-27-2002, 09:07 AM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Battery Question: Is it ok to have higher Cold Cranking power than Audi recommends...
I replaced my battery and the new one has 675 CC power, The older one, as well as the overpriced one from the dealer has 525. Please advise.
12-27-2002, 09:56 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 7,469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Check out Consumer Reports
they test car batteries fairly often and it's one of the few things I trust them on!
Also, here's what a syndicated newspaper columnist had to say recently:
Q: Why haven't automakers come up with a way to gauge whether a battery is about to go dead? Is there any way to have a warning light in the car?
It doesn't seem right that something as small as a battery can leave you stranded. Why don't owner manuals at least give you a time frame for when a battery needs replacement? The manual of my 1997 Chevy Malibu is silent on the issue.
-- D.E.
A: Batteries die for many reasons -- such as overheating, sediment in the cells, freezing and sulfation -- and building in sensors to measure all of them would be impractical.
Many batteries contain a view cell with a built-in hydrometer that changes color from green to red or black when the battery is on its last legs. But that only checks one of the six cells in a 12-volt battery.
A mechanic can perform several tests, such as measuring whether the battery has a fully charged voltage of 12.66 volts and putting a load on the battery to see how quickly the voltage bounces back afterward.
You can sometimes get a sense of when a battery is going out by how well it cranks the engine on startup, though that's far from reliable.
The biggest cause of failure is sedimentation at the bottom of a cell that creates an electrical bridge between two plates, shorting out a cell, according to Interstate Batteries.
As a general rule, batteries last about three years, though some may function twice as long as that.
A sure way to damage a battery is to allow it to go dead, as when you leave your lights on, or let it sit uncharged for a long period. If that happens, it is best to have it put on a battery recharger rather than allow the car's charging to restore it.
Batteries are not very expensive, and you can take the safe route by just replacing it every three years.
Ralph Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but responds in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Please do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, Business Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. E-mail: ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com
Also, here's what a syndicated newspaper columnist had to say recently:
Q: Why haven't automakers come up with a way to gauge whether a battery is about to go dead? Is there any way to have a warning light in the car?
It doesn't seem right that something as small as a battery can leave you stranded. Why don't owner manuals at least give you a time frame for when a battery needs replacement? The manual of my 1997 Chevy Malibu is silent on the issue.
-- D.E.
A: Batteries die for many reasons -- such as overheating, sediment in the cells, freezing and sulfation -- and building in sensors to measure all of them would be impractical.
Many batteries contain a view cell with a built-in hydrometer that changes color from green to red or black when the battery is on its last legs. But that only checks one of the six cells in a 12-volt battery.
A mechanic can perform several tests, such as measuring whether the battery has a fully charged voltage of 12.66 volts and putting a load on the battery to see how quickly the voltage bounces back afterward.
You can sometimes get a sense of when a battery is going out by how well it cranks the engine on startup, though that's far from reliable.
The biggest cause of failure is sedimentation at the bottom of a cell that creates an electrical bridge between two plates, shorting out a cell, according to Interstate Batteries.
As a general rule, batteries last about three years, though some may function twice as long as that.
A sure way to damage a battery is to allow it to go dead, as when you leave your lights on, or let it sit uncharged for a long period. If that happens, it is best to have it put on a battery recharger rather than allow the car's charging to restore it.
Batteries are not very expensive, and you can take the safe route by just replacing it every three years.
Ralph Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but responds in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Please do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, Business Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. E-mail: ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com
12-27-2002, 10:55 AM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 9,421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Higher CCA is fine. I look at weight in lieu of an amp hour rating too. I put more weight towards
capacity than amp hours. Depends on if you start the car in the cold mid west or want to leave it for a long time without charging the battery.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
johnd64
A8 / S8 (D3 Platform) Discussion
19
02-22-2016 10:26 PM
InnyAudi
A6 / S6 (C5 Platform) Discussion
1
08-13-2003 03:11 PM
