Should I buy a cheap battery?

[alien365]

Hi Guys,

I took my car in for its 100k service last week and was told I need another battery. Apparently it was  at 9.4V. I told them not to change it as I can't believe this will be my 4th battery in 6 years. I used to have an FB but changed it to a larger GS in the hope of it lasting longer. Does anyone know or use a cheaper battery brand? I'm not really interested in more expensive brands as what I've read in older threads is they don't make much difference.

[William Osborne]

How does your car/truck start at 9.4 v????

[Kwasaki]

8 minutes ago, alien365 said:

I'm not really interested in more expensive brands

For my money and 15 years in Thailand I've stuck with the inexpensive GS heavy duty batteries in 4 vehicles 5 to 6 years no problem, better the devil ya know in my book of life.

[Isaanbiker]

9.4 volts tells you that one cell died, but only if the alternator/regulator is okay. 

 

 Before you buy another battery, please use a voltmeter and make sure that your battery gets charged. You should get 13.8 volts at your battery terminal.  

 

   When the engine is idling you should have 13.8 volts. If there's less than 12 volts, your alternator has a problem. Never trust a Thai mechanic and you've already learned a lot. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[alien365]

4 minutes ago, William Osborne said:

How does your car/truck start at 9.4 v????

That was my thought too. Initially I thought he was lying but he showed me the print out. Maybe because the engine is only 1.2?

[Isaanbiker]

2 minutes ago, alien365 said:

That was my thought too. Initially I thought he was lying but he showed me the print out. Maybe because the engine is only 1.2?

Nope. A starter would turn way too slowly to start the engine. Well, possible with a much bigger battery, perhaps. 

 

BTW, OP you can't just put a much bigger battery in your car if the alternator isn't made for it. ( regulator as well.) Perhaps that's your problem.

 

Edited October 11, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[alien365]

1 minute ago, Isaanbiker said:

9.4 volts tells you that one cell died, but only if the alternator/regulator is okay. 

 

 Before you buy another battery, please use a voltmeter and make sure that your battery gets charged. You should get 13.8 volts at your battery terminally 

 

   When the engine is idling you should have 13.8 volts. If there's less than 12 volts, your alternator has a problem. Never trust a Thai mechanic and you've already learned a lot. 

I always go to the Honda dealer which I'd have hoped wouldn't rip me off. I don't have a voltmeter but I'm happy to buy one. If I'm getting above 12v at the battery, does that mean the dead cell would be fixable?

[alien365]

3 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

 

BTW, OP you can't just put a much bigger battery in your car if the alternator isn't made for it. ( regulator as well.) Perhaps that's your problem.

 

My current GS battery is only slightly bigger. There's not much room under the hood for anything else. We asked the guy in cockpit about it and he said it would be fine but similar to your point, a battery any bigger wouldn't charge well.

[alien365]

11 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

For my money and 15 years in Thailand I've stuck with the inexpensive GS heavy duty batteries in 4 vehicles 5 to 6 years no problem, better the devil ya know in my book of life.

I can only dream of 5-6 years. Normally I'd just get another battery but it's starting to feel ridiculous now. I've had 3 batteries in the time that I'd still be on my first in the west.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

I can only dream of 5-6 years. Normally I'd just get another battery but it's starting to feel ridiculous now. I've had 3 batteries in the time that I'd still be on my first in the west.

Well you asked, I can only tell you what has served me well and GS are not expensive, I say the same of motorcycle batteries Yuasa are good. 

[alien365]

14 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Well you asked, I can only tell you what has served me well and GS are not expensive, I say the same of motorcycle batteries Yuasa are good. 

I wasn't doubting what you said, I just wish my battery would last the same. I currently have a GS as I heard they were better than FB but it has lasted the same length of time in my car. 

 

Thanks for the yuasa recommendation. I'll see if there's any around my area and what they're going for.

[Tuvoc]

Yuasa are very highly regarded, and I believe BMW factory fit batteries are by them.

 

Surely 5 years isn't too much to expect from a battery as long as the car doesn't have some sort of problem. Cold climates are hard on batteries but that is not Thailand !!

 

The Exide battery on my 3.0 BMW here in the UK is 6 years old and still fine.

[observer90210]

When it comes to batteries, small electronic appliances, eyewear, shoes, hookers or condoms, I don't look at the price and only take the most reliable well known brands. For obvious reasons of safety.

[alan grice]

Yuasa are very highly regarded, and I believe BMW factory fit batteries are by them.
 
Surely 5 years isn't too much to expect from a battery as long as the car doesn't have some sort of problem. Cold climates are hard on batteries but that is not Thailand !!
 
The Exide battery on my 3.0 BMW here in the UK is 6 years old and still fine.

Thats not uncommon with BMW today, its just the Car that flat after 3 years , thats why i leased.The old 3.0 Alpina Coup was the end of a Bullet Proof BM .[emoji85]


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[JAS21]

11 hours ago, alien365 said:

That was my thought too. Initially I thought he was lying but he showed me the print out. Maybe because the engine is only 1.2?

 I would suggest the 9.4 V is the voltage that the battery drops to during cranking  however if the battery was not very well charged you could get that reading anyway. 

 

That is a little on the low side. And an indication to change the battery.  But what was the rates CCR  and the measured CCR? 

 

 

I cannot understand how you’re going through so many batteries. I never get less than three years Out of a battery.  In the past there have been plenty of discussions on battery life and how to extend it. Maybe it’s time for another  especially as the weekend is here!!!!

 

 Posted previous are the voltages you expect  for certain conditions. Buy yourself a cheap volt meter and check for yourself. 

 

 If you have the print out post it here,  if not ask for one. I keep all mine from service.

Edited October 12, 2019 by JAS21

[transam]

If your previous batteries were lead acid, I would go for a sealed no maintenance battery.

As quoted, Yuasa sealed batteries are good, B-Quik stocks them..I bought one from them, my small car has a battery box that can take a longer battery (more stored amps), they had one that would fit, now, the lights are dazzling at idle, just touch the key and it starts....

I did read stuff on the Yuasa site, it said their l/acid batteries should last "up to" 5 years, the sealed ones, "up to" 10 years..Yes, bit of a bold statement but it seems their sealed ones will last longer...

[JAS21]

5 hours ago, Tuvoc said:

Yuasa are very highly regarded, and I believe BMW factory fit batteries are by them.

 

Surely 5 years isn't too much to expect from a battery as long as the car doesn't have some sort of problem. Cold climates are hard on batteries but that is not Thailand !!

 

The Exide battery on my 3.0 BMW here in the UK is 6 years old and still fine.

 Battery life here in Thailand is shorter than in the UK. The main reason being the high temperature in the engine compartment and how long it takes to fall after parking.  In fact for a period after parking the under hood/bonnet temperature actually rises.

 

 When I first came to Thailand I bought a 520D...  That battery lasted over five years but it was located in the boot. 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2019 by JAS21

[alien365]

Just checked and it's at 12.8V with the engine turned off. Cranking the engine goes down into the 9's but it runs idle at 14.2V. 

Edited October 12, 2019 by alien365

[transam]

2 minutes ago, alien365 said:

Just checked and it's at 12.8V with the engine turned off. Cranking the engine goes down into the 9's but it runs idle at 14.2V. 

Sounds OK, but it's the stored cranking amps that count...

[alien365]

32 minutes ago, transam said:

Sounds OK, but it's the stored cranking amps that count...

My meter doesn't go above 200 so I'll have to see if honda gave it to me. The receipt is at work though so I'll have to see on Tuesday. 

 

I'm half tempted to just run it until it goes. The guy told me it was really bad but I've done about 4 journeys a day in it per day for over a week now and it always starts first time. I don't want to be reckless though at the same time.

[johng]

14.2v maybe a bit high and cooking the battery ???

[transam]

15 minutes ago, johng said:

14.2v maybe a bit high and cooking the battery ???

14.2 is fine....

https://www.w8ji.com/battery_and_charging_system.htm

 

[alien365]

After checking the receipt I got from Honda it didn't state the amps, just the voltage. Like others have mentioned though I will ask for a copy of it in future so I have all the information. 

 

Unfortunately after all this it looks like the CCA was actually too low as it wouldn't start yesterday morning so I needed to use my jump starter. Once I got to the garage I asked about Yuasa but they wont fit in my bracket. As I needed it changing and sorting out quickly I bought a 3x battery for ฿1.4k. The Yuasa batteries only had a 2 year warranty, so I'm not sure if I'd have been willing to spend the extra money for such a short warranty period. 

 

Just out of interest, how often do you guys check or top up the water levels? Is there anything else we can do to encourage a longer battery life? 

[johng]

3 hours ago, alien365 said:

Is there anything else we can do to encourage a longer battery life? 

You could lift the bonnet/hood every time you park so the battery cools quicker..or you could relocate the battery to the boot/trunk   some cars ( I only know of the Jaguar XJ something or other ) have a special duct with a small fan that draws in cool air from outside for a period of time after the engine stops to cool the battery.

[transam]

4 hours ago, alien365 said:

After checking the receipt I got from Honda it didn't state the amps, just the voltage. Like others have mentioned though I will ask for a copy of it in future so I have all the information. 

 

Unfortunately after all this it looks like the CCA was actually too low as it wouldn't start yesterday morning so I needed to use my jump starter. Once I got to the garage I asked about Yuasa but they wont fit in my bracket. As I needed it changing and sorting out quickly I bought a 3x battery for ฿1.4k. The Yuasa batteries only had a 2 year warranty, so I'm not sure if I'd have been willing to spend the extra money for such a short warranty period. 

 

Just out of interest, how often do you guys check or top up the water levels? Is there anything else we can do to encourage a longer battery life? 

As you have bought a maintenance battery, I would check water levels near every week, I did with the Vigo when it had the same battery, sometimes it was fine, sometimes it had dropped.

As for Yuasa 2 year warranty, that is very good, Toyota gave me 90 days for a Toyota battery....????

I did a survey here a few years back about members battery life, 2 years won..

 

PS. You will always get folk say..."But mine lasted 10 years". ????

[Isaanbiker]

On 10/11/2019 at 8:39 PM, alien365 said:

I always go to the Honda dealer which I'd have hoped wouldn't rip me off. I don't have a voltmeter but I'm happy to buy one. If I'm getting above 12v at the battery, does that mean the dead cell would be fixable?

Nope, you can't fix a dead cell. A battery has six of them, each with 2 volts. Once one said goodbye it's time for a new battery. 

 

Going to a Honda dealer doesn't mean that you get a better mechanic. Too many mechanics just don't understand simple electric/ electronic.

 

  If your batter is at 12.5 volts when the engine doesn't run, it's okay. But once you start your engine, the voltage should increase to 13.8 volts. Then the alternator and regulator work.

 

   If the voltage does not increase, you've got a faulty alternator *( usually the brushes that can be renewed) 

 

     The joke is that the car will start when you put a new battery in, but only as long as the battery power lasts.

 

  There's a special test how your battery reacts when you need the most power when you start the engine. If the voltage drops below a certain voltage some electronic parts do not get sufficient power and the ignitor might not produce a spark. 

[Isaanbiker]

18 minutes ago, transam said:

As you have bought a maintenance battery, I would check water levels near every week, I did with the Vigo when it had the same battery, sometimes it was fine, sometimes it had dropped.

As for Yuasa 2 year warranty, that is very good, Toyota gave me 90 days for a Toyota battery....????

I did a survey here a few years back about members battery life, 2 years won..

 

PS. You will always get folk say..."But mine lasted 10 years". ????

Mate, I'm on my 3rd battery in 17 years. The last time, I wasted money because the guy ripped me off. The starter's bushings were worn out. 

 

   He made several tests with a fishy looking thingy and I knew that he only wanted to sell me a new battery. i should have gone to Mitsu at this point, or tried to figure out how much juice the starter needed. . 

 

  Sad was that I left my good battery at the shop and got 200 baht for it! 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

Mate, I'm on my 3rd battery in 17 years. The last time, I wasted money because the guy ripped me off. The starter's bushings were worn out. 

 

   He made several tests with a fishy looking thingy and I knew that he only wanted to sell me a new battery. i should have gone to Mitsu at this point, or tried to figure out how much juice the starter needed. . 

 

  Sad was that I left my good battery at the shop and got 200 baht for it! 

But is your ride stuffed with high tech gizmoes, as today's are, how sloppy are the bores, is it high mileage with compression down......? ????.....????

[VocalNeal]

On 10/12/2019 at 4:22 PM, johng said:

14.2v maybe a bit high and cooking the battery ???

But eventually it will drop to 13-ish after a while after starting.

 

BTW Panasonic is supposed to be a good one.

[johng]

my memory is not so good, so according to  "the internet experts"

14.1 - 14.8 volts  for the last 20% of charge then down to

13.0 - 13.8v to trickle ( or float ) charge and maintain the charged battery  for almost ever.

15.0 - 16.0 volts will have the  electrolyte bubbling so would cook the battery ..but some chargers use this higher voltage 

for a limited time to stir up the electrolyte and knock sulphation off the plates.