BATTERY

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Martec
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Re: BATTERY

Post by Martec » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:23 pm

Any reason that you used a 'Yuasa' battery Gil, my local auto electricians sell these and rate them , but I've had a few failures over the years, Porsche and Jaguar.

Brian
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2000 3 Ltr manual Jaguar 'S' type (love it)
1972 TC Marina Coupe (comfy everyday car)
1961 3.8ltr MkII Jaguar (Back to carburretors)(A lot more comfy with correct springs)

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Re: BATTERY

Post by SLOW ITAL » Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:35 am

Martec wrote:Any reason that you used a 'Yuasa' battery Gil, my local auto electricians sell these and rate them , but I've had a few failures over the years, Porsche and Jaguar.

Brian
No particular reason Brian, They used to be marketed by lucas & ive had them before with no problem.
Had a look at batteries, in halfords, & these looked good .
At 48 amp hr 430 A & 5 yr guarantee was an improvement on the old 35 ah unipart.
But selling at £75, got it on line at "sutton auto factors" inc vat & delivery for £ 44.56.
( YBX5057).
As I said the thing I missed was the height difference of 25mm, but sorted now.
Gil.
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Re: BATTERY

Post by marina1300coupe » Fri Aug 29, 2014 7:03 am

The Halfords own brand type 038 is probably manufactured by LUCAS, it has the same build.
I have a vague recollection that many years ago they sold LUCAS batteries on the shelf and substantiate the earlier comment about them selling YUASA/LUCAS.

Brian stated he had two failures from the same manufacturer, which obviously is a concern, but the problem when buying a battery is we do not know how long it has been on the shelf.

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Martec
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Re: BATTERY

Post by Martec » Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:55 am

I did a bit of research one evening on the internet about battery types and battery life and for an anorak it was very interesting.

We don't get the battery directly after it has been made, so it is stored somewhere and how well it is stored is a deciding factor in its life, as you said.

Also the temperature in its working environment is critical (the Jaguar is as high up in the engine bay as possible and it gets very hot) the S type and Marina now have their batteries in the boot, but it is not an option on the MkII Jaguar as there is a gas tank in there.

Testing of batteries is a difficult prospect unless you own a laboratory. There are two values to consider, capacity (Ah, amp hours) and its ability to spin the engine over for 30 seconds (CCA cold cranking amps). From looking at graphs is seems that the capacity will decline over time, taking into acount the above reasons. But CCA seems to stay high until it falls off a cliff (no capacity left).

There are different types of battery, gel, glass mat, lithium various others and the old faithful lead acid wet battery, and baically these fall into two types, deep cycle for running golf buggies and the like, discharges and then recharged. Or the car starter battery which gives a huge starting current but not for long. Both types of lead acid batteries are constructed differently inside.

I've decided to go with cheap (ish) and cheerful wet lead acid type and due to heat not expect too much from it after two years.

Looking after the battery is also contentious, some say part discharge and recharge, others say keep it at near full capacity. So I'll carry on using the car and then hook it up to a trickle charger (my cheap inteligent Aldi chargers), but keep the old slow low amp charger to recover 'flat' batteries and a larger heavier inteigent charger.

I haven't really answered any questions but I understand it a bit more and will continue to use my local auto electricians for batteries as they can test and look after a battery before the supply me with one.

Thanks for your input.

Brian

I think I've put this on the wrong post!!
Shopping trolley(Mazda3)
2000 3 Ltr manual Jaguar 'S' type (love it)
1972 TC Marina Coupe (comfy everyday car)
1961 3.8ltr MkII Jaguar (Back to carburretors)(A lot more comfy with correct springs)

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Re: BATTERY

Post by JubileeNut » Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:27 pm

The lead acid battery I have on my TC was only filled when I purchased it so no degrading sitting on the shelf! This is the same method when I purchased my varta fun start battery for my mums mower. They come dry charged and then you add the acid in and do a first charge and ready for use. I have found that doing it this way means a longer battery life. Don't bother buying one which is already filled and sitting on the shelf as you just don't know how long it has been sitting there!
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Martec
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Re: BATTERY

Post by Martec » Mon Sep 01, 2014 1:23 pm

Hence my reason for using my local Auto electrician Paul!

Brian
Shopping trolley(Mazda3)
2000 3 Ltr manual Jaguar 'S' type (love it)
1972 TC Marina Coupe (comfy everyday car)
1961 3.8ltr MkII Jaguar (Back to carburretors)(A lot more comfy with correct springs)

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Re: BATTERY

Post by JubileeNut » Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:08 pm

My battery after nine years is getting weak in cold weather now so thinking of replacing with yusa 057 as they are higher cranking etc. Just need to check height as Gill pointed out.
Car due to priming fuel after stting would not spin fast. Left on battery conditioner for an hour and then it went. Once started it continued to start but from cold it will fail now.
Not bad from a old battery over nine years old so no complaints :thumbup:
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Re: BATTERY

Post by Gee tc » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:03 am

The one on mine is a Yuasa...but the correct marina heavy duty spec.
I've left it for a good few months now so will be taking off to charge.
Or possibly do a jump start. We'll see...!

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Re: BATTERY

Post by JubileeNut » Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:49 am

Mine is always on a ctek battery conditioner when car is sitting. This i think has helped the battery last so long. But even with this on it was slow and did not start.
I left it over night with no charger on and it fired up first turn! So i guess running the car helped boost the charge more.
I will leave it for a bit longer but i know the cranking capacity is low and the cold kills batteries.
Before i buy the 057 i will jack my battery up with a spacer to check leads are ok.
I guess your Yuasa is a 015 which is the heavy duty version of 038?
I have a 015 presently.
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Re: BATTERY

Post by Gee tc » Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:01 pm

Pleased to report that I connected the battery back up.
I cranked for around 30 seconds to get some fuel through and then sprayed a little start spray to get things going.
All was well and i let it run for around 20 mins. Pleased to add that I didn't have a stuck clutch either. Good considering the car was parked up and left alone since late September after its last show. Like Chris W , I disconnect every time I put the car away. Safetys sake and no live wires. However I've noticed a brake fluid leak via the servo into the car interior. It's a new old stock master cylinder so the seal will probably have aged.
T

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Re: BATTERY

Post by marina1300coupe » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:07 pm

Hi all

I intend to purchase a battery conditioner, however, as with may items there is a considerable range available with variable prices. Looked in Halfords both shop and online, they sell own brand, RING and CTEC. The list of functions can be confusing, I require something I can attach to the battery and leave without having to worry about frequently checking an LCD display. RING/CTEC are documented as having a 5 year guarantee. One issue which is important to me but is rarely referred to is the length of the +/- leads to the battery. Although my vehicle is kept in an attached garage I do not want to keep the bonnet fully open as dirt still gets in from the outside and would therefore prefer to not keep the conditioner in the engine compartment. Halfords cheapo at £25, packaging states '2m long leads', some of the reviews for the RING RSC612 on the Halfords website refer to the leads being short.

Be interested on any feedback on this subject, especially if anyone has experienced problems with any particular model.

Ian

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Re: BATTERY

Post by david painter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:29 pm

I Have used a CTEK at home for many years without problems. At work I have sold several Sealey SMC12 Battery conditioners never had one back faulty you. It has a second lead that can be hard wired to any continuous live and the plug put in car or boot to suit you. they sell on web for £25 to £30 ish
Dave.
Model No........................SMC11.....................................SMC12
Type........................3-Cycle12V..............................3-Cycle 12V
Input............................230V.........................................230V
Output..........................12V...........................................12V
Input Current................0.25A........................................0.25A
Efficiency.....................>80%........................................>80%
Charging Current............0.8A..........................................1.5A
Back Current Drain.......11Ah/month.............................<13Ah/month
Ambient Temperature...-20°C to +50°C ........................-20°C to +50°C
Dimensions (LxWxH)... .178x66x38mm ....................198 x 68 x 41mm
Housing Protection...........XXX.........................................IP65
Weight.........................0.4kg..................................... 0.49kg
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Re: BATTERY

Post by mickthefitter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:23 pm

Speed reading this thread I get the impression the original battery question has been solved but I thought I'd add my own experience. My Marina had multiple hidden starter issues when purchased (among others) but it mimicked a failing battery. It came with an 038. I was advised to get an 015. Locally I drew a blank. Nobody had one or could tell me where to get one. Top hit online was a Numax from Tayna.co.uk. Despite the other issues I could tell this battery had more guts than the 038. I'd always prefer the 015 now. Regarding makes, my late dad's mobility scooter was fitted with Yuasa batteries which needed changing after 2-3 years. I bought and fitted for him equivalent Lucas branded batteries that were cheaper but rated the same. After about a year my dad was reporting the charge meter on his scooter was dropping sharply on gradients. So not as good as Yuasa. Unfortunately I won't need to change them again. My Marina came with one of those battery isolators that is a black knob you unscrew from the -ve terminal. Very useful and quick. Past experience has been that the battery on my Marina stays fresh after a winter lay-up.

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Re: BATTERY

Post by Mandator » Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:15 pm

It looks like time to replace the battery on my 1300 saloon and reading through the comments posted, no one seems to have mentioned the suitability of different types.
Obviously Lead Acid are old school but most sites seem to be selling Calcium batteries - which appear to be designed for stop/start technology.
A friend who has a Peugeot 604 had his battery fail and was told that calcium batteries cannot cope with the older style charging conditions and rely, I presume, on solid state technology to ensure they are not fried! Pretty sure there are no fancy electronics in Marinas :-D
Anyone able to shed more light on the matter?

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Re: BATTERY

Post by david painter » Sat Jan 28, 2023 6:37 am

Stop Start systems use Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM) Batteries rather than Flooded Lead Acid Batteries. The AGM battery is supposed to be more stable for the constant use of starter motor. The cars electronic system has a battery shunt built into the Negative battery lead in most cases this shunt is also connected to the Positive battery terminal then is wired to a managment module via CAN ( Control Area Network) this can either be a separate module or built into systems this module holds the battery data Ie type and battery capacity. this is then used to monitor the state of charge the battery this is then used along with other data as to whether the stop start system is deployed it also monitors battery condition in the cars rest state and can turn off consumers in low charge situations ie heater rear window heated seats etc. These batteries do not usually fail as in not starting the car but fail to hold enough charge to work Stop Start and put a message on the dash. Hope that explains why we use them on modern cars. As for our Marinas most do have a AC charging system ( alternator) with a decent quality alternator fitted with a good voltage regulator there is no reason why a AGM or Calcuim battery cannot be used as the basic alternator is no different to what is fitted on a Marina even if computer control can switch it on and off as required on todays cars . There is no need to put a expensive AGM type battery as car has no stop start etc. There is also very little choice out there of the correct shape and size to fit a Marina. I personally have a Lion battery fitted this sits all winter usually flat then charged for use it has been like this for the last 7 years without problems. I am not a personal fan of Yuasa batteries I do see a high failure rate on these when fitted on BMW Mercedes and VAG and cause all sorts of electrical problems. That said I did have to change a Morgan plus 4 battery the other day that I maintain the only battery that will fit on that is a Yuasa due to location the last one fitted ( Yuasa) lasted 10 years and was a normal black housing lead acid part the same as would have been fitted to a Marina Mini etc
Dave

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