Using a bigger battery than a car was designed for?
Les
car takes a 063 or 065 size.
Presumably the output of the new car's alternator will be insufficient
to fully charge the larger battery, But there will be lesser demands
on the battery from the new car.
So, should I use it or not? Any advice/abuse gratefully appreciated.
Duncan Wood
> I have a new 096 size battery left over from a previous car. The new
> car takes a 063 or 065 size.
>
> Presumably the output of the new car's alternator will be insufficient
> to fully charge the larger battery,
It'll be fine
> But there will be lesser demands
> on the battery from the new car.
>
> So, should I use it or not? Any advice/abuse gratefully appreciated.
>
If the car needs a new battery, then yes.
Chris Whelan
> I have a new 096 size battery left over from a previous car. The new
> car takes a 063 or 065 size.
>
> Presumably the output of the new car's alternator will be insufficient
> to fully charge the larger battery, But there will be lesser demands on
> the battery from the new car.
The alternator will fully charge the battery, and will then balance the
discharge.
If the larger battery is, say, 50% discharged, it will take longer to
replace that 50% than if the smaller one was similarly discharged. It
will still get to the same state eventually.
> So, should I use it or not? Any advice/abuse gratefully appreciated.
Of greater significance than the battery A/hr rating is firstly its
physical properties. Will it fit the tray? Will the leads reach? Are the
terminals the correct type?
Secondly, is it the right type for the vehicle? Many modern cars are
designed to use calcium technology batteries. These charge to a slightly
higher voltage. The consequence of this is that you can use either a
standard lead/acid or a calcium battery on an older car designed
originally for a standard battery, but you should not use a standard
battery on a car intended to use a calcium one.
Chris
--
Remove prejudice to reply.
Dave Plowman (News)
Les <div...@ponti.net> wrote:
> I have a new 096 size battery left over from a previous car. The new
> car takes a 063 or 065 size.
> Presumably the output of the new car's alternator will be insufficient
> to fully charge the larger battery, But there will be lesser demands
> on the battery from the new car.
No - that would be like saying you need a bigger pump at the filling
station to fill a bigger petrol tank. The alternator will just take longer
to charge a bigger battery than a smaller one - if both are in a similar
state of discharge.
> So, should I use it or not? Any advice/abuse gratefully appreciated.
If it will fit physically, it will likely be fine.
--
*Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental
Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Miike G
"Les" <div...@ponti.net> wrote in message
news:4b76c5b1....@news.x-privat.org...
The only criterion that matters is will it fit the battery compartment
without any modification to the leads or clamp. If it does there's no reason
not to fit it.
Advantages in having a larger capacity battery, is that the car is more
likely to start in very cold conditions, or after being parked for say 2-4
weeks.
Unlike older cars, the standing time, (when it fails to start because the
battery is flat) in a modern car with immobilisers, alarms etc, is greatly
reduced.
Mike.
IanT
The car and battery will not be damaged. I have a the largest battery
possible
fitted to my car as it is a diesel. It is much easier to start in the cold
weather.
No problems charging it up either. My alternator gives off the typical 14v.
With a smaller battery it has a limited capacity, so if you do need to keep
turning over to start, it would run down like mine did.
You can also make a very old battery work again by getting some stuff from
the chemist called EPSOM SALTS. Then buy some deionised water from
ASDA. Mix the epsom salts in to the water as it is heated to fully dissolve
it.
Pour it in to each cell and use a standard charger. Once charged, connect
a headlight bulb up and let it discharge, then charge again. Now you can
use a Smartcharger on it. There is no need to throw old batteries out.
Just remember BIGGER is BETTER. It also depends on the make of
battery, some are better than others.
mr p
> In article <4b76c5b1.171021...@news.x-privat.org>,
> Les <div...@ponti.net> wrote:
>
> > I have a new 096 size battery left over from a previous car. The new
> > car takes a 063 or 065 size.
> > Presumably the output of the new car's alternator will be insufficient
> > to fully charge the larger battery, But there will be lesser demands
> > on the battery from the new car.
>
> No - that would be like saying you need a bigger pump at the filling
> station to fill a bigger petrol tank. The alternator will just take longer
> to charge a bigger battery than a smaller one - if both are in a similar
> state of discharge.
>
regulated Lab PSU. An alternator typically can provide up to 100 Amps
however a battery will never take more than this to charge for a
significant amount of time.Therefore the current limiting to protect
the alternator from over heating is not likely to be much of an issue
It depends therefore on how you drive the car to some extent, however
it will probably be fine.
> > So, should I use it or not? Any advice/abuse gratefully appreciated.
>
> If it will fit physically, it will likely be fine.
I agree
Harry Bloomfield
> I have been playing around charging car batteries from a current
> regulated Lab PSU. An alternator typically can provide up to 100 Amps
> however a battery will never take more than this to charge for a
> significant amount of time.
You would have to increase the charging voltage significantly to get an
ordinary car battery to accept anything even close to 100amps. The best
I have ever managed on a 14v limited supply is 15 to 20amps even on a
high capacity battery which is completely flat. That is how the big
rapid chargers as sold to garages worked - they would output 20 to 30
volts, rapidly putting a charge in, but the battery had to be carefully
and constantly watched.
> Therefore the current limiting to protect
> the alternator from over heating is not likely to be much of an issue
> It depends therefore on how you drive the car to some extent, however
> it will probably be fine.
It will be fine, providing the voltage regulating circuit on the
alternator is working correctly - and you would soon know if it were
not.
--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
Dave Plowman (News)
<234fc301-ca98-4627...@k19g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>,
mr p <s...@lycos.co.uk> wrote:
> I have been playing around charging car batteries from a current
> regulated Lab PSU. An alternator typically can provide up to 100 Amps
> however a battery will never take more than this to charge for a
> significant amount of time.Therefore the current limiting to protect
> the alternator from over heating is not likely to be much of an issue
> It depends therefore on how you drive the car to some extent, however
> it will probably be fine.
A high initial charge is reduced early to protect the battery from
overheating - not the alternator. Some high powered ones are water cooled.
But alternators have to be capable of supplying high currents continuously
to power all the gismos on modern cars.
IMHO it would make sense to have a temperature sensor inside the battery -
you could then cut down the charge current at the latest possible point.
As is done with the better cordless power tools, etc.
--
*If only you'd use your powers for good instead of evil.
Chris Whelan
[...]
> It will be fine, providing the voltage regulating circuit on the
> alternator is working correctly - and you would soon know if it were
> not.
And if it wasn't, the bigger battery would be more a help than a
hindrance.
asahartz
Use it. Shouldn't be a problem. It's common practice with the classic
Minis I drive, where 038 is the standard spec but many of us use 065,
068 or even 072.
My daughter has an 04 C2, which recently had issues with the battery
light coming on. After a new alternator, new coil (because Citroen said
it was faulty), new battery, the light still came on. Citroen's final
suggestion was "fit a bigger battery", which we did and the fault has
not recurred since.
--
asahartz woz ere