Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
None of the recommendations available here
Guys I could really use your advice as batteries and electric are not my strong suit.
After just over a year the battery supplied to the PO by LR in the UAE has failed. That battery was an LR branded lead acid that required maintenance.
I've made lots of enquiries and I've been unable to find a replacement battery of the correct specs here in Oman.
The Oman LR agency's parts department are recommending only LR branded lead acid and the LR workshop is telling me that they recommend and fit AC Delco 85Ah 700CCA lead Acid.
And just to make it interesting the tyre and battery department for the LR agency are recommending, an positively insisting that I fit an Optima 803251 55Ah 850CCA.
The optima and the AC Delco are the cheapest offered to me but there are other unknowns out there that will be cheaper but not correct.
If I've understood correctly what's required is lead calcium 90Ah 950CCA
So what do I do? Do I find the cheapest nearest spec lead acid, fit it and treat it as disposable? If the Optima had higher Ah I'd fit that and renew it under warranty when it failed but 55Ah?
Your thoughts would be very much appreciated.
TIAIf we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
17th Feb 2015 10:52 am
Barn1e D3 Decade
Member Since: 28 Aug 2006
Location: Mid-sussex
Posts: 2021
Based upon the original post and replies, I have just ordered the Exide Premium from Tanya batteries. Still priced at £80 inc VAT and Delivery.
With the existing battery (LR delaer supplied) 5 years old and struggling to hold more than 12v, even after a long drive, I decided to make the change now - before a 3 week holiday in Scotland! I will give the old battery a recon charge and take it with us as a backup for the Caravan battery. I know it is not a deep cycling battery, but it will help if we run low on 12v between sites with 240v.2005, TDV6 S, Auto, 190k miles, owned from new, V8 Brake Upgrade, Nancom Evo, RLD protector, BAS EGR blanking & Remap, separate ATF cooler, changing all the fluids ahead of time.
29th Mar 2015 4:06 pm
Barn1e D3 Decade
Member Since: 28 Aug 2006
Location: Mid-sussex
Posts: 2021
Battery arrived very well packed and after top up charge, now fitted. Old battery was regularly dropping below 12v despite long motorway runs. Assuming the battery lasts a reasonable number of years, for £80 delivered it seems a reasonable cost.2005, TDV6 S, Auto, 190k miles, owned from new, V8 Brake Upgrade, Nancom Evo, RLD protector, BAS EGR blanking & Remap, separate ATF cooler, changing all the fluids ahead of time.
2nd Apr 2015 9:36 pm
Magnet6x6
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
Battery cable mod
Does any one have photos of a moded battery cable that they'd mind posting?
TIAIf we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
23rd Apr 2015 7:12 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
More info required - what modification to the battery cable do you seek?Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
In earlier posts it was mentioned that fitting some non LR batteries required a modification to the battery cable.
I'm having to source an alternative battery and was looking for examples of the cable had been extended.If we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
23rd Apr 2015 8:26 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
The battery is a standard shape with loads of different brands available to fit. There should be no need to modify anything.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
Unfortunately here not so much.
LR are fitting lead acid and the last one lasted less than a year.
I've decided on an Optima Red, they're a cracking price here and if doesn't last I'll be no worse off than if I used a lead acid.
Searching the forum tells me that an Optima requires a mod to the cable and I've offered one up and confirmed this. For the battery to sit squarely and securely I need to add an extra inch to one of the cables or a terminal.If we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
23rd Apr 2015 8:59 am
Magnet6x6
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
Robbie wrote:
The battery is a standard shape with loads of different brands available to fit. There should be no need to modify anything.
Robbie, I'm so sorry, I owe you an apology
I was having a brain fade when I wrote that because I'd already fitted a Red Top 3.7 8035-255 without any mods and have been running it for a while
What I meant to say was that I wanted to fit a higher capacity Red Top, IIRC it was 4.2 803251? CCA 850 to better compliment my traxide dual battery installation. On the highest spec model available locally the terminals were in a different position. The only way to connect it up left the battery at weird angle and the clamp wouldn't fit, so I walked away from it but as I was desperate I fitted the smaller one as a stop gap.
Hence my question about modifying a battery cable. Hope that makes a bit more sense and once again, sorry If we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
25th Apr 2015 8:17 am
Magnet6x6
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
This is what I was referring to.
The top one drops right in and connects up as normal and is what I'm currently using.
The lower, is what I'd like to fit. It drops in but the terminals are in a slightly different location and the cables won't connect up without mods.If we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
9th Jul 2015 12:08 pm
drivesafe
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
Hi Magnet, you could try fitting a Yellowtop, instead of the Redtop.
They work just as well for cranking and have more terminal position varieties but while there is a 75Ah/900CCA available, I think it might be a tad too high.
But even if you go with a smaller size with a lower CCA than required, just remember, your dual battery isolator allows some of the starting current to come from your auxiliary battery.
So you would still easily have a high enough total CCA rating.
Personally, I think it is simpler to just fit a Calcium/Calcium cranking battery.2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
9th Jul 2015 9:20 pm
Magnet6x6
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
Thanks drivesafe
The calcium battery isn't available here, at least not through the LR the main dealers who are fitting lead acid. The last lead acid lasted about a year.
I fitted the smaller red top as a stop gap several months ago, it was an easy fit and has been working well. I was hoping to fit the higher capacity to maximize on the benefits of your system
Ironically the day after buying the larger optima I discovered that local Mercedes agents may have a suitable calcium but that needs to be confirmed.
I jury rigged the larger battery into the D3 but it was seriously ugly so I took it out.If we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
11th Jul 2015 12:27 pm
drivesafe
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
Hi againMagnet, and do you have any idea why your are continually getting such short life spans from your cranking batteries?2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
11th Jul 2015 2:39 pm
Magnet6x6
Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Al Hamra, Oman
Posts: 165
It's not a scientific statement but lead acids, in this environment, appear to last twelve to twenty four months, just a general observation.
A year ago I bought the car and according to the receipts the crank battery in it was a year old. As soon as I bought the car I fitted your system and as you identified from the symptoms I described the crank battery was on its way out. Your system helped to slow the demise but things weren't cured until the crank batt was replaced. The failed battery was LR / Jaguar lead acid fitted by the LRIf we weren't supposed to eat meat why did God make animals taste so good?
Prospeed XRS, traxide, Mitch Hitch, life is good.
11th Jul 2015 3:23 pm
BHH
Member Since: 19 Jan 2010
Location: Co. Antrim, N. Ireland
Posts: 208
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