Is it ok to use a battery with only 600 CCA

Big Montana · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 am

I'm sorry for the dumb question, but I don't know enough about amps and what not.

My original battery of six years died yesterday, and I was given a brand new (two months old) battery for free from my parents who were getting rid of an old car. The battery is only rated at 600 CCA. It's pretty cold here right now, and I wasn't sure if the battery would have enough to turn it over. To my surprise, it worked and the Jeep starts rather well. I never had a Red Top as it died the first week of ownership in 2005. It was replaced by a Mopar battery rated at 770 CCA.

So - I have two concerns. One: could this harm the Jeep over the long term if this battery is under-rated for this engine. Two: Could I kill this battery off real quick by forcing it to do too much? I know it's a free battery, but I have planned all along to use it in my 1986 CJ during the summer off-road months. I don't want to waste a perfectly good battery and then still need to buy two new batteries in the summer for both vehicles.

As an added question, is it fine to get the Sears Platinum battery that's rated at 880 CCA. Is it possible to run too much amperage through these starting systems. That was the battery I was going to get once I hear from this board.

Thanks.

racertracer · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:42 pm

I would save the battery you received and keep it for the other veicle.

But before I run to Sears to buy the new P1, I would get on the sears email list and wait for the battery sale like I did and purchase the Platinum battery for less.

I purchased mine online and then picked it up at the store for under 150 dollars when it went on sale. I got a sale price and a rebate through the web site.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:06 pm

Comments:
1. CCA is not a measure of the amount of amps a battery will "push" thru the system. Rather it's a measure of the number of amps a battery can support for 30 seconds at a temperature of 0 degrees F until the battery voltage drops to unusable levels. To put it another way the starter system on any vehicle requires X amount of power to run the starter and fire the engine; a battery with higher CCA can supply that power longer. Rule of thumb is diesels require more of the power (e.g. grunt so to speak) to fire off if for no other reason than diesels are significantly higher compression engines than gassers.
2. Using an low CCA rated battery puts a strain on the battery (worse in extremes of hot and cold) and IMHO is not good for the starter. How that plays out on battery life and starter life I don't know but I would not risk a bad outcome.
3. At 600 CCA IMHO on a really cold day in your location this battery is going to leave you parked. But heh you might get lucky. Me I hate being parked especially since it is never at a good location like my house.

I love my Sears P-1 which I did not get on sale and I don't have a clue how often sales roll around. A significantly cheaper alternative with 800 CCA and a 85 month warranty is the Interstate Mega-Tron Plus 85 month (MTP-34) Group 34 for a bit over $100. Others have found batteries for like $90 at Costco but still others have found that such discount places refuse to sell or install a battery if it's not the "correct" one listed in their "book" even if the battery is the proper size and has good CCA.

Hydraulic Jack · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:13 pm

And most likely they aren't going on sale during the cold months due to a "gotcha" mentality of sellers......HJ

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:58 pm

Papaindigo has nailed all the high points for you.

For me personally - Get the Costco battery. Save that smaller one for the summer in the other Jeep. Installing a battery is EASY, you don't need to argue with a parts store droid about doing it for you or "the manufacturer states ONLY this battery in my book" b/c that is complete hogwash. If you can get a group 34 battery, it will fit perfectly. Look at the size of any group 34 battery, they are all the same physical dimensions. They don't have one you like? Compare those dimensions to what you do like, then look at ratings. Find one with the most amperage... And go for it. The height matters, and the outer dimensions matter a bit if you don't want to rotate the thing 90 degrees to face the engine (long side parallel to the fender). If you are willing to get creative, over 1000 CCA batteries can fit in there, but I wouldn't do that in the winter.

Here's what I would add to Papa's thoughts:

Our CRD does require a bit more "grunt" than most other similar size engines. FYI: The rating of the starter is somewhere in the vicinity of 525 amps. This is the same as a Ford V8 gasser! Your battery is above that level, sure... But not much. What this means is that you can get potentially 30 seconds of cranking (in a perfect world) out of that 600 amp rating... ONCE. Then the battery would be too low to deliver that rating again until it was charged.

Thats in a perfect world. The real world means you lose amps (and conversely need more from the battery) because of resistance in the cable, corrosion resistance in the ground points, cold oil making the engine tougher to turn, Usage of the glow plugs... You get the idea. If your engine fires in less than 30 seconds of cranking, you might STILL get away with that battery... Except for the cold.

That rating of CCA is at 0 degrees F, but a battery loses a LOT of capacity in the cold, and it isn't a linear change or an exact science. Go a few degrees below zero, and you might lose another 20 amps... You might lose 40 or more. Add in the other real-world problems... And you stay parked.

Now, to address your questions: More amperage rating? That will NOT HURT ANYTHING, as it is only a representation of the battery's total capacity. The battery will still deliver ~13.6 volts when fully charged. A lesser capacity rating won't hurt the CRD in the singular case of: Your CRD is able to start before that battery is depleted. This is the same for any battery. The symptoms are familiar to all of us - slow cranking, clicking starter, dim / blinking lights... No vroom. There isn't really any damage to the computers, they just won't run. But when the cranking speed slows due to reduced voltage from the low battery, the starter is actually trying to draw MORE amperage per volt to make up for the low voltage. This can overheat the wiring in the starter, and causes the battery to deplete even faster. It also damages the plates within the battery, reducing its lifespan permanently. When your battery starts to suffer and the cranking speed slows... STOP TRYING.

Good luck in the winter!

Big Montana · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:52 pm

Thanks for these answers guys. I have learned a lot. I'll be looking for a new battery this week. It was 5 degrees the day my original battery bit the dust. This makes all the sense in the world now.

cerich · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:21 pm

noticed that Sams Club has a 800 cca group 34 for $85 with 3 years full and 8 years prorate with Duracel Branding on it.

LIBERTYinLIBERTY · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:30 pm

By daveinliberty at 2012-02-04

geordi · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:03 pm

Mmmmm... Beefy. That will do just fine, and has lots of extra capacity on both the CA and CCA ratings to allow for real-world variances in the actual power needed.

LIBERTYinLIBERTY · **Posted:** Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:21 pm

http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/Orschel ... le&offset=

Is it ok to use a battery with only 600 CCA

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