Best battery for a CRD?

car0430a · **Posted:** Wed Dec 04, 2013 8:44 pm

I'm in the same boat as many. My original Optima Red top is not holding a charge much longer than a day. I've been looking around my area for batteries. I think I have come to the conclusion to buy a Farm & Fleet Platnuim Battery. It comes with a 3 year free replacment and 7 year warranty, 850cca, on sale for $79 right now locally. If your not from the upper Midwest or Wisconsin you probably don't know what a Farm & Fleet is. But seems to be a good deal.

thermorex · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:31 am

As long as you replace the red top every 3 years, I think it will be fine. My optima had been replaced a month ago with a new one, due to the same reasons many people replaced them, after having the crd sitting for couple days, the battery would drop to 12.1 volts. That optima I replaced was one month short from 3 years old. The new one maintains a steady 12.6 volts even after a week. I'd say, based on what people on this forum experienced, it's better to go with a Sears p1, if you want more than 3 years from the battery. If you are willing to spend about 170 (advance auto with P20 coupon for 20% off) every 3 years for a new red top, then optima will work fine.

CRD Joe · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:33 pm

I have one of those Sears Platinum P4's and its the BEST battery Ive EVER used!

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:29 am

Meh...who uses batteries anymore

I run 1 bank of 6 in my jeep and 8 banks in my audio comp car

They are maxwell super capacitors

racertracer · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:07 am

jws84_02 wrote:

Meh...who uses batteries anymore

I run 1 bank of 6 in my jeep and 8 banks in my audio comp car

They are maxwell super capacitors

OK..... explain how you did that, I am interested in knowing the method, the efficiency of the Maxwell batteries compared to the conventional dry cell or wet cell type that we are using now and are there any economic benefits?

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:39 am

Well each cap is 2.5 volts and I series 6 of them to get a max charging of 15 volts.

The main difference on these to batts is the internal resistance. These can charge and discharge almost instantly.

I can pull a lot of amperage from these, which in my hobby that's a big advantage.

I guess the main advantage is the weight and size of these compared to a comparable agm batt. Since I switched to these in my jeep, it doesn't know what a slow start is.

Disadvantage I guess would be, since they instantly discharge if you leave your dome light on or have any kind of draw the caps will be drained. But only a couple minutes on the charger, and they will be charged back up.

Economic advantage? Well when I bought these 2 years ago, I could get 3 banks(18 caps) for the price of a red top. Also, these things will last a lifetime

dirtmover · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:21 am

But this isn't replacing your battery, is it? I suspect you get somewhere between 5 and 10 seconds of total cranking and after that you're toast. So, how exactly do you have this connected into your system? Do you just run it in parallel with the existing battery?

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:36 am

dirtmover wrote:

But this isn't replacing your battery, is it? I suspect you get somewhere between 5 and 10 seconds of total cranking and after that you're toast. So, how exactly do you have this connected into your system? Do you just run it in parallel with the existing battery?

For awhile I had 2 banks paralleled to my stock battery. Now I have done away with a conventional battery and have 1 bank of caps in the factory location. There is a little more than 10 seconds of cranking time.

I'm my audio testing. I can pull 500 amps off one bank fully charged to 15 volts for about 12 seconds before they drop to 10 volts

dirtmover · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:54 pm

jws84_02 wrote:

....Now I have done away with a conventional battery and have 1 bank of caps in the factory location. There is a little more than 10 seconds of cranking time.

Very interesting idea but how often have you been left stranded? Running a few calculations, just opening and closing the doors a few times or leaving the lights on a couple of minutes could screw you up, Even many short trips (<10 mins) could be problematic.

However, with the correct electronics to manage a hybrid battery/supercap setup you could have a great system for diesel starting i.e. use the cap exclusively for starting but provide a means to replenish or back it up from the battery in the case of short cycling.

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 3:42 pm

Knock on wood, I havent been stranded with them. They are hooked to my alt and charge just like a battery.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:26 pm

Your always pulling a small load on the battery,even with the doors closed,key outr,and engine off.You got the ECM memory,TCM memory,and radio memory.

adieselr14 · **Joined:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:42 am **Posts:** 1

You can try Costco battery.
You can also buy the group 34 AGM from advanced auto.

Thank you.

pwrwagn · **Joined:** Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:40 am **Posts:** 192

So far, I'm very happy with the AGM I got from O'Reilly's this fall. I accidently left my car computer running for more than 36 hours (I have an Android tablet with a daylight readable screen) and it started at less than 15 degrees without slowing down. I know it was heavily discharged, because the serpentine belt then proceeded to chirp for the next 20 minutes while the engine labored to turn the alternator. It didn't crank any noticeably slower ( means the battery has very low internal resistance), and still had enough reserve oomph to light the glow plugs.

pwrwagn · **Joined:** Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:40 am **Posts:** 192

jws84_02 wrote:

Meh...who uses batteries anymore

I run 1 bank of 6 in my jeep and 8 banks in my audio comp car

They are maxwell super capacitors

Dang, those are EXPENSIVE!

racertracer · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:57 pm

pwrwagn wrote:

They are maxwell super capacitors

Yes........ now I remember, these batteries are the same ones that powered the flux capacitor in the De Lorean Time Machine.

Capable of pushing the vehicle through time portals.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:55 pm

Does anyone know if a group 24 battery will fit our KJ's? :idea:

Has anyone installed a group 24 and if so what problems did you run into? :roll:

Was at my local battery dealer yesterday and he showed me some killer platinum group 24 batteries with brass posts & bolt connectors that he has... I picked one of them up and it was heavier (weight wise) than any battery I have ever lifted in that size...

pwrwagn · **Joined:** Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:40 am **Posts:** 192

WWDiesel wrote:

Does anyone know if a group 24 battery will fit our KJ's? :idea:

Has anyone installed a group 24 and if so what problems did you run into? :roll:

Was at my local battery dealer yesterday and he showed me some killer platinum group 24 batteries with brass posts & bolt connectors that he has... I picked one of them up and it was heavier (weight wise) than any battery I have ever lifted in that size...

here's a group size chart.

http://www.rtpnet.org/teaa/bcigroup.html

34: 10 1/4 6 13/16 7 7/8 (LWH)
24: 10 1/4 6 13/16 8 7/8

It is one inch taller, and I have my doubts that's a real issue.

pwrwagn · **Joined:** Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:40 am **Posts:** 192

"Heavier" means more lead and/or acid. That does NOT translate to more power. Power is mostly a function of plate area exposed to acid. Batteries designed for long life often have thicker plates and deeper space at the bottom and top of the plates, to accommodate more sulfation and hold more acid (longer service intervals). batteries designed to be more durable often have thicker plates, thicker connectors, etc, resulting in more weight - but may have fewer plates and less overall capacity.

Capacity is measured in several ways. Cold Cranking Amps is a measure of how well the battery can discharge when very cold. Amp/hours means how much total energy between fully charged and fully dead. Higher amp/hours does not mean more cranking power - often it means less, because of compromises to have more plate area.

My AGM has an amp-hour capacity that's a lot less than the flooded lead acid version, but for a given amp/hour rating, it has a LOT more cold cranking amps. AGM's typically have good discharge characteristics even in the cold and when partially discharged - especially batteries like the Odyssey brand.

Certain design considerations and compromises are made for battery usage. Often ones designed to handle harsh physical conditions like vibration and shock have much lower amp/hours and somewhat low cranking amps, but that's because there's lots more metal (and often alloyed) for more strength, but leaving less plate area.

High capacity, but low current (non starting batteries) often have higher numbers of plates, lots of acid, but have much smaller connections inside. The alloys are often chosen to reduce sulfation as much as possible an are often brittle, resulting broken or failed batteries if they get vibrated or banged around a lot.

Beardo76 · **Joined:** Wed May 15, 2013 3:29 pm **Posts:** 19

My red top optima died today. The jeep would start with a jump, but with this latest round of cold weather it's really been struggling. I noted it was a 700 CCA battery.

Went to Sears and bought a DieHard Platinum 850 CCA. Normally it was $229, but this was on clearance for $159, and a gentleman handed me a coupon for %10 off while I was making the purchase. Pretty freaking awesome buy.

Anyway, night and day difference. Starting speed is way faster and more confident. Highly recommend the diehard platinum battery.

airwerks · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:47 pm

Perfect time for this to get bumped up, the factory Optima in my 05' just died. Just picked up a Sears P1 because of this thread!

Best battery for a CRD?

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