CRD replacment battery

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

My wife's CRD optima craptop battery died today. It would barely turn the motor over and needed a jump from my TDI to fire up. I drove down to Advance Auto parts and the moron at the counter insisted he look up the vehicle model/year info on his computer. I told him all I wanted was the largest possible battery that would fit in the engine but he said he couldn't do that and could only sell me a battery that his computer said was a match. His computer told him that he didn't sell CRD batteries.

Anyway, I brushed him off and picked out a battery that fit nicely. It has 1000 amps cranking capacity, 800 amps cold CCA and 115 amp-hour reserve. If anyone wants the model number let me know. This battery was $89 bucks plus tax. I figure it is a much better battery than the Optima with regards to capacity.

I'll never buy an optima battery again. This thing died after two years use over 38,000 miles. 3/4 of the driving is highway at 80mph.

I knew about the Optima warranty but I'm leaving town tomorrow and didn't want my wife to worry about a dead battery and getting a replacement from the dealership.

daxiet · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:09 am

115ah is a large battery, I have an 85ah for my boat, but it doesn't fit in the battery compartment. Seems the standard battery for the Jeep is around 60ah.

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

Advance Auto Titanium Battery
Part Number: 34784
1000 cranking camps at 32 deg F
800 at 0 deg F
[size=18]115 Reserve (oops, 115 minutes whatever that means)[/size] The battery it says 115 reserve but the online ad says 115 minutes. I'm curious, 115 minutes at what draw?
3 year replacement warranty.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDeta ... mber=34784

Ok, the 115 minutes is how long the battery can draw 25 amps. This means reserve capacity isn't that great for this battery. It'll do and it was a much needed replacement. I'm now sure why reserve capacity is so important in a diesel because I always thought that CCA was most important (max amp draw for 30 seconds).

Regardless, it works for now and I'm happy.

Stock Optima Specs from their website

Number: 34R (9003-151)
RedTop®; Battery; Group 34R;
Cold Crank Amps 800;
Crank Amps 1000;
Reserve Capacity 110;
Ampere Hour 50; Top Terminal; L-10 in.; W-6 7/8 in.; H-7 13/16 in.; BOXED;
Looks like both batteries are comparable. The redtop battery info obtained from the optima website and I'm assuming its the same one that Jeep put in the vehicle.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:11 pm

34 is the battery group size and the R means the terminals are reversed from standard placement.

I have always hated using the computer when I worked at auto parts stores, I learned the old fashon way, in the books. The books tell you much more than a computer can.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:15 pm

The funny part of the Optima 34R that I have is the top mount terminals are dead square in the middle of the battery so the differnce in mounting regular or reverse is turning is 180 degrees. I kind of like that and assume that regulag lead acid can't be that way is due to fluid filler access holes.

05infernoCRDL · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:34 pm

i don't think the stock optima is as powerful as the ones you buy in the store.. i think they have 700CCA... i'll go check

*edit*

Just went out and checked.
715 (en) CCA, 700 (sae) CCA and i think the reserve is 50 min.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:01 pm

Chrysler had Optima build the smaller version to trim a few cents off the cost. The regular 34R Optima is great!

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

I'm glad to read that my lead acid battery has greater capacity than the stock CRD optima and is reasonably priced. I'll stick to traditional lead acid batteries and not have to worry about accidental discharging of battery.

retmil46 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:50 pm

Reserve capacity = glow plugs. Even with the boat anchor of a battery in the MB, the older style glow plugs will yank that battery down to 11 volts, and keep the alternator pulled down to 12 volts, until they shut off. The newer style rapid heatup ceramic glow plugs in the CRD (and only having 4 of them) allowed them to get away with a relatively small single battery (for a diesel at least).

DDom · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:16 am

well seems DCX is having some issues with these Optimas. We also had our original replaced last month. It was DEAD DEAD DEAD. I also theorize the 700CCA is too low for the engine regardless of the new ceramic low resitance glow plugs. The compression ratio alone will put a strain on each start. DCX is goofed again!

chrispitude · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:34 am

I can understand that starting the diesel is a big drain, but why wouldn't the battery come back up to a full charge each time it is driven?

- Chris

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:15 am

My headlights dim if I try to put down the front windows while parked...it barely meets requirements IMO.

chrispitude · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:02 pm

I'm pretty sure that's a separate problem with inadequate wire gauges used in the Liberty's electrical system. It also happens with the engine running, when the electrical system should be held up to about 14.5v by the alternator. The inadequate gauge results in high wire resistance, which translates directly to voltage drop under load. You will see the same thing in older houses with long runs of 14-2 leading to a room versus 12-2. When a high load is applied to an outlet (space heater, hair dryer), the lights in the room will dim much more with 14-2 than 12-2.

If it only happened with the engine off but not on, then it would point to the battery.

- Chris

Kniggit · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:49 pm

That sounds about as technically correct as you need to be to diagnose the problem. However the length of wire in the vehicle is so short Voltage drop should not have been more than 1/10 of a volt.

I would say that more than likely Darby was running near the capacity of the alternator. Hot Rod Magazine ran an article about what needed to be supported by the Alternator because it was continuous and what would could be handled by the battery because it was intermittent. Something like a cooling fan, lights, fuel pump, radio, wipers, etc that would be on CONTINUOUSLY should be figured into the capacity of the alternator with an additional factor to charge the battery after you use intermittent loads such as the starter, electric seats and windows, Brake lights and Turn signals, Rear Defroster.

Also if the lights dimmed when you roll the window down it could be that the window MOTOR is staring to burn out, or the regulator is starting to crap out.

K

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:05 pm

It has done this since it was new...now 39,000 miles. It is probably a combination of battery/wiring.

05infernoCRDL · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:42 pm

i would like opinions on this if the forum does not mind...

i currently have the stock Optima in my truck... i believe the original ... i also have a red top from the parts store i bought for a car that got totaled... should i just switch the stock one out for the more powerful one i have sitting around?

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

I'd switch based soley on my personal experience. I'm thinking that my aftermarket heated seats, the electric fuel pump, headlights and repeated short trips (its my wife's car) is what killed her Optima battery.

I am now putting her new traditional lead acid battery on the charger once a week.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:36 am

The after market Optima battery is the real thing not a Chrysler speced bean counter special :!:

Others may rave about things like buggy whips and grease soaked oak bearings, but lat time I checked allot of the buggies rolling around the East and Midwest now have tapered roller bearings.
Lead Acid batteries love to gas and corrode the connections where Optima batteries do not. I would hang the real Optima into your CRD and set the other one aside. I swapped my Chrysler Optima for a real one and I will throw the Chrysler one back into my CRD to have the dealer do the diagnostic dance and then swap it out when the weather breaks and they can fit me in. For now my CRD starts and runs.

Steve

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

I'm sure there is a benefit to Optima but for my personal experience, the cost difference, the "corrosion" and outgassing is not an issue that warrants concern. The majority of vehicle batteries are lead acid. I've never had a battery go bad after 2 years of use regardless of driving style.

However, if an optima is available then there's no point in buying another battery.

BCool · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 8:09 pm

Mine crapped out less than 3 years old with 55000. I tried to get them to warranty it, but its a no go. Chrysler spec so optima will not warranty it.

CRD replacment battery

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