battery recommendation

bedfordd · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject: battery recommendation

I've search the Samba and the web for a while to get some recommendation for battery brands/specifications for my '77 FI. My current battery is pretty new but after being away for a week it was dead. I put a 1amp trick charge on it and it was up to 12.5V. The next day it was 11.9V and could start the bus but cranked slowly. After driving it for two days it was good. I rode my bike to work today and checked it when I got home - 10V :-/ It is back on the charger for the night (yes, on my work bench) so I thought I'd ask if I should just get one w/ the same size or if anyone has any recommendations.

Thanks for the help!
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1977 Westy with a '79 CA FI 2L

Batan · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject:

I don't know about others but I find Interstate batteries to be an excellent product. Optima used to be good then they went to shit when they changed the manufacturing plant or something.
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Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50337

It is very likely that you have some kind of amp draw that is running your battery down. Remove the negative cable from the battery and then read the voltage between the battery post and the cable end. The reading should be close to zero volts. My bet is that you will be reading a lot closer to 12V.

Make sure your doors are closed so your dome light isn't on.

Desertbusman · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject:

^ Right ^

If you can't measure it just leave the cable unhooked and see if the battery dies.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy

Sloride · Samba Member Joined: February 09, 2002 Posts: 926

If and when you decide to replace the batter the one thing I would recommend is a battery with side mount posts. It makes it a lot easier to connect and disconnect. Last weekend while storing my bus for the winter I was reminded of how hard it is to get in there and disconnect the terminals in the dark again.

Craig
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bedfordd · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:34 am Post subject:

After charging through the night it is back up to 12.3v. When back in the bus I measured between the pos and the unattached neg cable and it read between .7v and 1.0v. I'm not sure if that is a lot of draw, all I think I have is a stereo to draw on the battery.

Funny, I currently have an Interstate and when I bought my westy at the beginning of the year and had my mechanic check it out, one of the 1st things he said was to swap out of the "POS Walmart battery" (as he called it) and installed this one...

Thanks for all the recommendations!
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1977 Westy with a '79 CA FI 2L

babysnakes · Samba Member Joined: August 19, 2008 Posts: 7106

I like the DIE HARD batteries. The company I work for has over a hundred vehicles. We used to use Interstate but the quality was inconsistent. So they changed to generic crap and get the same results for less. But SEARS is in my personal cars.

WhirledTraveller · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:31 am Post subject:

This topic has been covered... there are not very many actual battery manufacturers in the United States. Brands such as Die Hard, Duralast, Interstate, etc. buy their batteries from various manufacturers and simply re-label them. There's an excellent chance that any battery you buy, from any brand, is manufactured by Johnson Controls.

http://www.batteryfaq.org/

When it is time for me to replace my battery, I will probably spring the extra dough for an Optima battery, for the simple reason that they are completely sealed and should not contribute to the rusting of my battery tray.
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1977 Westy, Automatic. Big Valve heads, CS Cam.

theizzardking · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:18 am Post subject:

i want 2 of these
http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc925mjt.htm

or the deep cycle version, 2 of them will fit in the stock location no problem, fully sealed and mutli mount.
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timo78 · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:56 am Post subject:

Sounds like you have a vampire device sucking your battery's life. Stereos, clocks, and alarm systems can do that. Try disconnecting the stereo's power, and see if the phantom draw draw goes away.
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dwill49965 · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:00 am Post subject:

cr@M · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:28 am Post subject:

I've got a CAT in mine Wink

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Desertbusman · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:17 am Post subject:

aeromech · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject:

My experience has been that when I charge a good battery overnight like you did you should see more than 13 vdc. I think your battery is shot. You should take it to Autozone or some other FLAPS and have them do a load check. It's free and then if you need a new one you're right they where they sell them. My buddy next doot has had two Diehards fail on him early and they have both been within the last 6 months.
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Batan · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:38 pm Post subject:

SGKent · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject:

consumer reports usually has a good article on battery ratings. Everstart came up several times in their ratings. I don't know if they make a group 41 battery. It requires a subscription to be able to read the article.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/tires-auto...erview.htm
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bedfordd · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject:

filmore · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:22 am Post subject:

magnus0328 · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

curtis4085 · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:36 pm Post subject:

Hello all, Im looking at getting an Interstate battery for my 79 Westfalia. I do not have auxillary battery power and was looking at getting the Interstate MT- 47. Does anyone have any idea if this is the proper choice for my year, model and situation(no aux battery). Thanks for your input.
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