Battery Recommendations

[freestyle]

Looks like i need to replace the Battery of my 1996 GX.

Anyone have any good recommendations??

[sjrainsford]

Hello again now you're in the right forum!! :D

I just got my Battery from Halfords. They seem to be an odd shaped Battery and I struggled to get one for mine. However, I was in a rush. Cause the slow turning over is a good warning sign. I wasn't aware it was slow because that's what it was like when I had it.

Next thing I know is, i'm sitting in traffic. Turned my engine off for a while, came to start it and nowt! Good job I was on a hill to roll/jump start it!!

Naturally, if you can get a calcium Battery then that's the way to go. But considered the reliability of these cars and how easy they are to start, a normal battery will suffice plenty.

[freestyle]

Whilst on the subject of batteries.......

How can i test the charge the Battery is receiving?

[chatman]

Hello again now you're in the right forum!!  :D

I just got my battery from Halfords.  They seem to be an odd shaped battery and I struggled to get one for mine.  However, I was in a rush.  Cause the slow turning over is a good warning sign.  I wasn't aware it was slow because that's what it was like when I had it. 

Next thing I know is, i'm sitting in traffic.  Turned my engine off for a while, came to start it and nowt!  Good job I was on a hill to roll/jump start it!! 

Naturally, if you can get a calcium battery then that's the way to go.  But considered the reliability of these cars and how easy they are to start, a normal battery will suffice plenty.

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Tried to get a Battery today for my RAV..... guy at Halfrauds looked under the bonnet and measured the gap where the Battery is and said there's would not fit in place..... space not big enough....

May have to resort to MrT's prices and get one there..but will have too book car in....Frustrating not being able to fins such a standard part to fit.... :censor:

[sjrainsford]

You should get one from Halfords, that's where I got mine straight off the shelf.

Wouldn't bother asking the guys in there, most don't know what a Battery looks like.

They have a book by the batteries. Just look up your car model and it tells you the Battery type in there. I only bought it from Halfords cause they had one at the time, I try not to use that place if I can.

[chatman]

You should get one from halfords, that's where I got mine straight off the shelf.

Wouldn't bother asking the guys in there, most don't know what a battery looks like.

They have a book by the batteries.  Just look up your car model and it tells you the battery type in there.  I only bought it from halfords cause they had one at the time, I try not to use that place if I can.

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Looking at the space for the Battery mine is a MKII RAV it was not going to fit. The book by the batterys in Halfrauds said EB355 (I think) and that looked tooooooooooo big...as we both measured it.

[sjrainsford]

Oh right, that's fair enough then.

I like the 'halfrauds' bit by the way!

Did you notice if they stated a different Battery for the mark 1 Rav4? I'm sure it said the same for both models when I looked.

[sjrainsford]

Hi freestyle, sorry I completely missed your post for some reason!

You need a volt meter to test your Battery voltage. Most people use a basic multimeter type.

First check the Battery voltage with the engine off, it will most likely be anywhere around 12 volts depending on how long it's been since the car was last running.

Then start your engine, and make sure all electrical devices like your fan etc are switched off. Have an assistant rev the engine and hold it at about 2000rpm. Whilst they do this, check your Battery voltage again. It should be above 13.5 volts and no more than about 14.5. Alternator voltage should be around 13.8volts normally. Although you are measuring the battery voltage, you are actually measuring the alternator voltage too because it is directly connected to the battery.

In basic terms, to charge a battery the voltage from the charger should be a little higher than the battery voltage itself. It is normally a bit higher with an alternator though to account for volt drop caused by electrical items that are generally switched on, like the fan and headlamps etc.

Alternators are very reliable unit in general, and normally it's the diode pack on the side of them that fails rather than the alternator itself.

[chatman]

Oh right, that's fair enough then.

I like the 'halfrauds' bit by the way! 

Did you notice if they stated a different battery for the mark 1 Rav4?  I'm sure it said the same for both models when I looked.

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Best bit was...He showed me a smaller Battery that fits a Fiesta.. I said that it did not look meaty enough to start a diesel...twit... alos cant get a calcium one for the RAV (all model years).....

Going to give Mr T a call to get there prices....Need one soon as flying off to Belfast for 4 days on business and dont want to come back to a flat Battery in the long stay parking... :censor: :censor: :censor:

[sjrainsford]

Ah, I never noticed it was a diesel too!

It would be a different Battery then!

[Uncle Bob]

This is a thread back in my Lexus days, for me Bosch Asia Silver is the only way to go :) ...

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...8847&hl=battery

[chatman]

This is a thread back in my Lexus days, for me Bosch Asia Silver is the only way to go :)  ...

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...8847&hl=battery

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Yep I want one of those

The places I have called about these keep asking for details from the Battery I have now....!!!! some sort of P number As you all know to get to the Battery in a MK2 is a complete pain and entails undoing 6 push pin screws... So does any body know the details of the best fit or the numbers I need to tell the guy's at Bosch...

It's cold out side and I dont fancy opening the bonnet at work in a suit.....

I have found a nearby dealer of these but dont know the details I need to give them.. ANy help would be appreciated...

[Uncle Bob]

contact Bosch UK,they should have all the answers.....

http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/pcBatt8.asp?c=2&d=1

[chatman]

contact Bosch UK,they should have all the answers.....

http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/pcBatt8.asp?c=2&d=1

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Thanks Bob, I went to this site to find nearest dealer...called them then they asked me what the part number was..... etc etc... This bit I dont know. I may have to pull the cover off tomorrow morning to gleam these details from the Battery.

Thanks for the heads up on the Battery though.....

Cheers.....

[Uncle Bob]

I've looked up the Rav4 Battery on another site, and they have it down as a 057, take a look at the application fitments....

http://www.yuasa-battery.co.uk/auto_batteryrange.html

[selfbuild]

Have you got a Motaquip near you?

They would be able to source one for you if they havn't got one on the shelf.