P38 battery CCA spec

[lorkers]

What is the normal spec for a 2000 P38 battery in terms of CCA?

I haven't used my totally uncustomised out-of-the-box P38 for 6 weeks - went to start it yesterday, and of course the battery is dead. Charged it overnight & day, but still no go, so nipped down to buy a new one. Battery that is.

The old one looks like it was installed in the factory, and was a 1000CCA (!) monster, but I was going to replace it with an 850CCA. Alas both Repco and No-so-cheapAutos insisted on looking up the specs and told me that for all models EXCEPT 2000, 700CCA is recommended, with a minimum of 570CCA and 70aH.

However for a petrol 2000 model P38 (and looking at their reference book I can confirm) it insists on a 1100CCA special order.

Any ideas why?

[Keithy P38]

It needed an extra 400CCA to avoid the issues with the millennium bug!

I've got a 760cca in mine (late '99 Thor), fires up no worries. Had a 570cca before that, served me well for a few years.

Hope someone else can shed more light on your question!

Cheers
Keithy

[Hoges]

The P38 V8 is a "small" (by comparison) V8. A 5.7L LS1 commodore with a higher compression ratio and "electrical everything" requires no more than 700CCA...

I've been running a Supercharge Allrounder start 760CCA/105AH deep cell hybrid for a couple of years now as the main battery, I don't do many km (40 thousand in 7 yrs) but I do connect it to a 3 stage trickle charger (3 amp) every couple of weeks for a couple of days... ...loads of power.

Perhaps the 1000ccA is warranted for a diesel? Seems a case of "over specification" to me...


EDIT: the things you learn! Just checked the MY2000 owners handbook on Rave for export models: Specifies a "Group 31 battery 110AH"! They're in the heavy duty truck/tractor category.
Googled it and found the "Group 31" range encompasses batteries from around 700CCA-1100CCA
Supercharge (NOT Supercheap) have one at 950CCA http://www.supercharge.com.au/product_detail.php'seq=59 ask for the AULRO discount!

[parasnoop67]

Mine is a 900cca Delcor calcium battery. Works well but vehicle gets used most weekends. Seems to have plenty in reserve.
When the key is turned on you can hear electrical bits whirring before you try to start, so a battery thats down a bit may fail to start the engine. As some of my trips are solo into Tassie's western lakes area, fishing, and the weather cold and possibly snowy, it's nice to have some reserve.

[TheTree]

HI

I just put a supercharge MRV87 in my 1999 P38, but i had to get battery adapters to fit i t:censored:

It was a pain, but it is a great battery :D

Here are three options

ACDELCO S1111: CCA 830, AH 100, RC 182 (original battery)
SuperCharge Allrounder, MRV87: CCA 825, AH 120, RC 180
Century 86ZMF: CCA 920, AH 100+ ?, RC 200

Regards
Steve

[Hoges]

HI

I just put a supercharge MRV87 in my 1999 P38, but i had to get battery adapters to fit i t:censored:

It was a pain, but it is a great battery :D

Here are three options

ACDELCO S1111: CCA 830, AH 100, RC 182 (original battery)
SuperCharge Allrounder, MRV87: CCA 825, AH 120, RC 180
Century 86ZMF: CCA 920, AH 100+ ?, RC 200

Regards
Steve

Were the battery terminals smaller diameter than the battery clamps? :( or was the battery not quite tall enough and needed packers under the hold down?

[TheTree]

Hoges

For some reason know only to SuperCharge, all of the AllRounders with the exception of the biggest mother (MRV87), have DST (Dual System Terminals), whereas the MRV87 has only the screw terminals :censored:

So the battery guys got me some adapters, but I had to drill them out and tap them with 3/8 UNC threads and screw them on with a dab of semi permanent locktite.

Once the easy bit was over, all i had to do was connect it :D

So far the Rangie seems to be loving it

Steve

[benji]

Deka make a 1100cca battery the goes straight in. Bit pricy, but they use them in the Bushmasters so thats got to be a good thing.