Batteries

I'm sure this has been covered before but can anyone offer sugestions on which battery is best.

I cant really aford a twin battery system as it doesn't get used enough and I don't have anything like a winch to draw high power.

The Disco is a standard 300TDi and use is as follows, mostly as a day to day road vehicle however it is often used as a site support vehicle which often involves running a fair number of gadgets and equipment (Radios, SatNav, Mobile on perminant charge, Roof beacons and work lights etc.) and leaving them running when the vehicle is left turned off (and sometimes locked). And particularly at the end of a late night event the Disco can form the last source of light (headlights and work lights) as we derig the site lights.

At the moment it involves lots of leaving the engine running idle.

I realise that for starting I need CCA and for running gear I need Ah but what is the best for a balance and how do they relate. ie. is there an easy way of working out that if it is a 55Ah battery and I run 10A for 2 hrs (20Ahrs) that leaves 35Ah but how does that afect the CCA?

ignore the Ah for normal use and get the highest CCA rating you can get.
(the higher the CCA, the higher the Ah rating normally). The Alternator should power all or most of the things on yo motor normally.

I just fitted an Odyssey PC1500 - quite a bit smaller than the original and higher output.

I would advocate a two battery system, despite it's cost.

Too many times I have been left stranded because a battery has been flattened by running too many lights etc. And on occasions that has been on a 2 battery set up when the engine hasn't been left running.

I don't know how or where you'd source the parts, but police vehicle have a 'Runlock' system fitted. This means you can park the car (handbrake on, gear in neutral or park) and press a button, then turn off the ignition and remove the key. The car will stall and immobilise if it is put in gear or the handbrake released without the key having been returned to the ignition and turned again.

I also don't know how this would affect your insurance premium.

bluesticky1 said:

I would advocate a two battery system, despite it's cost.

Too many times I have been left stranded because a battery has been flattened by running too many lights etc. And on occasions that has been on a 2 battery set up when the engine hasn't been left running.

I don't know how or where you'd source the parts, but police vehicle have a 'Runlock' system fitted. This means you can park the car (handbrake on, gear in neutral or park) and press a button, then turn off the ignition and remove the key. The car will stall and immobilise if it is put in gear or the handbrake released without the key having been returned to the ignition and turned again.

I also don't know how this would affect your insurance premium.

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or you could just fit a split charger so the second battery supplys the power to your crap but doesn't effect the starting battery for the car. bit of wire and a relay and your away.

leaving the car running while your away from it is a big no no for the insurance companies. they love not paying out asa it is without helping em out even more.