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Recommend a battery for my application

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  ChevelleSS_LS6 
#1 ·
1996 Jeep Cherokee
It's used occasionally (I have some econojunk for a DD these days) and the 540cca/600ca battery that was in it when I purchased it is dead. I'd like a lot of CAs for quick, easy, and sure starts rather than a whir-whir-vroom, so I was thinking of at least 700. I wonder if I really need more cranking amps, but my gf's dad has a 900cca in his Astro van (no mods to the astro van's battery box) that came stock with a smaller one, he thinks around 600. The biggest I can find is about 610 for my XJ's application... problem is tight fit with hood clearance.

My DD (1988 camry, 4banger) came with a 650cca battery and I swapped the stock Jeep battery in it ("the camry is a small displacement, low compression engine, so it doesn't need that much juice") and it wouldn't start half the time. Swapped it back in the Jeep and it's dead now. I wonder if the 540cca battery was on its way out...

Anyway, what would you recommend? I'd like an optima since they put out about 900cca which would be plenty, but the price is steep!
-Matt
 
#4 · (Edited)
car and starter are 11 years old???..
do a voltage drop test on the starter motor....if a starter is pulling to many amps due to being worn it will pulling down the volts to the ign....and/or cables are undersize/shot/etc....and/or if there is not enough ground source for the starter.....

then the biggest batt in the world won't help....for "sure quick starts"

ps:
cranking a few revolutions before it catches does help get "some" oil into the motor from the sump before it see's a load....
you only drive it "occassionally" so all the oil is in the pan when you do a cold start....
overkill, but my car is rigged with a ign kill/bypass switch....so I can crank it with no start till the oil pressure builds if it has been sitting a week or two..."an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

pps: lots of websites for battery performance comparisons by mfgr brands....
 
#6 ·
302 Z28 said:
I would not get an Optima battery, I am currently on my third one. The other two were replaced under warranty. My son also has one in his Vette that has been replaced once already. Optima batteries are highly over rated and vastly over priced.

Vince
I just removed a new yellow top Optima from a Mustang because it cranked real slow. Installed an 800 cca from NAPA (less than half the price) problem solved.
Bob
 
#7 ·
the battery cables seem small, they're going to get replaced with bigger cables when I do the battery. As said earlier, all the juice in the world won't do anything unless it has a way to get to where it needs to go.
 
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