My small car from Wolfsburg a certain manufacturer is long and hard. And in the winter just sometimes very cold. This makes a car battery understandably do not like and therefore not as long.
A couple of years the battery was therefore after 6 weeks of life in the cold winter empty and needed jump start.
A few weeks ago it was now in a much shorter service life and less deep (ie not as strongly negative) temperatures again the case. After jump-start it went again. After use, I have expanded and charged the battery, because I assumed that the trip was too short for a full charge, and because the car would be back long unused. After 2 hour, the battery was then reportedly full.
So I reinstalled it and everything was ok.
After a few days I have then a precaution even connected a solar charger, to avoid a nasty surprise.
After a total of perhaps 4 weeks (after the initial shutdown) and winter temperatures I have the car fortunately not used yet inspected and have to realize to my horror that not only the on-board electronics, including alarm and central locking were without power, but the battery as it becomes apparent the renewed expansion, frozen downright was (the watery part), that had bulged and visibly "white" (= ice).
Since the prevailing temperatures of 0 to -10 ° C really should not be enough to freeze an acid solution (the water freezing point depression by the contained in car batteries, sulfuric acid), I'm assuming that the battery, at least with regard to the proper functioning in the car and the associated temperature conditions, "is over".
Therefore, I have made myself to the search for a replacement - or the bookmarks picked out that I've created in the first outage a few years ago. About this I came across Exide and have then first perceived that the manufacturer's original product is nothing more than an Exide battery.
In consultation with my car dealership is also turned out that the "original battery" with 61Ah almost twice as expensive (150 Euros) is like this Exide Premium 77Ah with - and without installation! It should be in terms of quality in the "original battery" also be a "premium" for the "favorable" Manufacturer version costs probably 115 Euros.
Hence my request was declined by an "original manufacturers battery" to zero because there simply is no good reason to buy an Exide battery for a car manufacturer to a significantly higher price when you can a matching quality Exide battery on the market considerably may refer cheaper prices.
Since I wanted to take the opportunity to install the same battery, which should hold out longer service life due to their greater capacity, I have seen that would fit Exide models in my car. Since the alternator of a diesel is relatively strong, there was from this point of first place, no real constraint, but the limiting factor was simply the physical space for the battery.
I had ultimately to choose between the Exide Premium models EA602, EA640, EA722 and EA770. These have a capacity of 60, 64, 72 or 77 Ah. As capacity needs space, a battery is necessarily greater when it has a larger capacity. Within these 4 models can be the space in ascending order outlined as follows.
First, the battery will be higher, "broad" (longer). Meaning, the EA640 is higher than the EA602. To jump to the EA722 is not enough that, therefore, the battery needs to be extended (can be reduced again in height but) - but> The EA722 is again the same as the EA602, EA602 and EA640 for longer than. The amount must for the leap to 77Ah then be adjusted -> the EA770 is taller and wider than the EA602.
This is interesting because the EA602 (or EA640) was spat on my vehicle as appropriate battery from the battery finder, I have used.
Therefore, I first had to check to see if the battery holder of my car is large enough, for example, for the EA770. It turned out that the original battery was already as high as the EA640 and EA770, so in the end only the length was crucial.
My measurements showed that the width / length should represent my support no problem for the largest model in the specified range.
So I ordered the EA770, received this a few days later and found to my delight that this really "loaded to the brim" arrived. For safety's sake I have namely loaded and the loading process has been (again) ended after about 2 minutes.
The installation was no problem and the battery seems to be working properly, do you mean: seems perfectly fit to my car.
Now I have a to 16Ah (= 26%) higher battery capacity for significantly less money than an "original battery", which at that arrived fully charged. The battery has therefore not been for months by the seller in the store (and thereby possibly empty).
Conclusion: I am so far with the choosing of Exide Premium satisfied (that is also the "original manufacturers battery") and so, for about 12-13 euros more instead of 60 or 64Ah 77Ah now have available and thus hopefully (if my alternator makes the battery in my usage also has sufficient power) to have a longer, or at least less vulnerable life.
Therefore: Dear favorable "directly" a (better) Exide as expensive by the automaker ...
Appendix:
Concrete dimensions listed Exide Premium models:
Strake B13
Model Number _ _ _ _ capacity (Ah) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Depth (mm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Height (mm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ width / length (mm)
EA602 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 60 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 242
EA640 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 64 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 190 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 242
EA722 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 72 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 278
EA770 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 77 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 175 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 190 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 278
(Unfortunately, the review editor can obviously not deal with spaces or tabs, so the annoying underscores.)
[Update 09/02/2015]
After less than 1 year after the purchase and installation of the new Exide battery selbige already problems made (not 3 weeks after charging with charger (Voltcraft VC-2000) it was already too weak for a start - in the 3 weeks the car has not been started), and also the "magic eye" after charging was not green again, I had to become active again. In principle, the battery may be faulty or "poor" of course, in my case, but is more likely that my little use (to move - before "dying" of the original battery - even less and above all shorter distances than before) is the problem and the cause.
After consultation with the dealer and the manufacturer, I have only tried another charger (CTEK MXS-10), but this brought no improvement - despite 2x Laden succession, the second time at the end even with Desulfatisierungsprogramm (15,8V). I was told that microprocessor-controlled chargers usually off too early and therefore not accomplish an ailing battery. Therefore me a discount, "dumb" charger from the hardware store was recommended. Since I could not "discount" find such, I had taken the CTEK because my Desulfatisierungsprogramm (Rekalibrierungsprogramm) made hope and CTEK is now time for the manufacturer car battery chargers in the consumer area.
After this disappointing experience, I again held consultation with dealers and manufacturers. The manufacturer has given me a charger of IEB (Industrial Brilon) recommended the Filon Futur S - with car charging characteristic, which I bought in the 10A version. The ampere strength of the charger in this case has no effect on the charge time, but merely how great may be the capacity of the battery to be charged. Unlike the two chargers that I had used previously, the charging time is namely in this charger always the same, no matter how full the battery.
In the case of my charger it is 24 (!). 16h for the master boot program (14.7V), 8h for retroload (13.8V). In the beginning there is a short program that the voltage slowly on the 14.7V lifts (1-2 min.?), And at the end carried a trickle charge program.
After the first charge cycle was the "magic eye" is still not green, and I was a little disappointed. Without much hope, I have a second Ladezylus connected directly and after 22h the eye was then on its own and stable green.
When charging with CTEK's eye was each at halftime even green, but in the end each time and again completely black. Once I could watch even as it turned into a blink, not slowly, but suddenly, from green to black.
The "magic eye" is a sphere that is half black and colored acid green half, and reacted according to the manufacturer to the acidity in the battery. Is this high enough, the green half rotates upward, which you can then see through the transparent cylinder on top of the battery.
Whether this success I out of interest, the original Exide battery (VW factory installed) that after 1 year standing around still had 12,10V also loaded with my new charger. The hope dwindled with each charging cycle, but about half of the 6th cycle to the eye was also in her green again - of its own accord and stable. The latter I stress because you can "make green" during charging the eye by panning / tilting of the battery, which does not (longer) when just the acidity is too low.
I go until further assume that sulfation in both cases the problem is / was. And after I bought a Megapuls and the theory behind it have read, I assume that the now 7 years old battery is not necessarily broken, but (at least largely) is regenerated. I'll probably still get a second Megapuls for "Offline" -Ladevorgänge.
For now, however, am happy that I was able to solve the problems without having to reach (again) for a new battery.
[/ Addendum]
Addendum 03.03.2015:
Meanwhile I have made a stress test: The old battery keeps this voltage 10,4V at what a rel. good value, considering that she is about 8 years old, has never been properly charged in recent years and was completely frozen in 2013. A good charger can probably still a min. To change the battery save (ie the lifetime of the battery, if necessary, double).
