Battery

Hi,

I have a 1988 Sea Ray with a 4.3 liter mercruiser. I need a new battery and the current one is a group 24 with 650 cca. Do I need to stay with a 650 cca or can I go smaller?

Re: Battery

Why would you want to go smaller?

If anything, I'd go bigger. Bigger reserve.

And if you want a good battery, might be worth the extra to invest in an Optima blue top.

Re: Battery

The price difference between a group 24 and a smaller battery is not worth consideration. In the "engine starting" department, one rarely goes smaller on a battery. That is one area where bigger is better. Look at it this way: If your current battery allows the engine to be cranked for "X" minutes before the battery is flat, a smaller battery will allow the engine to crank "x-?" before going flat. Which scenario you choose and whether you are a risk taker or not determines what your selection will be. I personally would not go any smaller than what you have.

Re: Battery

CCA is not only one factor to consider (this is the amps delivered cranking an engine for 30 seconds @ 0 degrees F). More important nowadays is RC or Reserve Capacity. This number is a measurement of how long the battery will remain above 10.5 volts with auto headlights on. This has become very important as more electrical items are added to today's auto and marine systems and sub systems.

Re: Battery

This number is a measurement of how long the battery will remain above 10.5 volts with auto headlights on.

Don't believe I've heard that one before. The more conventional definition is how many minutes a battery can sustain a 25 amp load at a certain temp (80F, I believe). More important for deep cycle batts that aren't concerned with cranking amps ...

Re: Battery

chimmike said:

Why would you want to go smaller?

If anything, I'd go bigger. Bigger reserve.

And if you want a good battery, might be worth the extra to invest in an Optima blue top.

Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... Agreed,... The main battery ain't the place to cut corners to save money,...

Bigger, more powerful is Better,....

Re: Battery

I got my current battery tested and it tested good. It's a marine starting battery and the person at the auto parts store said that I need a deep cycle battery. Is that true? I run a radio and fish finder on my boat.

Re: Battery

j.a.g said:

I got my current battery tested and it tested good. It's a marine starting battery and the person at the auto parts store said that I need a deep cycle battery. Is that true? I run a radio and fish finder on my boat.

Click to expand...

Nope,....

Re: Battery

I also forgot to mention that the battery is dead after sitting for about a week or two.

Re: Battery

I'd agree that bigger is better. I run my 89 SR180 BR with 1 battery and it works fine. That said, I aim to add a second battery for piece of mind.
I've sourced my batteries from Walmart both for the boat and vehicles. The product quality has always been fine and when the battery has finally given up, the warranty issue with them has never been an issue. As a consequence I've never paid full price for a replacement battery for years with them. The Consumer Guides people also show the Walmart batteries come out well. They are made by Johnson Controls and you can't get much bigger and better than that.

Re: Battery

Do you run a marine starting battery?

Re: Battery

j.a.g said:

I also forgot to mention that the battery is dead after sitting for about a week or two.

Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Then ya probably have a parasitic draw,...

With Everything turned Off, disconnect the Positive cable from the battery, 'n put yer test light, 'tween the battery, 'n the cable,...
If it Lights, there's a Draw,....
Trick is gonna be findin' What's doin' it,...

Re: Battery

Yes I do run a starting battery. It was in the boat when I bought it. It's about 2.5 years old.

Re: Battery

No this isn't an ad for Walmart, but they and most other auto places will do a free battery test on it for you. They have equipment that basically draws it down, then recharges it, then tests it. I had a marine battery from Walmart that was brand new and would go flat trying to start the boat after say 4 attempts to start. They did a full test on it and said the battery was a bad one and exchanged it no sweat. The replacement works fine. Why go through the hassle of trying to find out if you have a 'draw' on the battery when you have the battery checked out first. As my boat is parked out front of my house on the easement, I have gotten into the habit of removing the battery from the boat when not in use and storing it in the garage. It also means I can put it on trickle charge if I want. By the way, if you need a trickle charge, then Harbor Freight have some for a couple of bucks and even less if you grab a 20% discount coupon. Boating is expensive enough without paying through the nose for everything.