i am looking at replacing my battery as mine is only about 80% (tested) and also it is running below reccomended cca at only 400 and something (can't remember exactly)
i think standard is around 500cca
i will be installing a good sound system and was thinking around 600cca would be the way to go
other than making sure the dimensions of he new batter fit and the terminals match what else needs to be the same???
also reccomedations on brands and qualiy levels withing those brands.....
would love a gel battery but they are around $400 correct????
was thinking of going with an ultra high performance century battery (600cca)
or mayb an optima yellow top.....

Cant fault the optima D34 yellow top, helped me out in quite a few SPL comps and has never let me down. Pricey but an amazing battery

An Optima is a gel type design otherwise known as a dry cell or sealed.

How much are you looking to spend if you email the guys at www.fhrx.com.au they will be able to do you a good deal on a battery, the yellow d34 can be hand for about $300 and the red top is even cheaper. How ever their are better designs but atm i dont have time to link you any deals.

optima D34 yellow top for sure... had one for several years now, and still going strong.

can seethe yellow top d34 on ebay for $295 so that might be worth the go..... i don't mind spending money on quality....... atm i will just be installing a basic sound system 12" sub and 6*9's amped and the doors will run off the head but my goal would be to get something much larger than that and with 750cca it would definately suit the requirements with no need for a second battery..... also was possibly gunna install a power inverter to run a small coffee machine for when i am working with my football club..... so this may be enough to do that without the need for another battery aswell.....

IMO - get the biggest & best battery you can afford and fit in the car.

I replaced the battery in my wifes car a while back - it's a small toyota and original battery was ~400CCA. I managed to squeeze in a 600+CCA battery and a couple of weeks later, I started the car and it started instantly and powerfully, just like normal, then I realised the lights were on and they had been on for over 8 hours while I was at work. I'm definitely in love with having a bigger battery.

Who cares about cca, it only comes into effect when starting your car. IMO optima are good but epically overpriced. Got find an absorbed glass mat battery at a good price.. I've been running an Absorbed Power 100ah batt for the last few years, a few days ago it found itself being sideways mounted in my spare wheel as a secondary battery.

My bro in law bought a 100ah AGM battery online including delivery for $250 recently.. That is a stupid good price! However if you don't want to modify your stock battery location, you will be limited to a 75Ah which is still pretty sweet!

optima d34? how long can this run a sound system with a sub and 2 amps for and still be able to start the car? ball park figure?

15 seconds? Oh your not running 2 Z2B's?

Unless your running class A or AB amps I really wouldn't want to find this out. D class amps will see smoke if you drop the volts.

Assuming am average setup of less than 1000w rms available, you might be drawing an averaged 200-500w rms on music when cranking it.. Maybe 20 minutes before I would be getting scared? But again.. Screw optima.

15 seconds? Oh your not running 2 Z2B's?

Unless your running class A or AB amps I really wouldn't want to find this out. D class amps will see smoke if you drop the volts.

Assuming am average setup of less than 1000w rms available, you might be drawing an averaged 200-500w rms on music when cranking it.. Maybe 20 minutes before I would be getting scared? But again.. Screw optima.

Are you serious? 20 minutes? my current setup with 1, 4 way amp lasts over an hour with my supercharge gold battery which is shit.
Is there any battery out there where you can run a decent sound system for the time it takes to wash and chamois a car?

It would likely go better than your supercharge but I'm giving you sensible advice. Like I said, it isn't hard to smoke a d class from voltage dip.. I don't even run my Absorbed Power longer than that out of caution. If you have a volt meter with low voltage alert then it's a different situation.

Also.. Supercharge Gold are pretty damn good batteries, if you have issues then maybe you are expecting too much from it?

It would likely go better than your supercharge but I'm giving you sensible advice. Like I said, it isn't hard to smoke a d class from voltage dip.. I don't even run my Absorbed Power longer than that out of caution. If you have a volt meter with low voltage alert then it's a different situation.

Also.. Supercharge Gold are pretty damn good batteries, if you have issues then maybe you are expecting too much from it?

Well i left one of the little overhead lights just before the windscreen on overnight once and my battery was dead. Another time i had my music playing through the car stereo (headunit into 4 way amp into 50W speakers) and after just over 1 hour it was gone again. With my old car without the amp i could listen to music all night without having a problem :(

It's the difference between running a ~7amp stereo and a 50amp stereo. Also those cabin lights are a killer! They probably draw an amp or 2 on their own!

I've left my headlights on for 5 hours then demoed my stereo for 15 minutes without realizing with no issues but I sure as hell wouldn't risk my amps like that intentionally!

i might downgrade my sound system then. the output from the eclipse headunit should be enough.

i might downgrade my sound system then. the output from the eclipse headunit should be enough.
You'd downgrade your stereo just because you can't listen to it for more than an hour with the engine off? Just start the car..

optima d34? how long can this run a sound system with a sub and 2 amps for and still be able to start the car? ball park figure?


15 seconds? Oh your not running 2 Z2B's?

Unless your running class A or AB amps I really wouldn't want to find this out. D class amps will see smoke if you drop the volts.

Assuming am average setup of less than 1000w rms available, you might be drawing an averaged 200-500w rms on music when cranking it.. Maybe 20 minutes before I would be getting scared? But again.. Screw optima.

20 Minutes? lol How are your systems hooked up to be that bad? I have 1 optima D34 and it is usually on for sound comps all day for demos, sometimes upto 12 hours and it doesnt go flat and thats for just under 3000RMS. My old setup anyway. .

I have had it on for 4-6 hours at FULL power and still hasnt dropped below 12.5V. It really is a matter of proper installation not just a decent battery. Have to have decent runs of power cable etc

20 Minutes? lol How are your systems hooked up to be that bad? I have 1 optima D34 and it is usually on for sound comps all day for demos, sometimes upto 12 hours and it doesnt go flat and thats for just under 3000RMS. My old setup anyway. .

I have had it on for 4-6 hours at FULL power and still hasnt dropped below 12.5V. It really is a matter of proper installation not just a decent battery. Have to have decent runs of power cable etc
i wish you were in my state to hook me up!

i wish you were in my state to hook me up!

Like peaandham said go see marty at FHRX :) Top blokes and know their stuff

According to optima themselves, a 250A draw (3000W rms with 100% efficiency) will drain a D34 in 12 minutes... For some reason I fail to believe that a system with 3kW on tap will play music for 6 hours with no support, even if the music is averaging the output out to ~300w rms..

Not to mention that heat production in the battery from a 250A discharge rate would reduce the reserve capacity even faster than that..

And so long as your not clipping and there's no big ground leak... Care to explain exactly how "a bad installation" is going to drain a battery faster? And don't say a thin power cable will.. The only thing that would affect is reducing ability to draw required amps, and subsequently heat up the power cable.

Amps are not 100% effiecient by any means and it certainly was not clamped at 3000RMS, Having said that, those are the facts. The car is on constantly during comps, autosalon etc. And yes there have been plenty of nights when it has been on for hours on end. Theres a reason i support the D34 so much

And so long as your not clipping and there's no big ground leak... Care to explain exactly how "a bad installation" is going to drain a battery faster? And don't say a thin power cable will.. The only thing that would affect is reducing ability to draw required amps, and subsequently heat up the power cable.

im going on the assumption that a bad installation will have ground leaks etc If you have smaller cable then whats required then yes the amp is going to clip, draw excessive current and drain the battery faster

Basically the only way your claims are scientifically possibly is if your full crank for hours is only putting out a few hundred watts tops... Or your optima battery is a prototype that actually utilizes Iron Mans chest ring thing.

We have had plenty of proven results with D31s and D34s.. And D51s and our verdict is that they are pretty average. A good chunk of the top audio guys in WA have used them, been disappointed and opted for better proven and cheaper AMG batteries.. If your is working for you then sweet as, no need to change, but I still say they are average and overpriced... But as My other advise doesn't seem to be getting through to people... Everyone go buy D34s! Yaaaaaaay!

http://www.deepcyclesolarbatteries.com.au/products/273ah-12v-deep-cycle-agm-battery/ there ya go that will run your stereo while you wash your car :)

On another note, that shit is bananas!! Biggest AGM I've ever seen, at an epic price too.

http://www.deepcyclesolarbatteries.com.au/products/12-vol-75ah-deep-cycle-battery/ that one should actually fit a magna, and rates about as good as a D31 at twice the price.