So,i had to replace the battery on my 380 and was wondering whether or not i can just leave the insulated box wrapper thing off.

and ,what is it supposed to do anyway

thanks

it helps protect the battery from extreme temperatures - you can leave it off but the battery may not last as long

Mine was looking ratty, I bought a new one from Mitsubishi two weeks ago and replaced mine..

mine disintegrated so no longer have it. plus I dont think it fitted the Optima battery anyway

Optima battery fits no worries, I've had an Optima Red Top in mine for 3 years now. A little tight but it fits with some wiggling. It now helps a little to keep the Optima in place, seeing as I couldn't get the stock battery clamp back on after several hours of faffing about with it.

Back to Michael's original question, I doubt if the 'insulated box thinghy' does much of anything and I can't see a problem removing it and leaving it off.

A quote taken from here (http://www.ehow.com/how_7318239_insulate-car-battery.html)


Car batteries use lined cell walls within the battery to store electricity. These cell walls are not infallible since car batteries are subject to extreme temperatures. Those extreme temperatures can shorten the lifespan of the battery. The answer to protecting the battery from high and low temperatures is insulation. Taking measures to insulate your battery will prolong the life of the battery which inevitably is a money-saving activity. Insulating the battery is simple and easy to do.

So the aim of it is pretty clear, if it works is debateable, my theory is if they went to the effort to design and make it, why not keep it.

I have a premium RAA battery in my car - was a bit too big to put in the "condom" so just threw it away in the end.