Can too much CA in a battery..

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daves87rs

daves87rs

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be too much for my car?

My Cavalier's delco battery only specs at 525CCA. Every battery I've looked at has more. I've done a good job of keeping this one (delco is 7.5 years old), and the car is very base (power nothing) with no mods at all. So it makes me wonder what I really need....the two current ones I'm eyeballing:

Autocraft silver: 810CA 650CCA After codes, comes out to 58 bucks

Autocraft economy :685CA 550CCA After codes, around 46 bucks.


I've even considered the Gold, though that may be a bit much for this car and nothing else much to power. The econo looks better than some of others stores better batteries I've looked at, but I find myself leaning toward the silver anyways....your thoughts on this?
 
Originally Posted By: berniedd
More CCA generally means more reserve energy available. You have nothing to worry about.


+1 no such thing as to big a battery IMO.
 
Yeah. I buy the biggest bestest freshest battery on the shelf. Well, maybe not biggest in size, but biggest in CCA. Not bestest either since I dont buy Optimas or similar; too expensive. But, I will dig for a battery made within a month.
 
I am going to disagree with the replies so far.

The "value" of a battery is directly related to its weight. The more it weighs, the more it costs to make and you are getting more for your money.

With the weight kept constant(let us say, 40 lbs), CCA and Reserve Capacity are in inverse relation to each other i.e. the more the CCA, the less the RC. So do not evaluate a battery on CCA alone.

A lot of CCA means thinner plates and while this is good for cranking on a cold winter morning, it could lead to shorter battery life.

When I am looking at batteries, I place more importance on RC.
 
There's no such thing as 'too much [C]CA' - the starter motor will draw only a set amount of current. Or 'too big' of a battery, unless it doesn't fit.

Yes, CCA is one measure of a battery and you also need to take Ah or RC into account. Most of the time more CCA = physically larger/heavier battery = more RC = more better.

I'd take the Silver battery because it not only has more CCA, but a better warranty (2 yr replacement/72mo pro-rata) than does the Economy (1 yr / 60 mo). The replacement warranty is worth it. Photocopy the receipt and keep it in the glove box so the original thermal register receipts don't fade with time/heat.
 
Originally Posted By: Jakegday
really? weight? so they just have to fill it with a little bit more water to get your sale?



Yes, that is exactly what I was driving at. Or they could fill it up with dirt to make it weigh more and that will make me buy it. I salivate when I see dirt-filled batteries.
 
32.gif
brought home a saturn with one of those economy batteries, date code 2/11, shorted cell.

"Duh me" did not look under the heat cover, and bought another economy battery-- the price was too good after coupon.
laugh.gif


The 2 year "silver" battery reminds me of the JC made walmart "DT3N" which has given me great service over the years. The QC might be better than something built to the cheapest possible price point. (Though thankfully it conked out under warranty.)
 
Originally Posted By: George7941
A lot of CCA means thinner plates and while this is good for cranking on a cold winter morning, it could lead to shorter battery life.


^^ This is what I was taught in Battery 101, but I don't know if it's true. Given two batteries of equal dimensions, the one with higher CCA will be packed with more, thinner plates that could shorten battery longevity. So, on a car with limited engine size and accessories, the largest CCA battery might not only be unneeded, but might last fewer years.
 
Between the two, I would buy the freshed/newest battery with the longest FREE replacement waraanty. If the 525 CCA lasted 7+ years, don't buy because of CCA rating.
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: George7941
A lot of CCA means thinner plates and while this is good for cranking on a cold winter morning, it could lead to shorter battery life.


^^ This is what I was taught in Battery 101, but I don't know if it's true. Given two batteries of equal dimensions, the one with higher CCA will be packed with more, thinner plates that could shorten battery longevity. So, on a car with limited engine size and accessories, the largest CCA battery might not only be unneeded, but might last fewer years.


But what if the "economy" battery just had fewer plates of the same thickness? They already have the milling ability to make thin plates for the high CCA batteries. Remember lead is expensive now!

To get thick plates with low CCA you might have to buy an "off road/ HD/ marine" style battery.

Think of the budget oil filters we've seen blown apart that have media half the length of the can. Same thing?
 
I too, would buy the freshest battery on the lot.

Also: given the physical size limitations (dimension), the higher the CCA (current reserve), the thinner the plates will be, and as a result: thinner plates will get damaged easily due to poor physical/structural rigidity.

I would go for typically, what factory spec'ed + 100CCA and that's it.

q.
 
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
be too much for my car?



Absolutely not. The CCA rating of a battery is just an upper limit on how much the battery can deliver, the car only "takes" as much as it needs. The ideal battery would have an infinite CCA rating.
 
Originally Posted By: George7941
I am going to disagree with the replies so far.

The "value" of a battery is directly related to its weight. The more it weighs, the more it costs to make and you are getting more for your money.

With the weight kept constant(let us say, 40 lbs), CCA and Reserve Capacity are in inverse relation to each other i.e. the more the CCA, the less the RC. So do not evaluate a battery on CCA alone.

A lot of CCA means thinner plates and while this is good for cranking on a cold winter morning, it could lead to shorter battery life.

When I am looking at batteries, I place more importance on RC.


EXACTLY RIGHT^^^^ this is why deep cycle batteries have huge storage capacity but low current output. starter batteries are opposite: big output current but limited storage capacity.

AND, the higher capacity of a deep cycle batt also means it needs solid lead plates (starter batt plates are porous for more surface area but suffer from sulfation clogs sooner) which means they are heavier, and more $.

Neighbor had an old van they needed for wheelchair-bound son. Wife would stall it frequently in the winter, walk away from it with the hazards on and catch a ride to work. Killed batteries all the time.

We put a LARGE combo deep-cycle/starter batt (marine) in there with that 318.... that starter would spin up FAST. And when she did abandon it, which was frequently, he'd go get it 9 hours later-- blinkers still hot, and it'd start right up, and he'd put it on a charger overnight.

LOVE big batts with real storage in them!!

M

Meep!
 
Last edited:
oh but back to the OP. No, generally doesn't hurt. they can demand a faster charge rate on initial start-up due to lower internal resistance, which is a load on the alt, but that peak current subsides quickly (15 seconds or so).

I've found it best to either go cheap (it'll fail and you'll ride the warranty, or you may get lucky and it lasts 6 years) or go top of the line and shoot for longevity.

M
 
Quote:
To get thick plates with low CCA you might have to buy an "off road/ HD/ marine" style battery.


If a "Southern" version of the battery is available, that will get you the thicker plates also.

Ed
 
Almost always I recommend getting a bigger battery . Esp in a used car with electrical connections that increase their resistance over time.
Get the big one.
 
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