Our 08 Mazda CX-9 came factory with a black plastic and foam insulator/cover that's set around the battery in the engine compartment. What's the purpose of this? And is it necessary?
Battery Insulator/Cover Purpose?
- Thread starter SavagePatch
- Start date
- Status
Insulate the battery from engine heat. It will do nothing to keep the battery warm in the winter. Overnight the engine and battery will be down to the outside temp. With no source of heat, insulation does not do much except to slow down the loss of heat. And overnight for 8+ hours, insulation won't matter.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
This.
IIRC, heat is worse for battery life than cold.
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
This.
IIRC, heat is worse for battery life than cold.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
OK. So removing it for the sole purpose of aesthetics would be a bad idea?
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
OK. So removing it for the sole purpose of aesthetics would be a bad idea?
I don't see how it does much to help but I will take your advice and leave it in place anyways.
The XJ 12s of the 70's and 80's had a cooling fan on the battery box.
Originally Posted By: Danno
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
This.
IIRC, heat is worse for battery life than cold.
+1 Plus it gives the battery a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
This.
IIRC, heat is worse for battery life than cold.
+1 Plus it gives the battery a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Originally Posted By: SavagePatch
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
OK. So removing it for the sole purpose of aesthetics would be a bad idea?
Aesthetics?
Its under your hood!
Yes its there for a reason or else they wouldn't have spend the $5 on the part.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Insulate the battery from engine heat.
OK. So removing it for the sole purpose of aesthetics would be a bad idea?
Aesthetics?
Its under your hood!
Yes its there for a reason or else they wouldn't have spend the $5 on the part.
The battery will heat up with a thin layer of foam within minutes of the time it would heat up without it. You don't need it.
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Last edited:
Would be kind of nice, so that you can wash the engine bay with one less thing exposed.
Originally Posted By: SavagePatch
I don't see how it does much to help but I will take your advice and leave it in place anyways.
Originally Posted By: horse123
The battery will heat up with a thin layer of foam within minutes of the time it would heat up without it. You don't need it.
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Very simple test with an infrared heat gun: with heat gun check the temperature on the side of the battery after normal driving of around 15-20 miles, one with cover(quickly remove cover to check the temp) and one without cover.
The temperature on the battery with cover should be about 15-20F lower, more on a hot afternoon drive and especially after a long drive of 25-30 miles or longer.
Battery lasted longer in cooler climate, some manufactures have 2 types: standard and hot climate. Batteries in warmer area such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, So Cal ... didn't lasted as long as in Northern states.
I don't see how it does much to help but I will take your advice and leave it in place anyways.
Originally Posted By: horse123
The battery will heat up with a thin layer of foam within minutes of the time it would heat up without it. You don't need it.
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Very simple test with an infrared heat gun: with heat gun check the temperature on the side of the battery after normal driving of around 15-20 miles, one with cover(quickly remove cover to check the temp) and one without cover.
The temperature on the battery with cover should be about 15-20F lower, more on a hot afternoon drive and especially after a long drive of 25-30 miles or longer.
Battery lasted longer in cooler climate, some manufactures have 2 types: standard and hot climate. Batteries in warmer area such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, So Cal ... didn't lasted as long as in Northern states.
I believe a friend's Honda V6 draws air over the battery. Was on an 05 accord.
Or you could get a late model Jeep Grand Cherokee where the battery recides in a hollowed out area under the front passenger seat. 
Ambient temperatures may affect it to a minor degree but no extreme engine bay heat worries.
Ambient temperatures may affect it to a minor degree but no extreme engine bay heat worries.
Also keeps you from dropping/placing a metal tool and shorting out the two terminals. For some bigger batteries you'd need a pretty large tool.
For us northerners the batteries don't get all that hot. Now in South/West Texas, Florida, Arizona, etc. the insulation just might help.
For us northerners the batteries don't get all that hot. Now in South/West Texas, Florida, Arizona, etc. the insulation just might help.
Heat = enemy so leave it in. For that reason I fabbed an aluminum heat shield around mine. Arizona heat is a battery killer ~3-5 yrs
My neighbors Colorado from the factory has a battery box with a hose piping air from behind the front grill.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: SavagePatch
I don't see how it does much to help but I will take your advice and leave it in place anyways.
Originally Posted By: horse123
The battery will heat up with a thin layer of foam within minutes of the time it would heat up without it. You don't need it.
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Very simple test with an infrared heat gun: with heat gun check the temperature on the side of the battery after normal driving of around 15-20 miles, one with cover(quickly remove cover to check the temp) and one without cover.
The temperature on the battery with cover should be about 15-20F lower, more on a hot afternoon drive and especially after a long drive of 25-30 miles or longer.
Battery lasted longer in cooler climate, some manufactures have 2 types: standard and hot climate. Batteries in warmer area such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, So Cal ... didn't lasted as long as in Northern states.
After the battery heats up to engine bay temp (which it will on any drive 30+ minutes regardless of insulation), all the insulation is going to do is keep the heat in after the car is off and kill the battery faster.
Originally Posted By: SavagePatch
I don't see how it does much to help but I will take your advice and leave it in place anyways.
Originally Posted By: horse123
The battery will heat up with a thin layer of foam within minutes of the time it would heat up without it. You don't need it.
Funny, people in here will defend a catch can to death even though manufacturers don't include it because it CLEARLY DOES NOTHING. However when it's an unnecessary part that's already in there "you'll probably cause a nuclear explosion if you remove it"
Very simple test with an infrared heat gun: with heat gun check the temperature on the side of the battery after normal driving of around 15-20 miles, one with cover(quickly remove cover to check the temp) and one without cover.
The temperature on the battery with cover should be about 15-20F lower, more on a hot afternoon drive and especially after a long drive of 25-30 miles or longer.
Battery lasted longer in cooler climate, some manufactures have 2 types: standard and hot climate. Batteries in warmer area such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, So Cal ... didn't lasted as long as in Northern states.
After the battery heats up to engine bay temp (which it will on any drive 30+ minutes regardless of insulation), all the insulation is going to do is keep the heat in after the car is off and kill the battery faster.
I'm going to hazard a guess here. I'd say to prevent thermal shock, particularly differentials in temperature that could cause mechanical stress that would lead to battery failure.
- Status
