Technical Batteries

[306maxi]

500 hasn't been getting driven a huge amount lately and as it's going through its 4th winter and it's just getting cold it was a bit reluctant to start this morning. I'm just popping out to Costco now and as they have Bosch batteries there I was wondering if anyone knew the model number for the battery for the Start & Stop 1.2 as I'd prefer to get a more powerful battery if I can.

 

[RobinPJ]

Is the S/S battery the same physical size as the one for your car Maxi? Would it fit?

 

[Andy Monty]

you need a special start stop battery due to the charge cycle / something else i can't remember the name of they are not cheap.. Know the none start stop gp has a much smaller in physical size and ah than my ss evo

 

[jrkitching]

I was wondering if anyone knew the model number for the battery for the Start & Stop 1.2 as I'd prefer to get a more powerful battery if I can.

Just been out to check (brrr!). The OEM battery fitted to my car is a FIAT-badged Exide.

Fiat Part No 51816427 - 12V 63Ah 450A

Picture attached - click twice to enlarge

 

[bgunn]

It's a flooded cell battery you need - or if you want an even better one, and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery.

 

[Mondaugen]

I looked this up a while ago – might be wrong – the closest spec’ed aftermarket battery I’ve found was the Exide EL600.

http://www.exideuk.com/el600-124-p.asp

From the manual (version 2010-02):

“there is a battery status monitoring sensor D at the negative battery pole C which should never be disconnected except if the actual battery is replaced” p. 65

“If the battery is replaced, always go to a Fiat Dealer.” p. 66

IIRC, D4nny8oy mentioned that the new battery has to be fully charged before installation for Start&Stop to work properly.

Please keep us posted.

 

[306maxi]

I looked this up a while ago – might be wrong – the closest spec’ed aftermarket battery I’ve found was the Exide EL600.

http://www.exideuk.com/el600-124-p.asp

From the manual (version 2010-02):

“there is a battery status monitoring sensor D at the negative battery pole C which should never be disconnected except if the actual battery is replaced” p. 65

“If the battery is replaced, always go to a Fiat Dealer.” p. 66

IIRC, D4nny8oy mentioned that the new battery has to be fully charged before installation for Start&Stop to work properly.

Please keep us posted.

My car isn't actually a stop start, I just wanted a beefier one as fitted to the S&S models

Been out and bought a Bosch S5 001 which is a 52Ah battery with 520 CCA which is a good upgrade over standard which from memory is 42Ah and 390 CCA.

Looking at jrkitching's battery which I assume is an S&S one, I wonder if the battery tray on the S&S 500's is a bit larger and an S&S battery might not fit in a non-S&S 500.

 

[ahmett]

My car isn't actually a stop start, I just wanted a beefier one as fitted to the S&S models

Been out and bought a Bosch S5 001 which is a 52Ah battery with 520 CCA which is a good upgrade over standard which from memory is 42Ah and 390 CCA.

Looking at jrkitching's battery which I assume is an S&S one, I wonder if the battery tray on the S&S 500's is a bit larger and an S&S battery might not fit in a non-S&S 500.

That's what I think to be honest. Let us know.

 

[Mondaugen]

… I wonder if the battery tray on the S&S 500's is a bit larger and an S&S battery might not fit in a non-S&S 500.

That, and from what I gleaned the Start&Stop version has a beefier alternator, 70A vs. 55A.

 

[306maxi]

That, and from what I gleaned the Start&Stop version has a beefier alternator, 70A vs. 55A.

Yeah. Funnily enough the battery is performing better now that a replacement is in the wings. The drive to Costco seems to have done it some good.

But it's only a matter of time.

 

[frupi]

If like me you don't use your car sometimes for several days at a time, then you might want to consider investing in a CTEK smart charger:

http://ctek.com/gb/en/chargers

I recently bought one for my own car. I got the MXS 5.0. It is a superb bit of kit, Swedish made and very small compared to the chargers of old. They aren't particularly cheap, the MXS 5.0 costs around £53 from places such as Amazon, but they are worth every penny if you want to prevent a stuffed battery through leaving your car unused for days or even weeks at a time.

Mine is connected even now as I type, with the optional 2.5metre extention lead which runs to the charger in the garage. It's great that I don't even have to remove the battery from the car, I have a CTEK Comfort indicator lead permanently connected to the battery and the Comfort extension lead plugs directly into that, fed through the grille on my car so even the bonnet stays correctly closed. The car battery is fully charged and is only given a 'pulse' charge to top it back up if the charger senses the battery requires it, otherwise the charger stops charging and effectively remains in standby mode.

I can't speak highly enough of this bit of kit. Modern cars use can use quite a bit of juice from the battery with the alarm/immobiliser constantly sapping power when the car is shut down. Not only that, if you aren't doing long enough journeys to keep your battery fully charged up, then it is going to be more difficult to start the engine, especially in sub-zero temperatures.

 

[306maxi]

Unfortunately our 500 lives in the street so a charger like that isn't doable

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Unfortunately our 500 lives in the street so a charger like that isn't doable

http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-12v-1.5w-battery-trickle-charger-98358

 

[RUI]

That's no good he lives in Wales..... No sun

 

[frupi]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-12v-1.5w-battery-trickle-charger-98358

Sadly, that would be quite useless for my own application. Heated seats, 11 speaker Bose stereo, TomTom, iphone plugged in and added to that, heated rear screen coming on, climate control etc etc. If I just pop to the shops in two tonnes of motor with that lot switched on, a solar panel like that one in a country as wet, snowy and little sunshine as ours, would be as useful as a chocolate fireguard in trying to top up my battery. Nice thought though!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Sadly, that would be quite useless for my own application. Heated seats, 11 speaker Bose stereo, TomTom, iphone plugged in and added to that, heated rear screen coming on, climate control etc etc. If I just pop to the shops in two tonnes of motor with that lot switched on, a solar panel like that one in a country as wet, snowy and little sunshine as ours, would be as useful as a chocolate fireguard in trying to top up my battery. Nice thought though!

You use satnav to go to the local shops

 

[frupi]

Whenever I go out in my car, I have my TomTom HD live traffic on all the time. Sometimes I get distracted and have to go other places. Living right next to the M1, HD live traffic has saved me from numerous traffic jams!

 

[arorat]

Sadly, that would be quite useless for my own application. Heated seats, 11 speaker Bose stereo, TomTom, iphone plugged in and added to that, heated rear screen coming on, climate control etc etc. If I just pop to the shops in two tonnes of motor with that lot switched on, a solar panel like that one in a country as wet, snowy and little sunshine as ours, would be as useful as a chocolate fireguard in trying to top up my battery. Nice thought though!

show off i remember the days when we had a transistor radio with a leaf a speaker... which was an upgrade from two sticks tied together and resonating...

this is the future; http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16370-worlds-smallest-fuel-cell-promises-greener-gadgets.html

 

[123barney]

My 59 pop is also getting no use at the moment and I would like to take the battery out ( lives in the road) and give it a day or 2 trickle charge. I know I would need to reset the radio on refitting it, but is there anything else that would cause problems from this removal. Thanks

 

[RUI]

My 59 pop is also getting no use at the moment and I would like to take the battery out ( lives in the road) and give it a day or 2 trickle charge. I know I would need to reset the radio on refitting it, but is there anything else that would cause problems from this removal. Thanks

Yes lots of problems doing that...but he radio code will not need doing.

Best not to do that.