Battery spec - DT200EFI

Nasher · 03 July 2015, 22:39

Hey all

Whilst in the process of getting 'The Nashers Revenge' and It's 1998 Suzuki DT200EFI ready for our annual pilgrimage to Dartmouth I've discovered that both it's batteries are dead, and although they take a charge it disappears within a few hours.

I don't think I can complain really.
One, a 75AH cheapo car battery was in the hull when I brought it in 2004, and was obviously not new at that stage.
The other, a 110AH Halfords Car battery, I purchased and installed a few months later.

Both were OK last summer, both have always spun up the big 2.7l V6 sufficiently to start it, but due to various things the boat hasn't been used since last summer and they're both dud.

The Suzuki book says use a 100AH battery, that's the only spec I have, and all three dealers I've called quote that despite my protests that things have moved on and CCA is what's important.

Now I need to get a couple of batteries, and the cost of them is going to have to come out of our holiday spending money, effectively reducing our petrol budget which normally allows us to use the boat every other day whilst we're away, so as you can imagine it's a right pain in the rear end to have to fork out for them.

What do those wiser than me think on CCA spec?

Each one has to independently be able to start the DT200, run it's trim, an E120, DSM300, VHF, Bilge pump etc, although the old lump does appear to keep the batteries topped up in use.
I'm thinking @750 minimum, but aim for @950.

They also need to fit in my battery boxes which have internal dimensions of 190 x 270 x 200mm.

Obviously I'm going to do this on the cheap, so please don't anyone suggest anything with a RED/Yellow top, or anything remotely leisure based. As you can tell from the above car batteries have served us well for 10yrs+, so I'm, happy to chance it again, and for this summer at least.

Thanks

Nasher.

Searider · 04 July 2015, 08:26

Hi Simon,

If the car batteries have been good for the last 10 years - then replace with roughly the same.

Get the biggest that will fit in your battery boxes - have a play on a battery supplier website to see what model will fit. Eurocarparts site is ok for doing this.

I've got Bosch car batteries in my boat - one thing to note re CCA is I found that in the Bosch range the ones with the longer warranty tended to have a higher CCA for the same size/model

beamishken · 04 July 2015, 08:43

I use & have used nothing other than standard car batteries in 30 years of boating & always found them fine
I often used secod hand ones as I ran a garage & often ended up with good batteries lying around
I've never had any significant problems with life span etc
As Simon suggested euro car parts are ok & I also just look for the biggest that will fit in the space . Also worth looking at variations of pole layouts as some shapes / pole layouts are often cheaper than others with the same output & you not usually as tied for size shape with a boat

Mollers · 04 July 2015, 09:33

I go to my nearest autofactor outlet and buy the biggest CCA battery that will fit in the box. No science there.

Nasher · 04 July 2015, 10:29

Thanks guys

I suppose what I'm getting at is what sort of minimum CCA do you think I need to run?

Just going somewhere and getting the biggest that will fit isn't an option, especially new, because of cost. Higher CCA means higher price.

Euro car parts are normally good, but you need a specific vehicle to search their site really.

Nasher.

Mollers · 04 July 2015, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

Just going somewhere and getting the biggest that will fit isn't an option, especially new, because of cost. Higher CCA means higher price.

You're clearly not skint, running ribs and holidaying in Devon, so why be tight?
The difference between a high and lower CCA battery of similar dimensions is probably £15-20. Your 200hp 2 stroke will take a bit of cranking from cold.

Surely any boat user would hand over an additional £20 for peace of mind? A round of icecreams in Salcombe would be £20, skip the lollies!

Poly · 04 July 2015, 11:01

It's a while since I bought a battery but my local auto factor offered the exact same battery with and without a three year guarantee for about 20% difference. No idea if that is normal practice.

lakelandterrier · 04 July 2015, 14:45

When are you heading down Nasher?
LT

Nasher · 04 July 2015, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakelandterrier

When are you heading down Nasher?
LT

Last week in July for a week.
Will you be around this year?

Mollers, with respect all things are relative, running a RIB and Holidaying in Dartmouth probably means something completely different to you and me.

To me it means saving all year and not using the boat so I can afford to put some petrol in it whilst we're camping in Dartmouth for a week. It's the only holiday we have and works out about £900 for the 4 of us including the petrol. So taking £200 out of it to buy batteries is going to make a huge dent.

Nasher.

willk · 04 July 2015, 16:14

Might I suggest buying only ONE battery and taking the chance that it will perform well during the holiday this year - then look at a twin for it later.

Chris · 04 July 2015, 16:22

900 CCA would be my suggestion for that engine.

Chris · 04 July 2015, 16:25

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...obalID=EBAY-GB

These are a good all rounder

Maximus · 04 July 2015, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Might I suggest buying only ONE battery and taking the chance that it will perform well during the holiday this year - then look at a twin for it later.

Strangely... (Irishley??) Logical......All things considered

Either way Nash buy the best you can afford...and any doubts it may pay you to take/borrow a Battery Pack..nothing worse than any easy fix...that wasn't!
Specially in very precious Holiday time out.

jambo · 04 July 2015, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...obalID=EBAY-GB

These are a good all rounder

Yes i baught one last year and it turned my 150 hp V6 mariner no problem.
Hope it helps. BTW I would go along with Wilk's suggestion and for safe of mind get a loan of a bat pack to cover you over your hols.

Searider · 04 July 2015, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

Euro car parts are normally good, but you need a specific vehicle to search their site really.

Nasher.

Used to be the case - but now you can search battery types as well.

neil.mccrirrick · 04 July 2015, 17:33

Go with a good single battery you will be fine. Two batteries and splits are all about backup and leaving boats on moorings etc. if as you say you are using it all week and it's charging you will have no problems at all 👍

Mollers · 04 July 2015, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

. So taking £200 out of it to buy batteries is going to make a huge dent.
.

I've only ever run one battery and never paid anything approaching £100 for one.

lakelandterrier · 05 July 2015, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

Last week in July for a week.
Will you be around this year?

We're down Sat 25th July to Sun 2 Aug. I'll drop you a pm with my new mobile no.

Searider · 06 July 2015, 21:25

So,

Some facts as to what I've been running for the last 10 years.

I have two Bosch S4 008 batteries in my boat. These are rigged with two isolators and a VSR.
So, only one in use at a time.

Apparently these are only 74Ah and 680CCA.

The Owners manual for my 150hp Optimax requires a minimum of 800CCA.

Oops, I've been running undersized batteries with no problems!

The only issues I've had are when the boat has been left for several weeks with lots of rain and the bilge pump (with a water witch solid state level switch) has drained the in use battery. (also have a fuel gauge live at all times).

So
I reckon that one of the Bosch batteries that I have would be OK for your engine. 150 Optimax is a 2,5 litre V6 with a compressor to also turn over.

Based upon the 800CCA requirement for my engine, for your similar engine without a compressor I would have expected perhaps 750CCA recommended.

If funds were tight I think I'd go for one battery of 100Ah (as recommended by Suzuki I think you mentioned), with about 800CCA?

I hope this is of use :-)

Nasher · 06 July 2015, 23:42

Gents

Thanks very much for all your help.

I've also dug a little further into the batteries I've been using for 10yrs.

No. 1 is a 90AH 670CCA Halfords special
No. 2 is a 70AH 500CCA Delphi.

Both of these have started the engine in the past, so that lowers my expectations, I'm going to concentrate on CCA as that's what starting the engine needs, and go for @780CCA, which normally runs out at @70-80AH.
As has been mentioned my old tech EFI 200 doesn't have a lot to keep going once running, just a car type fuel pump, so I'll be OK especially as the old Delphi managed.

I've also discovered that both the batteries are type 096R, which is normally associated with American vehicles and the +ve and -ve terminals are the other way round to UK 096's.

As you can imagine it's harder to get hold of 096Rs and they are slightly more expensive, luckily I can rearrange my cables enough to swap to 096s.

780CCA is at the top end of what's available at a reasonable price in 096 size, but Varta and Exide both do one at @£60.

Need to spend some time finding them as cheap as possible now, or even take a trip to the breakers.

Nasher.