battery recommendations please

I need to get a replacement battery for my 99 RAV4. Which makes/brands/dealers are recommended please. I should prefer a heavy duty one with at least a 3 year guarantee.

Thanks.

Reply to
sally H
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bosch from Costco

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Varta one from VW

Reply to
James

I've got a "Plaser" one which cost me 30 quid and has been going for 3 years :-)

Reply to
adder1969

The thing you want is a high Ah (how much energy the battery can hold) capacity and a high CCA (Cold cranking amps, how much power it can chuck out on a frosty morning to start your car). Both these are printed on the tops of the batteries, so if your battery is the original from Toyota, you'll want one that matches or betters that.

I plumped for a Bosch battery for my Golf as the other ones people listed as fitting a Golf didn't have as much capacity, so would end up dead sooner.

Reply to
Doki

Something ballpark is usually good enough. I'm running mine on a

400CCA 55Ah battery and the original was 700CCA 80Ah.
Reply to
adder1969

A lower capacity battery (within reason) will probably last just as long as a higher capacity battery in terms of serviceable life, and you most likely won't notice any difference in this country (if you stayed in somewhere it got properly cold you might).

Most vehicles will quite happily operate with a battery half the standard fitted capacity, but you obivously loose out on having reserve capacity.

Reply to
moray

I'm not saying something that's fairly near isn't going to start the car or anything, but IME stuff that's below spec doesn't last as long, and TBH I'd rather pay an extra £5-10 for a decent battery of the right capacity and with a 3 year guarantee than buy cheap and have them pack up on me one morning.

Reply to
Doki

"Most" - perhaps. I had to go the other way with my daughter's '79 Mini, which has a 1275 head on a pocketed 998 block. It has such high compression that the usual batteries recommended for Minis just won't cut it when it's cold or wet - won't even turn over. So I shoehorned in a 065 (Toyota Previa spec) battery which _just_ fits the battery box, and it has never failed to start since.

I won't disagree that this is an unusual case, and for most standard-spec cars in decent condition, the battery supplied by the local motor factor will probably be just fine.

Reply to
asahartz

The battery I got for my low compression 850 Mini was about 15 pounds and had a one year warranty :-)

My cheapo 400CCA battery I got for my carlton will happily start my M3 and my BMW 740. Ok, so not quite as happily as the proper battery :-) I wouldn't like to try it too many times on a cold morning.

There's a saying that only rich men buy cheap batteries, but you may as well get the right battery at a good price.

Reply to
adder1969

Battery capacity does appear to make a difference on very cold mornings. I've just fitted an 850 CCA, 95 Ah battery to my 528i. which is larger than std. It's quite noticeably spinning the engine over faster than the old battery was even a year ago when it was still in good condition, and freezing cold mornings seems to make little difference to the cranking speed. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

Varta are a well respected brand

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If you're anywhere near Preston, Lancashire, I can recommend Longton Batteries on Fylde Rd.

John

Reply to
John

Definitely doesn't work on NA diesel LandRovers. Or LDV convoys.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

A good battery is a godsend on a diesel when a glow plug or two packs up...

Reply to
Doki

Thanks everyone. Sadly I am nowhere near Preston but I'm sure I can find a Varta stockist. I live in Southampton/Portsmouth/Winchester area in Hampshire.

I gather from all your comments that it is worth getting a good one, although a cheapie might do the trick, but there is no point if it isn't going to work on cold winter mornings. Apparently the Toyota RAV4 battery is quite "small" for the car. However I'm sure that with a bit of shopping around I can find a good price.

Reply to
sally H

I wouldn't exactly call them your usual run of the mill vehicles!

Reply to
moray

They aren't as cheap as they used to be, but on the other hand you can at least get a couple of quid for your old one at the scrapyard (all down the price of lead).

Reply to
Doki

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