2002 Toyota Corolla battery cca range

Hi, I have a 2002 Toyota Corolla LE, 65K miles and took it for an oil change today. They did a courtesy battery check on the car and found it read 305/350(?) cca and said that the battery needs replacement. They mentioned the "ideal" value was 550 cca. I'd like to know what is the acceptable range and if my battery really needs to be replaced. I read somewhere on the net that 2005 Corolla's have battery rating 310 cca. In that case, my battery would be in great condition then!

Weather: I am in Houston, Texas so cold weather is non-existent here. It is almost 60F in January!

I bought this car used in 2004 and presumable this still has the original battery.

I have been quoted a price of $100(battery + labor) which seems kind of high.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Vicky

Reply to
vicky7909
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The original batteries installed in Toyotas have about a 5 year useful life. With the arrival of 2007 models, your 2002 battery is at or approaching 5 years. A hot climate will shorten a battery's life, and a cold climate puts more demand on the battery, so extreme hot and cold are tough on batteries.

I have not seen a specification from Toyota for minimum cold cranking amps ("CCA"). A battery's condition is generally checked by measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell or by performing a load test. Another way to evaluate a battery's condition is to note if the starter starts to crank more slowly than normal. While not very objective, a car owner who pays attention can tell when a battery needs replacement.

Whether $100 for the battery plus labor is high or not depends on what the labor charge is. I like the Interstate batteries sold by Toyota dealers and Sears Die Hard batteries. Optima batteries are also good, but IMO, they are overkill and not worth the high cost for most people. I'm sure there are other good batteries out there, but I do not have personal experience with them. When your starter starts to crank a little more slowly, I'd call around to get installed prices for batteries.

Reply to
Ray O

Where did you take the car for the oil change that they did this "Courtesy Check"? Because I never want to go there... Just like the Grocer with his thumb on the scale, they can easily jigger the test results to always say "You need a new battery!"

A 2002 car battery may well be going bad, it's quite possible just on elapsed time in service.

But if you have never had a slow-cranking "Gee, it almost didn't start that time" issue, 'the reports of your battery's demise may be premature'. You'd be surprised how many people have someone tell them the battery is about to go, and change it without a second thought.

No, actually that's about right, depending on how much of that is labor and the quality of the battery used...

I'm using a (Johnson Controls) Kirkland Signature battery at Costco for comparison, which might not be quite as good as the OEM battery, but you can NOT buy an OEM-grade Panasonic or Yuasa car battery at a reasonable price in the USA. Johnson Controls makes private-label batteries for about 50 different chains, solid quality that'll give you 4 to 6 years of service.

A KS battery will cost between $38 and $60 (plus tax) depending on the size, and it takes at least a half hour of actual work to do a decent battery change job:

Remove old battery, swab out the tray and environs with baking soda and water paste to neutralize the small amount of battery acid that inevitably gets out and settles on surfaces in the area, rinse the area with clean water, dry off the battery tray, wire-brush and paint any bare spots as needed...

After going off to do something else while the paint dries install and connect the new battery, using NoCo treated felt washers on the posts and a contact enhancer (Kop-R-Kote or Dielectric Grease) on the posts to keep the acid out of the post to terminal interface.

Even a quick and dirty battery swap (no cleaning or neutralizing the battery acid, no cleaning or treating the posts) is going to take fifteen minutes.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman
50 to 75 dollars for a battery some places will install it for free.
Reply to
BigJim

NOTHING is free. The cost of the installation is suckered into the price of the battery.

Reply to
sharx35

As your vehicle ages the electrical system will normally build resistance which in turn will sap the battery of more energy. I read you are in a warm climate but if you live in a cold climate more cca is definitely a plus, so IMHO, bigger (more cca) is better. If you plan on keeping your vehicle, purchase the biggest battery you can afford that will fit. I know very well that it's a really bad feeling to turn that key when it's many minus degrees outside at two AM and experience that slow or non start event and you are the only person left in the parking ramp. Have the installer liberally coat all clean terminals (both cables and battery) with di-electric grease compound before hook up. It is a silicone type paste that will eliminate any corrosion. Good luck.

Reply to
user

I don't drive much because I commute to work by bus now, so my car just sits in the driveway during the week My car battery died three years ago because it wasn't getting charged up enough. I ended getting a solar trickle charger.

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I'm using it in my new car now.

The charger also comes in a 2.2 watt version now.

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Just something to keep in mind if you want to extend the battery life. I leave it on the dash behind the back seats, and plug it in the lighter outlet after I turn off the car.

Reply to
homepc

Actually, I just moved to Houston from DC, so for about 5 years I was in DC. Should have mentioned that!

I have not yet had a problem starting my car. Not once. I think they plan to install the interstate battery (MT35).

"When your starter starts to crank a little more slowly" . You mean when the car won't start on the first attempt right? I'll keep that in mind. Again, as I mentioned I have had no issues in starting the car.... ever! The guy I spoke to on the phone had such an alarmed voice, I thought my car has some serious issues. He said it barely registered on their meter, but when I landed there showed me the meter reading on the paper with the recommended and actual values.

Also, he quoted me one price on the phone and the print out has a price that's $25 more.

Reply to
vicky7909

I have never had a problem starting my car and yes the tests may be manipulated but who knows. I took it to a local Firestone. As I said, my gripe is that he quoted me one price on the phone and another on the sheet. I asked him about it, but he said the one on the sheet was the "correct" one.

Do you know what is the acceptable range for cca's? I look at my owner's manual but nothing there.

Reply to
vicky7909

Just checked the links and they need a postal code -- sorry about that.

use R3K 2G6

Reply to
homepc

In terms of battery environment, Houston and DC are probably about the same, with DC being slightly more battery-friendly.

The starter is an electric motor that cranks, or turns the car's engine until the engine runs on its own. A battery with diminished capacity will crank the engine more slowly. The term "cranking" comes from the days when you had to stick a handle into the front of the car and crank the handle to get the engine to start. The invention of the electric starter eliminated the need to stick a handle in, but the term "cranking" stuck. You are probably unconsciously aware of the normal cranking speed of your starter, and if the battery delivers less power to the starter, the starter will not crank as quickly so it will take longer for the engine to start.

To me, quoting a different price on the phone and in writing is a sign of shadiness and I would find another place to get a battery installed. If the car starts without any problem, don't get the battery changed, and when it is time, find someplace else to get it installed.

Also, there is no specification for cold cranking amps (CCA's) for cars because CCA's are a way to rate battery capacity. A battery with more CCA's means that it will crank the starter for a longer time when it is cold. Modern fuel-injected engines start pretty easily so lots of CCA's are not as necessary as when cars had carburetors and chokes.

Reply to
Ray O

Aside from saving your money, think of the environment. The more lead-acid batteries you replace unnecessarily, the more garbage gets added to a toxic waste site somewhere.

Check with Sears -- most DieHard batteries are very good and replacement cost should be more like $70.

Reply to
Bill Tuthill

I have a 2000 V6 Camry and the Toyota dealer tested the battery and told me I needed a new one. That was two years ago and the original 2000 battery still fires up the car engine just like when it was new. So much for battery testing.

If you really need a new battery, try Costco. It's not the best or strongest but they back up the full money refund within 3 years and prorated thereafter. I have couple of Acuras that eats up batteries like there's no tomorrow - doesn't matter if its a Honda battery or anyone else's. Within three years the Costco battery on the Acura died. Costco refunded me in full including sales tax and the disposable fee. Needless to say, I bought another Costo battery. It was about $60.

Reply to
# Fred #

That sounds like a great deal. I'll have to keep Costco in mind when it is time for the next battery.

Reply to
Ray O

Current is measured in amperes, power consumed is watts.

Better re-think the logic in this paragraph ;-)

Reply to
Ray O

your money, think of the environment.

Reply to
vicky7909

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
vicky7909

Erm, try this grossly simplified summary...

  • Voltage Volt (V) Pressure; potential to push current
  • Current Ampere/amp (A) Flow rate; moving electric charge
  • Power Watt (W) Rate of doing work
  • Energy Joule (J) Quantity of energy, often stored (eg, charge stored in a battery)
  • Watts == Joules/sec == Volts * Amps (if in phase or DC)
  • V and A changing out of phase (eg AC) ==> Volt-Amps (VA)
Reply to
Andrew Stephenson

Ok, here is some more info. I finally decided to peek under the hood of my car(long overdue) to check out the battery.

It is a Delphi Freedom 55D23??, can't see the rest since it is covered.

The values are CCA Load Test ... 310 150

Now, does this mean that the CCA rating is 310. So when it was tested by the mechanic and it showed 305 CCA, it would mean that the battery is almost fully charged? I wonder why he said it should be around 550 CCA.

Can somebody help me with this?

Reply to
vicky7909

Yes, the battery is probably rated for 310 cold cranking amperes (CCA). 305 CCA means that the battery still has most of its capacity. The shop told you it should be around 550 CCA because they want to sell you a new battery.

Reply to
Ray O

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