900T 16 valve (1990) Help? - Issue re Replacement Battery

Never had a problem getting batteries off the shelf from any auto parts retailers here. Most manufacturers have online fitment guides on their websites. The Exide PDIN66 fits OK and has lots of cranking power.

The fit between the battery and the turbo heat shield is very tight. In fact there is usually virtually no clearance between the shield and the battery. In fact you will see see wear marks on the heat shield from contact with the battery. It doesn't seem to harm them.

E. Newnes (E. Newnes ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Exact same situation here. I replaced the battery a month or two ago, and it's a VERY tight fit. The turbo flange is rubbing on the heat shield. The old one was about 10mm narrower.

I think there's precisely two choices - live with it or spend hours on the phone ringing around and asking motor factors to get their tape measures out...

I chose the first.

Don't worry too much about the 62Ah rating. You should be able to reduce that to, say, 40Ah without really noticing any difference. Hopefully, that will get you into the right size range.

Halfords often have all their batteries out on the shelf, so you can root around with the tape measure to find what you want.

Cheers,

Colin.

Very many thanks to E Newnes, Adrian & Colin (the 3 reply posts here this morning). Couple of comments (and please excuse if I put it badly before):

- Yes I realise about close fit, the current old one and also the one before (which I still have lying around, but with no identifying marks left on it) both allowed only a very tight fit for shield.

- So not sure I quite understand Adrian's "live with it", but can he say which make battery he got, please? (Haven't found an Exide supplier yet, in S. London or Surrey).

- Those I've tried (all recommended by suppliers, all three of them "guaranteeing" they'd fit!) over last few days wouldn't go in even without the shield. Halfords one was 7 ins, Bosch too (only gave height on German & Swedish's (supplier) computer but they ordered it anyway - too wide. They kindly measured most of their (Bosch) batteries in stock and 7 ins seemed standard. The makers' spec lists in these shops don't differentiate the

- Halfords sizes similar, gave up after finding ten or twelve the same width but will return and try again, especially after Colin's news.

- Fascinated about the Amp Hours, Colin; that may well help in continuing search (incidentally Bosch and the unknown one £60. Halfords £70 or £80). Are you sure that lower Ah wouldn't cause problems with the ECU - which after a fuel pump relay problem I had last year does seem to be a mighty fussy item? As you'll realise, I'm ignorant on electrics - and most other car things.

Again many thanks for your feedback, you're all very kind. Any ideas on particular brands/item nos would be v welcome.

sb

sb ("sb" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Ah. No, if it won't fit at all...

It doesn't own up to a brand...

It's a black, fairly anonymous, rather old-tech looking (ooh, blimey, screw caps!) cheapie which was all the local motor factor had in stock in

It shouldn't cause any problems with your ECU. It'll just affect how much you can use the electrics without the engine running before the battery goes flat. For instance, if a 62Ah battery could run your parking lights for 30 hours, a 40Ah one would last about 20 hours. Both would easily be able to start the car in the depths of winter as long as the battery and the engine are in decent order.

If the car needs lots of cranking before it starts, the 62Ah would be more able to take the abuse. Also, when the battery gets old and loses capacity, the 62Ah one will have more capacity to lose before it dies, so it might last a bit longer.

In general, more capacity is better, but it's not really a big deal if you can't get a high capacity one to fit.

Cheers,

Colin.

Thanks Colin - fortunately the car is a star starter; I'm not sure it's ever once failed to start till that relay problem and now this battery problem, so your info is V welcome & useful. (btw Is it possible to tell if it's the "car's fault" for finishing the battery (not charging it) or simply the "battery's fault", for wearing out all by itself?).

More important, Any info on Makes + Part Nos for batteries would be Truly Welcome from anyone listening, as Saturday proved a total failure - and totally exhausting, humping batteries around, trying to fit marginal ones, unfitting, carrying back into shops, etc.

Thanks to all for help, anyway - sb

You can check that the battery is being charged by putting a voltmeter across its terminals with the engine idling. It should be somewhere between 13.8 and 14.4V. Take the measurement with the headlights on to give a decent load.

If the charging is OK, then it's either a duff battery or something on the car draining the battery whilst parked. You could use an ammeter to check for excess current whilst parked, or get the battery itself tested at a garage or battery dealer.

I can't be much help there, I'm afraid. If it's any consolation, I've been there too, with a Nissan 200SX. I finally ended up with the car at the back of a Nissan main dealer, watching them bring out battery after battery until they finally found one which physically fitted and had the terminals in the right order...

Cheers,

Colin.

Thanks again Colin, and again many thanks to you three. For those interested here's the middle and end of the saga:

Ten or so spares shops & their suppliers could find no trace of Mr Newnes's Exide PDIN66, neither could Google or Yahoo, so I gave up on that one(!).

Also on the telephone "assurances" from several suppliers that theirs would Definitely fit. None did. Then my back gave out from constant insertions and withdrawals (of Batteries!).

Then amongst my stuff I found the name of the old one, Varta 562 14. Did a search on Varta's very helpful website and Hey Presto! There it was, the exact item!

Three shops and 50 miles later a knowledgeable sounding outlet asked, "Is it for a SAAB Turbo?". And told me it was discontinued two years ago (when Varta "expanded" its range).

So bit the bullet, raided the piggy bank, went to the SAAB dealer. No problem at all (well, no problem apart from the price and the exceeding tight fit). Apparently all the dealers have been moaning to SAAB, but of course, it isn't anymore.

Sadly I can give no further details; all it says on the item is (stuck on label) "SAAB 60Ah". (I have to say it closely resembles - colour, handle, size & shape - the Halfords one I have in my other SAAB but, weight off mind, who am I to complain!).

Many thanks - sb

Hi, do you want to tell us how much this one cost? Just curious after reading the adventure. :)

Richard.