The battery in my 2002 wrx is getting weak; the starter sometimes crank slow
on cold mornings. I think I contributed to the battery's weakness by
accidentally leaving the dome light on overnight once in a while.

Anyway, I believe the battery is size "group 35". Has anyone managed to put
a larger battery in the car with minimum or no modification? If so, what
size battery?

In case you wonder, larger one seems more cost effective.

peter wrote:

Depending on where you live and how severely the battery was abused -
you may just need a new one. Here I where I live 2.5 years is about
average and 4 is definitely living on 'borrowed' time.

Carl


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)

I put in a Bosch battery with 640CCa. It was virtually the same size..
"peter" <nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) com> wrote

peter wrote:
Get an Optima. Same size as stock but better.

"dr.benway" <dr.benway (AT) ziplip (DOT) com> wrote

Unless you are starting a BIG diesel in 0 degree weather it's a stupid
rating.
You want a battery with a large "Reserve" or "Amp-hour" rating. This means
you can leave lights on, radio for a while and still start the engine.
If the battery doesn't have that info on it DO NOT BUY IT!

On Mon, 01 Jan 2007 06:28:52 GMT, "peter" <nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) com> wrote:


The stock battery is rated at 350CCA which is marginal and does not
provide good cranking performance in the winter. It also gets worse as
the battery ages and loses capacity.
Another factor is that this is not a maintenance-free battery, the
water level in the cells must be checked periodically and topped off
as needed. Many owners are not aware of this and neglect it resulting
in eventual battery failure.
You don't need a physically larger battery, just one with higher
capacity. Almost any aftermarket battery will offer significantly
higher cranking and reserve ratings then the OEM battery and most are
also maintenance free.
An excellent replacement and upgrade is the Optima Group 35 Red Top,
it will replace your old battery directly and provide much improved
performance. The Optima is a sealed zero-maintenance battery with no
liquid electrolyte and has many advantages over a conventional
battery, although they do cost more. You can get the correct battery
here-
http://www.remybattery.com/ProductIn...oductid=35-910
I have the Red Top in my WRX and it's going on five years old, still
works as well as when I put it in.

<mulder@x.files> wrote

That is so true. I only realize this after reading your post. Fortunately,
the water level are not off too much -- all electrodes are still submerged.
I only had to add about 1cm of water level. I think I'm still going to have
to replace the battery.

The oct 06 issue of consumer reports have a battery test. Unfortunately they
didn't include optima. I think I'll just stick with a regular batter since I
may not keep the car very long.

Thanks.

We bought our '99 Forester in 2000, and have yet to change the battery.
It's a Panasonic, which I can't find up here in the bush, but it is truly
amazing. If it is the original, it's been in the car since it was built
in '98 which is incredible life even in ideal conditions.

We live in the Ottawa Valley of eastern Ontario where winters are long and
hard, often falling to -30C or worse, but we have yet to have any trouble
starting the Suby.

Every winter I have the thing checked in fall, expecting to have to replace
it and every time our tame mechanic tells me it's fine. So far he's right.

KH
"peter" <nospam (AT) nospam (DOT) com> wrote

mulder@x.files wrote:

Some people living in hot climates seem to prefer batteries
that can be topped off, after the inevitable evaporation.
One comment from someone in Florida was that a "maintenance-
free" battery probably wouldn't last longer than 2 years due
to evaporation.

Theoretically most batteries can be topped off with water
even if the caps are somewhat sealed or glue in place. Not
usually recommended though.

My Panasonic OEM battery is a somewhat translucent white.
If the light is good enough, I can make out the acid level
in the battery. If not, a light shone on the side and I
can tell. Some maintenance free batteries are dark and
opaque, which would make it hard to tell if the level is
low (and thus should be replaced).

"y_p_w" <y_p_w (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote

I thought the whole idea of maintenance free battery is that they somehow
don't evaporate.
Are you saying manufacturers could just seal their batteries and call them
maintenance free?