Battery specification
 

I think it's time for a new battery as mine is seeming a little sluggish, especially after a few short runs.

So what's the spec that I should be looking for. Halfords say they have 2 in stock - 'normal' and 'more powerful'. But a little more technical info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I would personally avoid Halfords and try and buy from somewhere with a higher turnover of battery stock. The number of A8 size batteries they sell will be minimal, so it could have sat on the shelf a while.....

Second mistake today! :o I thought of Halfords because I assumed they'd have a relatively high turnover of batteries. Who would you recommend Ian?

I've used Halfords for batteries many times, they all have a date sticker on them - just look at all on the shelf and pick the newest one! That way you get an informed choice, rather than a "counter sale" elsewhere where they would almost certainly give you their oldest stock!

Also Halfords have been great for warranty, keep the receipt and if the battery dies any branch will swap it for you +++

TPS have "battery sales" every now and again and are worth a shout if you know anyone with discount, I got my last Yuasa one there for my D3 which is also Audi OEM now - quote "Spring Frenzy" and see if they can do a good price Jim +++

You can also try "The Battery Store" in Swindon who send them nationwide
http://thebatteryshop.co.uk/yuasa-12...x29-8572-p.asp

I went with a Duracell battery last time (didn't even know Duracell made car batteries at the time). Been a good battery so far. It's non-venting and slightly higher capacity than the original battery but fits well (in the well).

I bought it from the store of this local supplier, though they appear to offer free delivery (and price-matching):
http://www.griffinbatterycentres.co.uk/duracell

I got mine from halfords - it's a Yuasa and was a reasonable amount cheaper than oem

Will look up specs later and post - I have a trade account which gets you a decent discount. They'll dish out account cards to anyone with even a remote involvement in auto industry. I showed them a business card to get mine!

From memory the original spec is 95Ah

You want somewhere you can return it easily if it fails under warranty - Halfords or Eurocarparts maybe best. You need to keep the receipts I'm sure you'll know.

Never tried posting a car battery before hence the suggestion!

Jim, my local mechanic suggested these guys when I thought I needed a battery for Liam's car

http://www.lennoxmotorfactors.co.uk/

Looked up the specs of the battery I put in mine just over a year ago. It's a Yuasa Silver 5000 part number HSB019. RRP is £119 now (it was £120 when I bought mine) and with halfords trade card it cost £95.99

Spec of the previous OEM battery was 95Ah 450A DIN/760A EN/SAE and part number 000 915 105DK for PR code J1G at £167.78 RRP
If you have PR code J0Z it requires a 110Ah battery (presume for heated front screen?) and is part number 000 915 105DL and £193.94. This is the same as in our S5 which I changed recently and got one for £140.60 from TPS.

The Halfords one matches the spec of the OEM for mine so a worthwhile saving and a longer warranty than OEM (it's only 2 years)

Same for me
 

I had my battery replaced a few weeks ago, after having to obtain a jump start from a colleague at work after the battery died. It was only showing as 10.8V so I'm not entirely sure how I even got to work that day!

Original battery had long since been replaced when I bought the car in 2010, so I went for the Bosch Silver battery from Harry Halfords in 2012. That lasted up until recently, and was replaced under the 5 year warranty.

My new battery is exactly the same as Adrian's one, Yuasa Silver 5000, part number HSB019.

thats interesting re J0z - tried a couple of option decoders, suggests j0z is the code for the 110ah battery itself.

I have a HFS (unsure of option code) but only have a 95ah battery.

Assuming you have the pr code for a 95ah battery it suggests it's for something other than heated front screen then. Was the only thing that sprung to mind as being particularly high current draw and also a rare option. Might be specced for cold climates?

I have option J1G which is a 450A 92ah battery.

And I have 4GM fitted which is:
Laminated windshield, with sunshield and viewing window for vehicle identification number, heated

Mine is otherwise lacking options like sunroof and rear seat heating which could explain why a smaller battery is deemed ok.

Thought I was going to have to get the wallet out again!

Ditto!

I went to Halfords on my way home yesterday to get the battery checked. It was showing just 290A (instead of 900A), so definitely due for a change. In the end I had it replaced there and then. With a 5 year guarantee and free fitting (which can be a really awkward back-breaker in the D2 '8), I decided that was good enough for me! :)

Thanks everyone for your input on this. +++

I consider myself well and truly beaten - mine showed up as 510A when tested but was still replaced under warranty. Now I only have just over a year left on the warranty as it was purchased in April 2012, but I'm sure that this battery will last about the same length of time, fingers crossed. The difference in starting the old V8 is massive, super-quick.

Mine too! She's gone from "do I really have to" to "yeah, let's go!" :)

So which maker/spec did you go for in the end from Halfords Jim?

See 3 posts up ^^^^^

My new battery is exactly the same as Adrian's and Johnny Quattros's, Yuasa Silver 5000, part number HSB019.

Currently showing @ £119 at Halfords, so I may (finally...) bite the bullet before the Irish trip...Though your earlier post said you got free fitting, and the website says fitting is £10 - am I missing something?

personally I would go for an AGM battery like the varta silver dynamic like OE for RR, bentley etc capable of at least double the discharge cycles of older designs

incidentally who knew that varta are actually american ...johnson controls [ the worlds biggest battery manufacturer ]bought them about 15 years ago
apparently johnson also make the bosch labelled batteries , can't tell you the code numbers for them , bosch charge a bit more for the same battery so not for me

Agm are intended for cars with stop-start and I believe are usually maintained at a different alternator charge rate which a non-AGM specific car won't deliver

I'm sure it will work ok

well in the publicity for this battery Varta say......also perfect for stop/start application .....so obviously the ability to accept the greater discharge explains the longer life expectancy as that is what shortens the life of so many standard batteries
as far as I know charging rates are standard , these improved batteries and longer lasting starter motors are all that is required

I suspect most 8's are not used as daily drivers , so having a battery that can be discharged to a lower voltage without damage is a distinct advantage !

incidentally , I notice that the latest Bentley uses this battery , and that is design to stop the engine when driving slowly !

I was really tempted, but I didn't go for the AGM as it seemed to have a lower capacity than the normal one and a shorter warranty, despite all the bumpf saying it is expected to last longer.

I've been running Varta AGM in my D2 for 3 years.
So far so good.