Small battery driving you nuts? A BIGGER BATTERY FITS!

[Elemental Guy]

I had a 51R in my 2004 Element. It started not being able to hold a charge. Mornings were always scary---will it start? For months I've been trickle charging it, hoping the next morning it would start. It was a Kirkland and only 8 months old! Lots of research here---alternator? Loose battery connections? Bad luck?

Finally I went back to Costco and got a size 35, 640 CCA as opposed to the anemic 51R 500 CCA. Installation was fairly straightforward, in the parking lot. Bent down the tabs, had an expandable battery tie down with me but the stock threaded rods weren't long enough. They were long enough on paper but not in reality. I camstrapped the battery in place till I got back to O'Reilleys for longer rods.

I stuck the package I got with the expandable tie down into the tray to fill it up a bit. Not ideal but that worked. Talk about a minimalist install. I put a lead thimble-looking thing on my positive post so the stock clamp would actually grip tightly.

And it starts like it should. Instead of some lame cranking that got slower after 2 seconds, this battery starts with authority and actually cranks faster after one second. What a relief. 8 degrees tonight, we'll see what happens tomorrow morning!

[Legioss]

Originally Posted by nfbully

Seriously, you rock man for posting this. I was able to save $55 bucks on this battery with only a couple hours to spare on the deal! I had to make an account, being a recent Element owner, specifically to tell you thanks!

Glad I could be of help. Many members here have helped me in many ways, so I try to give back when I can.

Maybe common knowledge, but was new to me: O'reilly (and probably the others) PAY for your old battery. I recycled mine at an O'R in SoCal and got a $5 gift card. =)

[Boy Wonder]

My original battery just died.........2003 Element...I bought the element new. 10 years...not too bad.

[Duckbill]

Ten years on a battery is not the norm, congratulations. Five to 7 years is great life for a battery. I usually have mine checked every so often at Advance Auto after 5 years. If it's lost 15 to 20 percent of its CCA, I replace it to be on the safe side. I like to buy a battery when they are on sale and before a failure, such as in a Mall parking lot or on a road trip.

[Atom]

^^^ The money. So you didn't need as new tray or other parts? Everything just fit?

[Atom]

Originally Posted by Backcountry Edge

So the E was dead when I got to it this morning. No keyless entry, wouldn't even attempt to start.... just nothing. I went into my garage to pull out the wife's car and grab some jumper cables, and upon returning to open the hood I got normal interior lights. This was pretty puzzling, but i just chalked it up to not quite being awake yet. It cranked over slow but started and I really thought that I was just out of my mind until I had to reset the clock. I got pretty much the same symptoms when I was going to leave for lunch and I figured that I would just let it go and deal with it once the day was over. Left the office with another slow start and clock reset and went straight home to pickup the sears gift card that had been laying on my desk for a few months.

Out with the old and in with a DieHard Platinum in group size 35. For those of you that believe in battery specs this battery is rated at 100 min RC and 740 CCA. What appealed to me was the warranty at 4 years free replacement and 100 months pro-rated. That along with the fact that these batteries are made for Sears by Enersys, the parent company of Odyssey batteries, made it a pretty solid investment in my mind. They are rather spendy at $189 but my gift card offset more than half so I pulled the trigger.

Install was pretty uneventful.
1. Remove old battery and accompanying plastic pieces.
2. Use a large straight slot screwdrive to bend out the hold down tabs on the battery platform.
3. Sit new battery on tray, tie down with new tie down strap, connect leads.
4. Grin and close the hood.

The terminals are positioned correctly so the stock cable lengths work without modification. (it was almost too easy) 15 min. max and the E is firing up like a champ.

So there you have it. Another option for battery replacement. The old battery will head off for recycling soon unless someone would prefer that I chuck it at this dead horse of a thread that I dug up? :rolleyes:

You didn't need as new tray or other parts? Everything just fit?

[TylerHartman]

Originally Posted by MikeQBF

>..wonder if I can re-use my Element's stock battery as part of my home network UPS?

Technically possible but not recommended. The stock battery is a conventional flooded (wet) cell design, and is subject to the problems with that technology - off-gassing (hydrogen), leakage and corrosive vapor. IOW, something you don't generally want to have in the house.

There's a lot more to "gel-cell" (matrix electrolyte) batteries than just the ability to mount in any position.

Yes, Rev 3 ( Geek Online Tv network) Did a Show on it, I'll try to find it quick.

You Tube

You Tube

[KoolBlue]

Originally Posted by TylerHartman

Yes, Rev 3 ( Geek Online Tv network) Did a Show on it, I'll try to find it quick.

s

I think you just set the record for the oldest post replied to. (9 years).

[TylerHartman]

Originally Posted by KoolBlue

I think you just set the record for the oldest post replied to. (9 years).

Duh! :D bringing back dead threads is my thing :)

[BlakeVW]

Does anyone know what the smallest battery that would be needed to just start the element?

I am looking to install a dual battery system, and don't want to get too into messing around with moving parts around the engine bay. It would be much easier to get a larger battery that would fit into the stock battery area as the aux, and a smaller battery to the left of the strut mount.

Any help?

Thanks