Battery options?

238LS

238LS

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Hey guys, I just bought my 03 LS with 43K on it. It still has the factory battery in it and I need to replace it as it only tests out to about 480CCA at when its charged to a full 12.6 volts. I was wondering what my options are? It seems that our battery is basically a group 65 (very common in Fomoco stuff) with a vent tube. The only batteries I see are just a stock replacement from motorcraft, napa, and interstate ect. Have any of you installed an optima battery in your LS? I'm not sure if they make one with a vent tube or not. I have an optima in my DD and I have been extremely impressed with it so far. (Takes a lot of juice to crank over your engine up here in montana when its 20 below out lol). Anyways just wanted to see what you guys like to use. Thanks.
 
Venting

I've had a Red Top Optima in my '02 for three years now. (Just under 147K miles). If you search, you'll find a thread regarding how Pek fabricated a vent for his. I just never bothered, because I'm using the vent tube through the back panel to vent my methanol fuel cell in my trunk.

KS
 
Honestly... does it really need a vent tube... and i just went to Walmart and put the biggest everstart MAXX battery they had... i would normally get my batteries at oreily auto cause i prefer but they were closed when i bought it... but i can say that i have no probs whatsoever...
 
Z_Drifter_87 said:
Honestly... does it really need a vent tube... and i just went to Walmart and put the biggest everstart MAXX battery they had... i would normally get my batteries at oreily auto cause i prefer but they were closed when i bought it... but i can say that i have no probs whatsoever...
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Depends. Do you mind hydrogen gas building up in the trunk?
 
Well there's hydrogen in water.... How bad could it really be for it to build up in the trunk of a moving car?:D

I think the money you saved needs spending on this one?
 
I too agree that you really do need a vent tube, its cheap insurance. IMO if the factory built it with one then it needs to have one. I am going to find that thread that pektel made about his optima install, I think thats the route im going to take.
 
Villalta said:
Well there's hydrogen in water.... How bad could it really be for it to build up in the trunk of a moving car?:D

I think the money you saved needs spending on this one?
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Really? You are comparing hydrogen gas to water? Perhaps googling "Hindenburg" would be beneficial to you.
 
You miss understood me I was just joking about the hydrogen actually being good to build up in the trunk of a moving car. I understand that the battery, while charging, vents small amounts of hydrogen And oxygen. And obviously the build up of hydrogen isn't good in the trunk. Looking back I guess my joke wasn't elaborate enough.:)
 
This is why I don't like texting. You can't type the context of how you say it.
 
Under SOME conditions, it's CONCEIVABLE that there may be SOME venting of hydrogen gas. The H'burg was completely filled with hydrogen.

Auto design is required to take into account all possibilities. I've chosen not to vent and have no trouble sleeping. My choice. You may reach other conclusions.

KS
 
i replaced my battery with a yellow top and rigged up a vent just like pete did.
 
But why get a battery that doesnt vent properly though, Price? Quality?
 
cammerfe said:
Under SOME conditions, it's CONCEIVABLE that there may be SOME venting of hydrogen gas. The H'burg was completely filled with hydrogen.
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And it was venting. I would hate to be messing around the trunk, create a small spark and get a boom; no matter how small

We've been over this about as much as using premium fuel. There is a reason there is a requirement to vent the battery. After seeing the top blown off a battery I will gladly use the correct battery. I'm just glad the battery was under the hood when it blew it's top.
 
I always fear a battery explosion when jumping a vehicle. Just one of those horror stories that never leaves the back of my mind.
 
Villalta said:
This is why I don't like texting. You can't type the context of how you say it.
Click to expand...

That's because your not funny.. lol jk :p

cammerfe said:
Under SOME conditions, it's CONCEIVABLE that there may be SOME venting of hydrogen gas. The H'burg was completely filled with hydrogen.

Auto design is required to take into account all possibilities. I've chosen not to vent and have no trouble sleeping. My choice. You may reach other conclusions.

KS
Click to expand...

Agreed.. I didn't vent mine and I have had no problems YET.. And I don't anticipate any either.. The LS's trunk is pretty spacious and you would need quite a bit to be able to have enough to ignite..

Villalta said:
But why get a battery that doesnt vent properly though, Price? Quality?
Click to expand...

I bought my car without one already in there.. So that's why mine doesn't have one..
 
I posted this in another thread somewhere, but I'm not going to search for it. My gf's kid has a Walmart battery (unvented) in his Aurora. That one is under the back seat. And people regularly smoke in that car. At our hunting camp, we have two deep cycle Walmart batteries that sit right in the living room hooked to solar panels and a charger for when the generator is running. There's a propane wall heater (open flame) six feet away and a wood stove about 12'. Been like this for years. I've seen exactly one battery explode in my almost 50 years. It was in a demo derby car on the floor in front of the passenger seat. The guy was lifting it out and the posts contacted the bottom of the metal dash - this after being slammed around in a derby heat for about 15 minutes.

You can vent if you want to. The oem's have to because their lawyers tell them too. Myself, I don't worry about it.
 
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