[CHRISM]

A subsidiary question, and this I know has been aired before. The consensus is that the Varta E23 battery is the one to go for, this being physically the same size as the original. Tanya batteries and Halfords in their fitment guides actually quote a battery that is physically too big.
But the E23 is 70AHr, 630 CCAmps, whereas the Nissan recommendation is 75AHr, 720CCAmps. Anyone been down this road? If anything I would prefer a higher spec.

"Hello Chris",

When I was looking for a good Battery for my Xtrail in April of this Year the best that I could find was this from Halfords:

Bosch `Silver Technology` Battery [Halfords HSB 096 - £116.99] - 780 AMPS X 77 AMP HOURS - the Dimensions are: 278mm Long X 175mm Deep [Wide] X 190mm High - I think that the price at that time had been discounted from approx. £125.00 [?].

THIS WILL FIT THE 2.0 LITRE PETROL SE XTRAIL - YOU NEED TO JUST CUT THE END OFF THE PLASTIC BATTERY TRAY - BUT I DON`T KNOW ABOUT THE AIR DUCT ON A DIESEL XTRAIL - IS IT IN THE SAME POSITION ?

At that time I also found that there was a Varta Silver Technology Battery with exactly the same specifications available online which was over £40.00 cheaper than the Bosch Battery - the Varta Battery Number is in one of my messages on the tread that I started about the Battery Tray - Link below.

I wanted to be able to just go and but the Battery on a Sunday which is the day that I take my Wife to the supermarket and do other shopping - I could not order online and have to arrange for someone to be at my Home awaiting delivery of a Battery just to save some money.

Also I would NOT want a Battery for my Car delivered by a Courier / Carrier - without wanting to insult delivery drivers I see the state of other Parcels that We have delivered where they have obviously be thrown about in Lorries and the Van !

You might be interested in what I wrote in some of my messages about this on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6497

I hope some of this is useful in selecting a good Battery for your Xtrail.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

A subsidiary question, and this I know has been aired before. The consensus is that the Varta E23 battery is the one to go for, this being physically the same size as the original. Tanya batteries and Halfords in their fitment guides actually quote a battery that is physically too big.
But the E23 is 70AHr, 630 CCAmps, whereas the Nissan recommendation is 75AHr, 720CCAmps. Anyone been down this road? If anything I would prefer a higher spec.

"Hello Chris",

When I was looking for a good Battery for my Xtrail in April of this Year the best that I could find was this from Halfords:

Bosch `Silver Technology` Battery [Halfords HSB 096 - £116.99] - 780 AMPS X 77 AMP HOURS - the Dimensions are: 278mm Long X 175mm Deep [Wide] X 190mm High - I think that the price at that time had been discounted from approx. £125.00 [?].

THIS WILL FIT THE 2.0 LITRE PETROL SE XTRAIL - YOU NEED TO JUST CUT THE END OFF THE PLASTIC BATTERY TRAY - BUT I DON`T KNOW ABOUT THE AIR DUCT ON A DIESEL XTRAIL - IS IT IN THE SAME POSITION ?

At that time I also found that there was a Varta Silver Technology Battery with exactly the same specifications available online which was over £40.00 cheaper than the Bosch Battery - the Varta Battery Number is in one of my messages on the tread that I started about the Battery Tray - Link below.

I wanted to be able to just go and but the Battery on a Sunday which is the day that I take my Wife to the supermarket and do other shopping - I could not order online and have to arrange for someone to be at my Home awaiting delivery of a Battery just to save some money.

Also I would NOT want a Battery for my Car delivered by a Courier / Carrier - without wanting to insult delivery drivers I see the state of other Parcels that We have delivered where they have obviously be thrown about in Lorries and the Van !

You might be interested in what I wrote in some of my messages about this on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6497

I hope some of this is useful in selecting a good Battery for your Xtrail.

Regards,

Chris

"Hello All",

I have just noticed that the link that I posted in my message above is not working - here it is again:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6497

Sorry to chrisuk and any other Members who tried to use it to go to my other thread about fitting the Bosch Battery to my PETROL Xtrail.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

Chris, don't forget to remove one of the blanking plugs in the top of the battery for venting.

"Hello Umbongo",

I might have asked You this before - if so Sorry that I cannot remember your answer:

Obviously from your advice to Chris there certain types of Car Battery that have to be Vented / have a blanking plug removed.

I cannot understand why I have never come across having to do this during the decades that I have been driving for.

I would always buy what I perceived to be the `Best Quality` Car Battery for my Vehicles over the Years - now I have a Bosch `Silver Technology` Battery in my Xtrail and before that I had a Halfords `Calcium Technology` Battery [manufacturer unknown] - neither of these had plugs that needed to be removed for Venting.

During the previous decades I assume that I would have been buying `Lead Acid` Batteries for my vehicles but I don`t recall ever having to `remove a plug for Venting` - and I have never seen that instruction on any Label on a Car Battery.

During the first 10 Years that I had been driving [60`s & 70`s] I had a lot of different Cars - I don`t recall replacing any Batteries on those Cars - but I have bought and replaced at least 8 Car Batteries during the rest of my Driving life on Cars and Vans that I did not own from New.

Something that I am aware of consciously doing in the past was to ensure that I bought `Maintenance Free` Car Batteries ever since that Term started to be used - which is quite a few Years ago.

Could it have been that because I always bought `Good Quality` Car Batteries they have been `Maintenance Free` and have not had the requirement to remove a plug for Venting - although I don`t remember when this type of Battery was available ?

As I am sure You can imagine I would be amazed to now find out that `Venting the Battery` is something that I should have known about / and possibly should have done at times [?] for most of my Driving life.

I have never had a problem with a Battery that was caused because it should have been Vented or that would have alerted Me to the need to do so - I do know that Years ago if Charging Batteries you had to remove the Plugs while on Charge.

Can You let Me know more about this `Venting the Battery` and what Type of Batteries need this Please.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

I assume the plugs are transit plugs as the battery came in the post. Buying locally I presume the shop removes the plugs. My battery is a Varta maintenance free battery which
I think are valve regulated vented, so the plugs are a safety requirement in transit.

"Hello Chris",

I assume that You are replying to My question about the Battery `Vent Plugs` ?

I know from Umbongo`s comment that there must definitely be Car Batteries that have Plugs that have to be removed for Venting the Battery - I wanted to make it clear that I am NOT questioning His comment.

I have never had any Shop where I bought a Car Battery removing any Plug from the Battery.

I would have bought most of the Batteries that I needed over the Years from Halfords - once or twice from a small independent Motor Spares Shop [many Years ago] - but this would have been before there was much choice regarding `Models`/ various Specifications of Car Batteries

Nor have I ever seen any kind of Label on a Car Battery that I have bought regarding removing a Plug to Vent the Battery so how would anyone know that this had to be done ?

Where were the Plugs that You removed located on the Battery - and did You have to Unscrew the Plug or just pull it out of a hole - ?

Please don`t be offended by this - I take it that You don`t mean the `CAPS` that cover the Battery Terminals do You ?

Thanks again for your message.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

"Hello to all Members who responded to my question about the Vent Plugs",

Thanks to all of You for your comments and also to Milton for the link to the topic on another Forum.

I did know that on Car Batteries that have these Vent Plugs removing the plugs is for preventing a build up of Gases [produced by the Battery] from causing the Battery to explode with what would otherwise be excessive internal pressure.

But I have never had one of that type of Battery as far as I know on any vehicle that I have owned - in well over 4 Decades of Driving.

If these Vented Batteries are so readily available I cannot understand how this could have happened.

After previously reading something about this on the Forum I do remember finding details about a Car Battery which was not only Vented but also had a pipe from the Vent which exited the Car bodywork to `Vent to outside Air`.

I remember thinking why would a Car Manufacturer ever design that - why not just use a `Maintenance Free` / Sealed Battery - obviously there WAS a good reason for this as Car Manufacturers are not known to add components for no good reason.

I am still guessing that the type of Car Battery that has to be Vented must be of Inferior Quality / much cheaper to produce than a Sealed Battery - why would You want a Vented Battery - unless they are really `Inexpensive` - ?

To Chris - "Sorry" - I did not mean to `Hijack` your thread - as my question was instigated by what Umbongo wrote to You I hope that you will not mind.

Regards to All,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

I don't believe any battery can be totally sealed. The shear physics of expansion and contraction due to temperature change would prevent this.
I think you will find that all sealed batteries have some form of relief valve.

You say you have never had to remove transit plugs, but perhaps you have not have had one delivered in the post.

"Hello Chris",

Please don`t take offence to this:

I think that You are slightly confused regarding these `Vent Plugs` - as You are calling them `Transit Plugs`.

I am under the impression from what I have read on various threads on the Forum and elsewhere that `Vented Batteries` have been in existence for Decades - long before We have had the facility to Order Car Batteries either over the Telephone or more recently Online - ?

Obviously Car Batteries do have to be delivered to Stores etc. in bulk / by Lorry - but NOT in the same way that Carriers transport them individually !

With regard to your comment about Car Batteries not being able to be `completely sealed` because of the `Sheer Physics of Expansion and Contraction`:

Contraction would not really be a factor with the contents of a Car Battery - and various types of `Vessels` can be Sealed as long as there is the facility to accommodate the Expansion of a Liquid or Gases within the Vessel - via a Space.

In the case of a Sealed Battery I would guess that any Expansion of the contents IS accommodated by a `Space` within the Battery.

My knowledge of Expansion of Liquids etc. comes from being a Building Services Engineer.

I look forward to Your and other Members further comments about these points.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

I don't believe any battery can be totally sealed. The shear physics of expansion and contraction due to temperature change would prevent this.
I think you will find that all sealed batteries have some form of relief valve.

You say you have never had to remove transit plugs, but perhaps you have not have had one delivered in the post.

"Hello Chris",

Please don`t take offence to this:

I think that You are slightly confused regarding these `Vent Plugs` - as You are calling them `Transit Plugs`.

I am under the impression from what I have read on various threads on the Forum and elsewhere that `Vented Batteries` have been in existence for Decades - long before We have had the facility to Order Car Batteries either over the Telephone or more recently Online - ?

Obviously Car Batteries do have to be delivered to Stores etc. in bulk / by Lorry - but NOT in the same way that Carriers transport them individually !

With regard to your comment about Car Batteries not being able to be `completely sealed` because of the `Sheer Physics of Expansion and Contraction`:

Contraction would not really be a factor with the contents of a Car Battery - and various types of `Vessels` can be Sealed as long as there is the facility to accommodate the Expansion of a Liquid or Gases within the Vessel - via a Space.

In the case of a Sealed Battery I would guess that any Expansion of the contents IS accommodated by a `Space` within the Battery.

My knowledge of Expansion of Liquids etc. comes from being a Building Services Engineer.

I look forward to Your and other Members further comments about these points.

Regards,

Chris

No I know the difference between the 6 top up plugs and the vent holes that are plugged with transit plugs. Where I am wrong is in calling them Sealed batteries, the correct term is Maintenance free.
I would not describe a Varta battery as an inferior battery, more a top end company.

"Hello again Chris",

You still are not addressing my MAIN point which is that I am assuming that when `We` / the Forum write about `Vented Car Batteries` - we are NOT describing the fact that some Car Batteries have to have Plugged Vents ONLY for Transit purposes - ?

From what I understand the Vented Batteries are supposed to be installed with the `Vent Plugs` [your term `Transit Plugs`] removed - do You think that the Plugs are to prevent Leakage from the Battery in Transit ? - IF they are for Transit purposes only what would be the point in removing them after the Battery had been transported and delivered without any Venting or Leakage problem ?

You could be correct in that some Car Batteries would possibly be so `Volatile` if thrown about [when thrown about !] while being delivered by a Carrier that what you describe as `Transit Plugs` have to be fitted in case of a build up of Gases / Expansion of Liquid / Acid - but as I think that these `Vented Batteries` have been in existence for decades longer than we have been able to Order Batteries to be delivered to our Homes etc. I doubt that this is the reason - ?

I cannot imagine that the possibility of a Discharge of Battery Acid in Transit would ever be allowed by ANY Carrier.

Perhaps some knowledgeable Members can cast some more light on this ?

With regard to Varta Batteries - I did not state that they were INFERIOR - Varta are probably `THE` best Car Battery Manufacturer [?] - I meant that ANY Manufacturers Vented Battery is probably of a lesser quality than a `Maintenance Free` / Sealed Battery and therefore less expensive.

I have a Bosch `Silver Technology` High Power Battery in my Xtrail - I think that I remember speculating that it was probably made by Varta in a previous thread about my Xtrail`s Battery - again from memory that Battery cost £116.99 [Reduced from £124.99] at Halfords - I know that this is a `Premium Price` from a Retailer but I wanted the Battery there and then.

Just for price comparison was Your Varta `Vented Battery` close to that price ?

I could have got a Varta Battery online at that time for about £85.00 [again from memory] - BUT it might have been a Vented Battery which I definitely will never want.

Regarding your comment on the correct term being `Maintenance Free` - You will see in some of my previous messages on this thread that I also know and use that correct term to describe the Sealed Batteries - I used the term `Sealed Batteries` in replies to You when We were debating whether a Battery could ever be `Sealed`.

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

"Hello All",

Just in case anyone is interested in the difference between `Normal` / Lead Acid Batteries and the Bosch `Silver `Batteries [Calcium Silver Alloy] the Silver range are described by Bosch in this statement:

QUOTE:

The new and enhanced Bosch Silver range has been developed in close association with all leading vehicle manufacturers, which has enabled the batteries to not only be engineered for today's vehicles, but to also meet the demands of future models. Older vehicles have not be forgotten - there is a Silver battery for these vehicles as well, ensuring that the aftermarket is well catered for.

The new Silver range, which continues to use Calcium Silver Alloy technology ensuring exceptional power output and longer-life, reflects a consolidation of the original Silver and the Silver Plus ranges into a much more manageable line-up. The new Bosch battery range has been consolidated into 27 part numbers with four high performance part numbers for prestige cars. The previous Silver and Silver Plus ranges had 32 part numbers covering slightly less applications.

In addition to the consolidation of part numbers, brand new batteries have also been added to the range including a monster 110Ah/850CCA for the new Range Rover, Audi A8, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.

The increasing expansion of under bonnet electronics required to power the in-car safety and convenience driving functions being demanded by motorists, means greater power and reliability is needed from the battery. Electrical problems are still the number one breakdown cause reported by the roadside rescue companies with many motorists neglecting battery checks. With a 20-30% increase in service life over conventional batteries, the new Bosch Silver range is aimed at assisting with the solution to this problem - no matter what type of vehicle.

The commercial vehicle battery range has also been updated with the development of the new Silver range. To keep up with recent changes in the CV market, Bosch has added two new part numbers to its popular Tecmaxx range to cater for the key continental manufactured trucks.

Bosch Tecmaxx batteries incorporate the very latest CV technology, performance and safety features and offer huge benefits and significant life-time cost saving in both maintenance and running costs.

END OF QUOTE

As I have been corresponding with Member Chrisuk regarding `Vented Batteries` and we mentioned Varta Batteries I should add that when I was looking for a Good Quality / High Power Battery for my Xtrail I suspected that the Bosch Sliver Plus Battery [780 AMP X 77 ah] was the same as the Varta E44 [780 AMP X 77ah] and I was guessing that the Bosch Batteries were probably manufactured by Varta ?

Regards,

Chris

 

[CHRISM]

If you google - Google images you can see that

Varta Blue (EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery))
Varta Silver (AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat))
Bosch silver S5 (appears to be Enhanced Flooded Battery)
Bosch silver S6 (AGM battery)

All are "Maintenance Free" none have the 6 distilled water top up ports. All have a small hole in the same place at the sides right at the very top. When mine arrived by courier these were blocked by tiny orange plugs. See photo.
The term "Maintenance Free" is used in different ways by different manufacturers. Most use it if there are no distilled water top up ports, some use the term only for their AGM batteries.

If cost were no object, and if I could find one with the right physical dimensions, the Bosch S6 would probably give the best performance. I compromised on the Varta Blue E23 as the price was only £65 delivered.

An interesting website:
http://batteryuniversity.com/
In particular this chapter on Lead acid batteries:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/arti ... _batteries

Photos attach, another to follow (seems a limit)

"Hello again Chris",

Thanks for posting further details about the Bosch Silver and Varta Batteries and also the links to the website.

I did quickly browse the website using both links tonight but I could not see any reference to `Calcium Silver Alloy` Batteries [Bosch Silver] - I may have missed this I will look again tomorrow.

When You started asking about replacing your Xtrail`s Battery I did post a message to You which detailed what had to be done to fit the Bosch Silver Battery or any 278mm Long Battery - regarding slightly altering the Battery Tray to accommodate the 278mm Length [just by cutting one end off] - BUT I was not sure about the Air Intake Duct on a Diesel Xtrail - whether it was across the Battery as it is on my Petrol Xtrail ?

I am sure that You have made a good choice with the Varta Battery - I hope that it lasts for many Years.

Thanks also to Umbongo for the PDF on the Bosch Silver Batteries - the picture shows that there is definitely no Plug to remove and that the Battery is designed to not be able to leak from anywhere.

Regards,

Chris