I have seen these mentioned in several of the searched threads
for battery replacement. I have not seen any mentions of how
they’ve lasted over the long haul - anybody want to comment
that has used one for a long time?
Bottom line question: Is the Odyssey worth the premium in
price over the standard parts store ‘vented’ battery?
Side note: I’ve had two o’reilly brand batteries in it in the
two years. However, the last one probably wasn’t a fair test
because I was in hospital 5 weeks and it has sat for month or
more periods in between driving. Just found my trickle
charger yesterday (after I ordered one).–
94 XJS 4.0L 2+2 Convertible
KS, United States
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// please trim quoted text to context only
Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
2
Bottom line question: Is the Odyssey worth the premium in
price over the standard parts store ‘vented’ battery?
Are you talking about Optima batteries?
If so, I’d have to say that the general consensus isn’t all that
good. They’re still perhaps the best battery you can buy, but not by
enough to justify the cost.
In fact, I’ve had a few mechs tell me that the BEST cost/benefit you
can get in batteries is with a CHEAP battery, even a “rebuilt”
battery. They’ll typically last half as long as an Optima but cost
1/4 as much! But going that route results in twice as many times
trying to hop in the car and go only to find the battery needs to be
replaced.
But besides the cost/benefit analysis, an XJ-S owner also must
consider the venting issue. You don’t want a battery venting inside
the trunk. Jaguar solved this with a fancy vent collection manifold
and a hose out the bottom of the trunk, but many owners have never
seen that thing – some PO tossed it long before they got the car.
And it requires making sure the manifold will actually fit the new
battery.
But things have gotten better, apparently because several other car
companies have taken to putting the battery in the trunk or someplace
similar. So it’s actually not too difficult to buy a regular,
reasonably-priced lead/acid battery that has vents that you can
connect hoses to and route out the bottom of the car. So you don’t
HAVE to buy an Optima to deal with venting issues.
– Kirbert
// please trim quoted text to context onlyOn 7 Apr 2013 at 14:13, TexChappy wrote:
Wow! They’re certainly proud of their batteries! Brass terminal
posts don’t impress me, though, and neither does their blurb about
more plates w/ more surface area. Here in FL, where cold starting
isn’t a serious problem, batteries have been going AWAY from the max
CCA/max surface area/max number of plates idea for some time because
the end result is lots of thin plates that A) can fracture when you
drive down a dirt road with too much enthusiasm, and B) can short out
against one another after many charging cycles because the charging
doesn’t always redeposit the metal flat, it can build up little peaks
and valleys. So around here the wise battery purchaser looks for a
battery in which the plates are stout, firmly mounted in the casing,
and a reasonable distance apart. Yeah, you don’t get the impressive
CCA numbers that way, but you do get a battery that lasts a long,
long time.
– Kirbert
// please trim quoted text to context onlyOn 7 Apr 2013 at 18:47, TexChappy wrote:
In reply to a message from TexChappy sent Sun 7 Apr 2013:
I had an Interstate batteries in my wife’s 99 XJ8L for 8 years and
just did replace it this past November with a Bosch which does have
the vent connections. Hope it last as long. My XJS has a Bosch in
it installed by a previous owner. It has drained flat twice after
sitting for three (recharged over night)and again in two weeks.
Now I am thinking I should have stayed with the Interstate in my
wife’s car. I will be replacing the 4 year old Bosch with an
Interstate in my XJS this summer.–
The original message included these comments:
I have seen these mentioned in several of the searched threads
for battery replacement. I have not seen any mentions of how
they’ve lasted over the long haul - anybody want to comment
that has used one for a long time?
Went with a Duralast Gold with the vent. When my whitworth
socket and wrench gets here in a couple of days then I’ll hook
up the Battery Tender ring leads so I can keep the charger on
it when it sits for a bit. Probably should go look up how to
see if it’s developed a parasitic draw. I knew how to do it
once upon a time but it’s left the old memory bank.–
94 XJS 4.0L 2+2 Convertible
KS, United States
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In reply to a message from TexChappy sent Mon 8 Apr 2013:
I’ve found, through bitter experience, that batteries on
seldom used vehicles don’t benefit from being top of the
line or expensive.
Just buy a regular brand name battery that will fit. Here is
the important bit though: ensure it’s kept charged and
watered, if using a conventional battery.
Personally, I’ve found the maintenance free/sealed lead acid
batteries are the best from a dollar invested/lifespan
standpoint.–
Andrew. XJS project. http://jaguarxjsresto.blogspot.com.au/
Canberra, Australia
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