Just bought one from Menard's. On sale now for $75. Exact fit with no modifications. Has the holes for the original equipment vent trap and requires no spacer for the hold down strap. Near carbon copy of performance specs of OE Varta. Mine had a shipping date of this month so they are fresh. If you are contemplating a battery purchase this is a great route to go. Even the cheap Wal-Mart brand was $100+ locally. the auto parts stores are over $150. You will need to transfer over the positive battery red cover from the old one.
So if you have a Menard's nearby......

 

Make sure the plug that is hard to see is installed in the hole at the opposite end of the battery to the vent trap, or fluid will/may escape and eat the steel and vacuum hose under the battery.

Not to be a Debbie Downer but batteries on sale can be batteries that have hung around a bit and are not so fresh. If they have a sticker(s) on them it is often the date they were last recharged. Most or many have a molded in date on the case and this is the manufacturing date.
Whatever, $75 is good a price either way.

 

Checked......factory plugged on one end, open for vent trap on the other. I looked through the 4 batteries they had. 3 of them had the shipped date of this month. The other was from last April. I didn't write down the molded in numbers off the case so don't know the actual manufacture date, might look later if I get bored. I'm thinking they are phasing out this style battery in favor of the AGM style and when they are gone you are out of luck unless you have a spare $170 laying around. For that money i would probably spend a bit more and get a Braille.

 

What size group is your replacement battery from Menards? No Menards close by but good for future reference.

 

Could you post a picture of the plug and where it is supposed to be plugged into as well as a picture of the vent trap? I'm a bit confused about this. Will be something I am going to check out after I know what I'm looking for. Haven't replaced the battery yet since buying the car from the guy before me who had just bought a brand new Varta battery when I purchased the vehicle. Thanks!

 

L3/48/H6 commonly referred to as a Group 48 under the soon to be obsolete reference. When you lookat this batteries spec sheet on the Exide page you must select the motor in cubic inches rather than liters or you get nothing.
I can take some pics but the batteries already installed so not much detail.

Exide Technologies Online Parts Catalog

 

Menards ad: battery pictured is close but not exact.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-ha...842-c-9100.htm

 

Here is the vent trap, the plug is basically just a push fit into the identical hole at the other end of the battery. It is just about ø3/16" x 3/16 long.

 

WOW so that "plastic bar" is what I am looking for? I don't see that anywhere on my battery. I'm going to go so far as to say that is not part of my engine bay! Is that possible? Where does it plug into? The platform the battery sits on top of?

 

It is just a hollow plastic 'box' with a little tube that plugs into one of the battery vent holes, any escaping fluids or fumes settle inside and eventually evaporate. It does not plug into any thing else.

 

if your battery is not vented but sealed you wont need that ? Right ?

 

Gotcha! I was surprised at first but know exactly what you are talking about now!
I actually have that plugged in but thought it's part of that particular Varta battery!

I think a sealed battery does not require that or at least there wouldn't be a hole to plug that in!

 

Had my car out tonite and took a quick pic of the battery. The plug is the red dot in the upper left hand corner of the pic.
As 180 states, the vent goes in the front of the battery, opposite from the plug.
If your battery has no holes, I guess I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Went to Menards and bought a battery, It was manufactured in August and shipped in September . Great deal. Thanks Wes__Hutchinson.

 

I bit the bullet and bought an AGM from Autozone for about $170. Yes, pricey. But I had a recurring problem with the vented oem battery leaking fluid and it was starting to eat the steel. And, yes, I tried both the hose and the trap and it still happened. So fingers crossed that the sealed battery does the trick.

 

should have bought on line & pick up at store they have many promo codes good for 25 to 50 percent off ! That's how I bought last three batteries ! Wont buy at store any more just buy on line & pick up at store save plenty that way !!!

 

You could not give me an Exide battery I worked for 13 years in Industral batteries their automotive batteries are JUNK buy an Agm BATTERY TYPE SEVERAL COMPANIES MAKE THEM THEY DONT VENT.

 

The original equipment battery in your crossfire was a European variant of Exide. I don't disagree with your sentiments concerning VRLA batteries but why stop halfway? Get a Braille and save a bunch of weight and never have the chance of liquid escaping the battery. AGM and gel batteries do contain liquid and as long as the internal valving doesn't malfunction the acid won't leave the battery in non intended ways.

 

The AGM battyery contains the acid as a flooded battery but no separater as the acid is contained in the fiberglass mat so the Ion transfer is instant since no micro porues separater.

 

Exide makes Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart batteries. They are in bankruptcy protection.

Johnson Controls is the parent company of Varta when I last checked.

The lighter the battery the less capacity the battery has, these lightweight batteries do not last too long, when it comes to lead acid batteries weight (lead) is everything.