Varta battery
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 14,599
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From: IN
Re: Varta battery
Yours succumbed to the cold; mine succumbed to the heat....... I think. Maybe my tender faulted and overcharged it? Not sure. What do you guys think? I removed it a couple of weeks ago to do some other work and discovered this. Here are a couple of pic.'s of it. Sorry for the crappy shots, but what it's showing is significant bulging on both sides of the long walls. It's been on the shelf for this couple of weeks and still has a full charge, but I'm afraid of it now. 
I'll be wrapping the next batt. in a heat reflecting material kit I got from DEI.
I'll be wrapping the next batt. in a heat reflecting material kit I got from DEI.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,432
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From: Ontario
Re: Varta battery
When you race Dave 30lbs could be a 1/10 of a second. The battery is the cheapest investment I have made searching for those 1/10th's as others addicted to drag racing will tell you. Why would they even make these batteries Dave. There must be a demand for them. lol. They now have lithium racing batteries. There cost is 4 figures. Used in all kinds of racing machines. They have a 4 lb battery. Does the same thing. So a guy like you Dave probably will never understand. Always looking for that next mod. Always looking to cut a 1/10th off at a time.
I will do you one better Dave. Add up those mods listed in my sig times two. You could own another SRT 6 Dave. Do you really think buying a battery is a big cost to me? And even with all that it will run with cars that bring 6 figures. So it's worth it to me regardless of what others think.
I will do you one better Dave. Add up those mods listed in my sig times two. You could own another SRT 6 Dave. Do you really think buying a battery is a big cost to me? And even with all that it will run with cars that bring 6 figures. So it's worth it to me regardless of what others think.
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Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Londonderry, N.H.
Re: Varta battery
LOL
I learned my lesson when a battery that had coughed once before and then suddenly died around midnight on a cold snowy Saturday. I never let my batteries get past five years these days, it was three or four years once but the batteries are much better now.
My '04 made Varta sits on the garage shelf all charged up and nowhere to go.
With the age of some of these batteries I would open the six caps on the top of them and refill with distilled water up to the bottom of the hole, batteries don't like the plates exposed.
I learned my lesson when a battery that had coughed once before and then suddenly died around midnight on a cold snowy Saturday. I never let my batteries get past five years these days, it was three or four years once but the batteries are much better now.
My '04 made Varta sits on the garage shelf all charged up and nowhere to go.
With the age of some of these batteries I would open the six caps on the top of them and refill with distilled water up to the bottom of the hole, batteries don't like the plates exposed.
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From: Londonderry, N.H.
Re: Varta battery
That was my thought as well, but want to be sure before adding distiled water - the highest mark is about even with the bottom of the filler caps.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,432
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From: Ontario
Re: Varta battery
The vent holes should have a plug in at the firewall end and have a catch basin whatsit on the other end.
- Check the water level every couple of months. It should be just touching the bottom of the refill hole.
- Refill the battery, when needed, with distilled water. Don't use tap water, which produces corrosion on the terminals.
- Don't overfill the cells. Just to the bottom of the refill hole is perfect.
Last edited by onehundred80; Feb 14, 2013 at 02:36 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 14,599
Likes: 34
From: IN
Re: Varta battery
Every thing you find to lighten up you do without ruining the car. At least I do. I don't remove the seats or go to other extremes. The little battery for me frees up some space for another mod we will add later this spring once we do some data logging. Or I probably wouldn't have bothered. But these cars are very voltage sensitive. So whatever battery you chose. Chose a good one.
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: BC Canada
Re: Varta battery
Thank's to 180 for the heads up on a replacment battery,seems I will need one.
Since the last time, and even with extra running time my original Varta has given up the ghost,only two feeble cranks and then the tell tale click click click from the starter relay. I still am trying to charge up the Varta but after 3 days on 2 amp trickle ,and 6 hours on 12 amp charge I can only get 5 cells to fair on my hydrometer . Go figure one end cell is reading basically water but my multi meter showes voltage at 13 .6 volts
Cheers
Mongoose57
Since the last time, and even with extra running time my original Varta has given up the ghost,only two feeble cranks and then the tell tale click click click from the starter relay. I still am trying to charge up the Varta but after 3 days on 2 amp trickle ,and 6 hours on 12 amp charge I can only get 5 cells to fair on my hydrometer . Go figure one end cell is reading basically water but my multi meter showes voltage at 13 .6 volts
Cheers
Mongoose57
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Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Londonderry, N.H.
Re: Varta battery
You fill to the bottom of the hole, that allows some air gap between the top of the fluid and the top of the case. too much and it will leak out the vent holes and you do not want that on your car.
The vent holes should have a plug in at the firewall end and have a catch basin whatsit on the other end.
The vent holes should have a plug in at the firewall end and have a catch basin whatsit on the other end.
- Check the water level every couple of months. It should be just touching the bottom of the refill hole.
- Refill the battery, when needed, with distilled water. Don't use tap water, which produces corrosion on the terminals.
- Don't overfill the cells. Just to the bottom of the refill hole is perfect.
Thanks again..Steve
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: BC Canada
Re: Varta battery
Well since I now need a battery I have been looking at lightweight VS standard, my calculations show that if waight savings were 30 lbs then on a 3,100 pound car running 14.6 in the 1/4 then you mathematically get 1.4 tenths or just over 2 HP. Well you have to ask your self if that increase is enoughf to warent the possible headaches ? I live in the Pacific North west, and most of the time in the winter it averages out to 3 c / 37.4 f so the 64 million dollar question is, Is this to cold for a lightweight that sits most of the winter and gets only weekly start ups Also note that the 06 service manuals state that @35 mili amp parasitic draw that 20 days may be enoughf to inhibit start in a battery that is not in top shape.
Cheers
Mongoose57
Cheers
Mongoose57
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 8
From: Mendocino, CA
Re: Varta battery
Well since I now need a battery I have been looking at lightweight VS standard, my calculations show that if waight savings were 30 lbs then on a 3,100 pound car running 14.6 in the 1/4 then you mathematically get 1.4 tenths or just over 2 HP. Well you have to ask your self if that increase is enoughf to warent the possible headaches ? I live in the Pacific North west, and most of the time in the winter it averages out to 3 c / 37.4 f so the 64 million dollar question is, Is this to cold for a lightweight that sits most of the winter and gets only weekly start ups Also note that the 06 service manuals state that @35 mili amp parasitic draw that 20 days may be enoughf to inhibit start in a battery that is not in top shape.
Cheers
Mongoose57
Cheers
Mongoose57
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Santa Fe, Texas
Re: Varta battery
Lots of info about batteries but has anyone bought or tried to buy a new Varta to replace the old one? If so, who do you contact to order one. My 06 Limited Roadster is still on the original and it is working fine. But, it's now six years old and you can't let them go too long. I've only got 26,000 miles on it,.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,920
Likes: 25
From: Spacecoast, Florida
Re: Varta battery
Here's link to my post. Vartas are only sold in Europe but Johnson Control makes the equivalent battery here in the states under a couple of different brands.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post728050
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post728050
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Harrisburg, IL
Re: Varta battery
Thank's to 180 for the heads up on a replacment battery,seems I will need one.
Since the last time, and even with extra running time my original Varta has given up the ghost,only two feeble cranks and then the tell tale click click click from the starter relay. I still am trying to charge up the Varta but after 3 days on 2 amp trickle ,and 6 hours on 12 amp charge I can only get 5 cells to fair on my hydrometer . Go figure one end cell is reading basically water but my multi meter showes voltage at 13 .6 volts
Cheers
Mongoose57
Since the last time, and even with extra running time my original Varta has given up the ghost,only two feeble cranks and then the tell tale click click click from the starter relay. I still am trying to charge up the Varta but after 3 days on 2 amp trickle ,and 6 hours on 12 amp charge I can only get 5 cells to fair on my hydrometer . Go figure one end cell is reading basically water but my multi meter showes voltage at 13 .6 volts
Cheers
Mongoose57
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