maxspeed5

Bought this ProStart "Premium" battery at Pepboys (seems this is the only brand they have). The salesman told me that it is the best they have. When I got it home my dad notice that it had 675 CCA which he thought was not that great, especially for $60. Should I return it and get something better?

ereet

I believe Optima's have around 800. I can't remember what CCA means, but I remember a graph or something comparing them to a regular battery, and the numbers were around the same. It doesn't help too much but it gives you an idea on how much % more (or better?) they have/are.

It should keep your car running pretty long like any battery, just don't expect it to shoot out mad power if you're cranking a big stereo system.

dvyuan

I think you should return in, that's not much reserves for a battery. Youc an get a Die Hard with about 1000 CCA around 90 bucks or so. The Optima batteries are actuall in the 1200 CCA range. I think the stock battery in our cars have 700 CCA.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

CCA means Cold Cranking Amperage. I don't think it refers to the amount of reserves it has.

Shingles

Optimas are not in the 1200. Stock battery is probably not going to be 7xx. Optimas, the most powerful on I've seen is 925, and my yellow top is in the 800s.

Car only calls for something in the 300s. 1000CCA is hard to come by and is not common.

-Shing

[Edited by shingles on 01-19-2001 at 04:20 PM]

CFster

wtf would you want 1000 cca for? We put those in our tow trucks.

Johnny

A good rule is if it's at least $29 it's better than what came from the factory, and I'm not joking. Only prob is the Wal-Mart $29 battery doesn't come in group 35. WTF I've had to buy 2 gallons of distilled water and twist off filler caps, c'mon Nissan.

Monkey Wards got busted fooling around with those CCA numbers because they tested them in GA or somewhere down south. Don't worry too much about those numbers. Seriously, it's better than what you had.

Eric L.

No no...the stock battery is 325CCA (or was it 375CCA). At least on the 4th gen Maximas. Pretty weak, but when the stock battery was still holding charge, 375CCA is all you need to start the car. Funny thing is that the Altima comes with a 550CCA battery. I think since the Maxima is made in Japan, it comes with a different battery. My stock battery which failed the bench test (although it still started just fine) after 3.5 years, was made by Hitachi.

So 675CCA is plenty powerful, way more than you need, to start the car. I guess if you want a 1000CCA that will probably murder the starter each time you start the car(think about it...all that current, even though you only need around 1/3 of that to start the car).

maxspeed5

Thanks. I guess I will keep this one -- at least it has a 24 month full replacement and the stock one I have has treated the car well for 113,000 miles...

MaxMan2010

I'm looking for a replacement battery for my 2010 Maxima SV & Advanced Auto Parts has two versions & I'm not sure which one to get. The price difference is only $5 and the options are:

a) AutoCraft Gold Battery, Group Size 24F, 700 Cold Cranking Amps (CCA)
b) AutoCraft Gold Battery, Group Size 35, 640 CCA

I don't know which one is best and I don't have PepBoys near me & Sears is too far away, so any help would be appreciated sincerely!

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

CA(cranking amps) is measure at 32 degrees and CCA is measured at 0 degrees. The more CCA a battery has USUALLY means the less reserve power it has. Optima designs batteries for specific purposes. The yellow top is meant for a high accessory loads, IE a high RMS sound system whereas the red top is meant for high CCA amps usually for V8's or cold climate operation. I believe for 4th gens we get group 15 batteries.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

The Maxima specifications call for a group 35 battery. Go with that.

If you measure a group 35 battery and compare those measurements to other battery groups, you may be able to use one of those. You would hve to know how much extra space the battery tray has, how much extra height, etc.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

35 sounds right lol, I knew it ended in a 5 thats about it. Long time since I bought my yellow top

blackice0123

To clarify some misinformation from various repliers, not just you Eric L...

1. The battery is only designed to start the engine. The alternator is supposed to supply the energy needed to run the engine and stock accessories once the engine is running.

2. The cold cranking amps indicates how much current the battery can provide to the starter when the vehicle has sat for a while and become cold again. Usually from 1 hour to a few hours depending on environment.

3. If the starter draws for example 500 amps and the battery has a rating of 1000 CCA, it will not put more stress on the starter. The starter will only draw what it needs. However starters tend to draw more current as they age and become worn out.

4. I haven't looked up the stock battery CCA for a 4th gen maxima, but my battery has a Nissan sticker on it and I think it says approximately 550 CCA, which is a base point I would start with in a general since. Optima batteries are over-rated for normal use, but can be beneficial when using extra accessories such as an upgraded stereo with amp and subs, etc.

5. Since we're on the stereo subject, let me say that if you install an amp and subs without upgrading your alternator, then you will likely shorten the life of your battery because the alternator is designed to run factory options and the engine with just a bit more output to simply maintain the power lost from the battery during starting cycles.

No matter how big of a battery you install, you shouldn't rely on it to power extra loads like stereos and such.

I work at a parts house and we have regular customers who own taxi cab fleets. They're always coming in for replacement batteries. Every time I see their engine bays, they have extra wires hooked directly to the battery to run their clocking systems, 2-way radios and various things that draw more power than the alternator is designed for. Now, we simply deny them warranty replacement unless they either buy an upgraded alternator and/or show proof that one has been installed. Because they cost our company lots of money in free replacement warranties. I had to deny a private customer a replacement the other day because they bought an optima red top and killed it with a bad alternator. They got a new alt installed and we were happy to replace the battery.

6. Another kind of battery called a Deep cycle battery is made to have a constant drain on them like a fishing boat trolling motor. That's why you'll kill a starting battery if your alt is bad.

I know this was long -winded but I hope it helps everyone understand the basics so their cars run better for longer.

MaxFiyah

i got the red top optima battery 35 and i think it only has 735 or 740 cca which i thought was low comparing to the duralast which has 750 but it was alot heavier and my car ate 2 of those in 3 years so i decided to get the optima i got it for 150 at advance auto on sale seems too be good so far

MaxMan2010

Thanks everyone for your help. I ended up getting a battery from Costco & it worked like a charm.