# Recommended battery



## Guest (Jan 29, 2003)

Hey everyone,

I need some information on what battery is SPECIFICALLY recommended for my car. I wish my owner's manual would give me the recommended battery but it doesn't. I can't find this simple piece of information on my car anywhere on the Net and so you guys are my last hope! 

I have a 1989 Nissan Sentra (4-cylinder, two door) and I been to another website and it says I should get a new battery based on the voltage output of my vehicle's charging system. The problem is, I don't know what that is!!! Also, it says the second most important consideration is that the battery's CCA rating meets or slightly exceeds, my car's OEM cranking requirement. Again, I don't know what this is!!! And, lastly, the last consideration is the RC (Reserve Capacity) and it says that "more RC is better in every case!" 

I asked the guy at PepBoys which one I should get and he tells me I should get either a $70 Energizer or the $55 ProStart Premium. The guy at Sears said I can go with his $60 DieHard Silver (Group 35). How do I even know if these are the right ones? I don't plan on keeping this car for much longer, even though it only has 61,000 miles on it (I know, I know), so I just want the cheapest, simplist battery out there. But, I don't want to get a battery that is wrong for my car. I know these guys just punched it into their computers and the computer is going to spit out a battery that is the most expensive. I just want the battery recommended for my car, that's it!!! 

In case this helps, the battery I have now in my car was bought five years ago from PepBoys...a ProStart Plus for $59.99 and from what the guy at PepBoys told me, it was 450 to 500 CCA's! Don't know if that is right or not!

As for weather conditions, it only gets to be about 95 degrees here at the hottest but this winter, it's been 0 degrees for the last couple of days, and so I guess the age of my battery plus the weather had something to do with my dead battery (the white fluffy deposits on the battery should have been a clue to me last summer that the battery was dying, eh?) 

Any help from anyone out there is greatly appreciated! If you have the EXACT recommendation from the guys at Nissan as to what battery I am suppose to get for my '89 Sentra, please reply! 

Thanks!


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2003)

It doesn't matter. If the battery fits, it'll work. The more you pay, usually means the higher quality it is. Ask for a Gel Cell if you want the absolute best. They're usually right around $150, and they are AWESOME. 800cca, 1000ca, totally sealed, you could mount them upside down if you needed to. And being totally sealed means your corrosion problems go away. Very sweet.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2003)

I wish I had known about the gel cell when I bought my new one, not that I had that kind of money when I needed one.
I bought a Die Hard instead and it just survived using the lights, heater fan, wipers, and radio during my daily run to and from work for what I am figuring was about three days....about 10 miles each way when my altenator was down and it was below freezing at the time so I'll give props to them making a darn good battery and it only goes for about 
$65.


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

DNYC said:


> *Hey everyone,
> 
> I need some information on what battery is SPECIFICALLY recommended for my car. *


 It's not as complicated as you make it sound. Get another group 35 battery at WalMart. They usually have the "Economy" series battery for $39.99. That's what I would do. I know your not looking for a gell cell battery. BTW, have you seen this thread? http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10842


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2003)

*But...*

Thank you to all who replied, I really do appreciate it. I mean, call me stupid, but what I'm really looking for is what exact battery I'm suppose to get for my car. 

I called a Nissan parts place today and the guy didn't even want to tell me what group battery I'm suppose to get or what CCA I'm suppose to have for my '89 Nissan Sentra. All he told me was, "Just tell whatever auto store you go to the make, model, and year of your car and they will tell you all that information." Then he tells me he has a battery for me for $76.99 (yeah, right, you can take that battery and...umm, nevermind). 

Anyway, it's not like PepBoys is going to just let me go there and look in their computer to see what battery I'm suppose to get because then I would be armed with knowledge to buy their cheapest battery there! They did have a battery there for $43 and I would get that if I knew that was the right battery for my car! Everyone is out for a buck and I'm with you, Blownb310, I am a cheapskate!!! I'm not planning on keeping this car much longer and I don't want to spend all this money on a battery. The cheaper, the better. 

So, if ANYONE out there has the info on what battery is SPECIFICALLY recommended for my '89 Nissan Sentra (as far as recommended voltage output of my vehicle's charging system, recommended CCA rating that meets or slightly exceeds, my car's OEM cranking requirement and recommened RC [Reserve Capacity]), please write back! 

Thanks!


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2003)

Wal-Mart has a computer that you can use to lookup what kind of battery you want. 
As for specific battery you need. It needs to be 12v and 200cca, though I'd bet you could get away with 150cca. Granted, I've never seen a battery that small, but you wanted specifics. According to my manual, the engine needs 60amps to crank over.. Reserve capacity is useless information.


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## Centurion (Sep 5, 2002)

You're stressing out WAY too much over this. Your battery is a group 35. Go to Wal Mart and pick one up for $29.99. If you still need reassurance, you can play with their battery finder computer. Or, go to your favorite car parts place and tell them you want the cheapest group 35 battery. Don't worry about CCA and RC numbers; it will automatically at least meet your car's minimum requirements.


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

Centurian,
I loooove your avatar! [lol]!


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## rice rocket (soon) (Oct 28, 2002)

i feel like that every time i have to work on my car


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## LittlebittaContact (Oct 12, 2002)

Centurion said:


> * Your battery is a group 35. Go to Wal Mart and pick one up for $29.99. *



Ok, you guys are driving me crazy with this wallmart battery stuff, would you goto kmart to buy a GOOD stero?? Go to an autoparts store for autoparts. Those 29.99 batterys are junk, they are usually remanufactured batterys.
You want to stick with a battery from a KNOWN company like JCI, JCI Makes OEM batterys for Motorcraft, Energizer (its not the Same Energizer you're thinking of) and OPTIMA

Optima is NOT a Gel Cell Battery, its called an Absorbed glass mat, where the Electrolyte is soaked into a glass mat, and then rolled up into the coils you see in the optima batterys. Just a Little FYI




> _Origionally posted by UnaClocker_
> *It doesn't matter. If the battery fits, it'll work. *


THis is not true even a Little BIT! (Wouldn't a Geo Metro Battery with 450CCA's fit into a Ford Excursion that requires at LEAST a 650 CCA Battery?!?) Just because it fits, does NOT mean it will work. If you take a battery that was reccommended for a Ford festiva, stick shift, no A/C and put it into a Caddillac with power everything, Load leveling suspension and a Navagation system, what do you thing would happen?


I am a Manager of a Parts Department and I See this all the time, where somone dosent want to spend an extra 20 dollars for a good battery, and we see them back the first time we get a few days of below freezing weather.

Im not trying to say everyone here is wrong (well yes, i am) but I see the same story every single day and this is how it goes...

" Want the cheapest battery i can get for a....(pick a car)."

So spend a little extra money on your car, i mean, Dosent it take you to work/school/Over to your girlfriends house , would hate to see any of you miss an oppertunity like that!


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## rice rocket (soon) (Oct 28, 2002)

very good and valid point 
and yes i would buy a stereo for kmart to help them out finacialy


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## Centurion (Sep 5, 2002)

LittlebittaContact said:


> *Those 29.99 batterys are junk, they are usually remanufactured batterys.
> *


The man wants a cheap battery b/c he isn't keeping the car, so it is sound advice to get a $29.99 battery--unless he's a millionaire. I have one in another car and it is good, and it has a decent warranty. Plus as a parts guy you should know that a Wal Mart battery is made by a well known company. And no, they are not "remanufactured." There is no such thing as a "remanufactured" battery.


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## LittlebittaContact (Oct 12, 2002)

Sorry i should have clarified, reman batterys, i think they are just where they cut the tops off the old bad batterys and reuse the plates. (i dont know how it works but i know they are out there) Somone told me Penske Does it.

and K-Mart steros suck!  Boo Rampage

And when he says 'Not Much Longer' its very general, so he could be keeping it until the end of the month/year or whatever. Either way you look at it, As a Parts Manager i always try to get my customer into a Good Product. 

I Wouldnt trust an EconoStart or anything with a dum name

I Guess its like the difference between Puffed Corn and Corn Pops, you know? They both are OK, but one is just better.

I Dont want to mislead anyone but i want to tell everyone my expierences when people buy these throwaway batterys.

Another option is if the battery isnt completely dead, Buy an OPTIMA Battery, but pay the core deposit, and keep the old battery, when you sell it, put the old one back in and keep the OPTIMA for your new car.

Hope this Clears things up a little.


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## rice rocket (soon) (Oct 28, 2002)

man i haven't been to michbigon in years it's a good place as long as you drive fast


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## LittlebittaContact (Oct 12, 2002)

Oh, and AS a parts guy, i dont even LOOK at wal-mart batterys because i dont believe in them... Im a firm believer in buying food from a grocery store, Computers from a computer store and auto parts from an autoparts store. 

And im not a millionaire.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2003)

LittlebittaContact said:


> THis is not true even a Little BIT! (Wouldn't a Geo Metro Battery with 450CCA's fit into a Ford Excursion that requires at LEAST a 650 CCA Battery?!?) Just because it fits, does NOT mean it will work. If you take a battery that was reccommended for a Ford festiva, stick shift, no A/C and put it into a Caddillac with power everything, Load leveling suspension and a Navagation system, what do you thing would happen?
> [/B]


Funny, I thought this was the Sentra B11/B12 forum, not the Cadillac/Excursion forum. What I said about any battery will work applies to the cars covered by this forum. And generally, I meant the biggest you can fit in there and still get the hood closed, not the other way around.


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## LittlebittaContact (Oct 12, 2002)

What i read was " If it fits it will work", but that isnt true.

And i used that comparison as an example.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2003)

LittlebittaContact said:


> *What i read was " If it fits it will work", but that isnt true.
> 
> And i used that comparison as an example.  *


It IS true. If it will fit in a Sentra, and is 12v, as I also said in that thread, it will work! These little cars have gear reduction starters, they only need 60amps to start! As long as it's a car battery and not a tractor or motorcycle battery...


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## LittlebittaContact (Oct 12, 2002)

I dont want anyone to get the wrong impression on a battery. There is a reason there are around 85-100 different styles of car battery instead of one battery on your autostore shelves.

Sizes/Cold Cranking Amps/Cranking Amps/Reserve Capacity.

I Understand our cars dont use alot of power, but this rule of "anything that fits" is a bad tip. There ARE car batterys out there that put out a MAX of 450CCA's, and if that one fits, and is the cheapest one on the shelf, it would be a great battery.....


...for a few weeks


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2003)

I think the 450cca batteries are more of a problem for people that can't remember to turn off their lights. Every time you deep cycle (as in drain completely, and then have to recharge/jump start) a normal automotive battery, you DOUBLE the internal resistance. Double the internal resistance, and you cut the CCA IN HALF.  So that 450cca quickly drops down to 225cca. I don't think it doubles every time, just the first time, because I've seen batteries deep cycled 10-15 times, and that wouldn't be enough to start a dirt bike at that point.. But anyways, if your not responsible enough to turn off your lights, you might be better off with a marine deep cycle battery, which is designed with you in mind. heh.. 
(Man this thread is way too long for a simple battery question)


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2003)

*Thanks everybody! FYI...*

I just want to thank everyone for their input on this very confusing subject. After reading what you all wrote, it makes sense, each and every one of your opinions. I think I'm more confused now than the day I wrote my original post! 

Besides writing to say "thanks," I also wanted to share one last "update," if you want to call it that.

I wrote to my local Nissan dealer to get their take on all this. (I know, I know, I know...but I'm picky! I wanted a definitive answer on this, once and for all!)

A guy from Nissan called back to tell me that 525 CCA was the recommendation. When I pressed him for more information, he just said, "All I'm telling you is 525 CCA." So, take that for what it is worth. Thanks Nissan!!!  

Well, take care everybody...I'll try to check in once and awhile to see if I can help answer someone else's question.


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2003)

I like their answer, and the way they handled that. That's well done.


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