Can you recommend or warn against this battery?

[HMG1K]

I'm about to buy a new battery for my V6 - and after rulling out the Halfords ones with Startup Power: Amps 550 and AH Value: 68 (which I take it is better than the OEM fit), I've narrowed it down to a ABX battery with AGM technology.

Anyone had any experience or can give feedback on this make / battery please?

http://www.performancebatteries.co.uk/ABXAGM

It comes with:

* Power 75
* Cold cranking 750

* 5 Year Warranty
* 50% More Starting Power
* 100% Maintenance Free
* Extremely Vibration - Proof
* 2 X More Durability Than Conventional Batteries

Length x Width x Height 260mm x 172mm x 220mm

I've an amp, CD changer, graphic equalizer, stereo, tracker, alarm, amp - the usual and I do shorter journeys so I'm thinking the bigger the power the better to replace my original fitt battery.

I've rulled out the Optima Yellow-Top because the warranty is a year or two.

Thanks in advance. :scholar:

[elnevio]

You should have no problems with the current draw on that battery, and you can't go far wrong with a 5-year warranty I guess! Not had any experience with them, but you might just want to double-check the battery dimensions with your current battery - from memory, the height looks taller than standard, and the battery is fairly close to the bonnet anyway - don't want to shut it and find that you've just put a big dent in it!

[HMG1K]

From memory, the height looks taller than standard, and the battery is fairly close to the bonnet anyway - don't want to shut it and find that you've just put a big dent in it!

Good production point! Thank you with the height, etc - will get my tape measure out when I get home! :happy:

[chris g]

Like shutting the tail-gate and having the glass pop out/smash as it hits the corners of your load....

Not happened to me yet but fitting something and then having problems...

...a little embarrassing

[HMG1K]

Ok, measured up and the height of this new battery is taller than the standard fit - however this new battery's height x width x depth match the two batteries that Halfords sell and say fit our cars.

Anyone had experience with the Halford batteries?

[elnevio]

How much difference in height?

[dickytim]

interesting on the Optima's, I would have looked at a red top for your application anyway, unless you sit there listening to the radio with the engine off for a prolonged period, i.e. 30-40 min.

But over here they now have a 3 year warranty, oh and they fit fine hight wise, they are a squeeze width tho, but I have a cuircut breaker in the way of mine.

looking at the specs of the battery and as mentioned earlier with a 5 year warranty it seems to be the way to go.

[HMG1K]

How much difference in height?

At the moment my OEM is 200mm high...

It's 215mm to the tip of the long screw rod clamping bracket that keeps the battery in place.

This AGM battery is 5mm taller at 220.

It looks as though it can fit.

I guess I'll have to get the all clear from PerformanceBatteries tomorrow when I call them and hope it fits.

[SGHOM]

I need a new battery /Grrr got a spare one in the shed...... no idea what It's from, but I'll make it fit :pimp2: :afro:

see..... I do look after my car... carefully :thinking: :speechles

[HMG1K]

Ok, here's the update - just ordered this AGM battery. Turns out the height quoted on the website os the overall height, including the terminals! I didn't suss that one out originally! /pan

It'll fit then - just ordered and will be with me between 9 and 5 tomorrow. :happy:

A great price for a 250 MORE cranking rate over the high performance Halfords version and a 2-year LONGER warranty than the Halfords model for £35 more. At least I know I'll get the full 5 years use out of it.

Thanks for all your feedback on this thread.

[valleyforge1]

I got one from the Toyota factory Nr Derby when I used to deliver "Coolant" for the Corolla.

That fits the Galant.

[HMG1K]

Just to update and 'close' this thread - I took delivery of the AGM battery this lunchtime and fitted it.

The size of the battery - Length x Width x Height 260mm x 172mm x 220mm - is the maximum the battery tray on a UK Galant can hold! It's a snug fit with not a millimeter to spare all round. So for future reference, this is the max size and the height is to the top of the terminal posts.

I've noticed my 6w Philips Blue Vision side lights are far, far brighter on this new 750 cold crank unit that the original Mitsubishi battery ever was (and I thought the sides were great when I upgraded them earlier this year!)

So far it's £129 well spent, 5 year warranty, car starts instantly and it's a joy!

[HMG1K]

Update - the model needed is: AX D26L
Page: http://www.performancebatteries.co.u...acturer/ABXAGM

Foxdie is off to buy one now! :-)

[MarkSanne]

I've asked them if the do shipping to NL too... I'll paint the yellow part black as suggested.

[HMG1K]

You won't be disappointed with this battery, Mark. Hope the exchange rate is good for you as it's £20 or so cheaper now that it was when I got it in December 2008! :-)

[MarkSanne]

exchange rates are still good (pretty much 1:1) so waiting for their response!

[foxdie]

Had this battery on for about 10 days now, have to say the difference has been amazing, car starts in less than 500ms (half a second) cranking, even on fully cold. Guy even gave me a £5 discount for coming to collect.

Before and after (If you look carefully, you can see where the radiator shaved away the plastic in it's previous vehicle);

uploaded/51922/1270649563.jpg

Had fun trying to get it to fit, had to bend the battery mounting bar, need to source a replacement bracket overall but it's very secure;

uploaded/51922/1270649676.jpg

Also, Halfrauds battery clamps are absolutely terrible...

uploaded/51922/1270649720.jpg

... so I replaced them with some good quality ones;

uploaded/51922/1270649799.jpg

[HMG1K]

Nice work! :)

Told you that you've be impressed! /megawoot

And isn't it a tight fit in the battery tray?!

Have you noticed slightly brighter headlights lights too?

[phosty]

HMG1K, nice find, just bought one of these batteries!

Foxdie, I had the same issue with the Halfords clamps. Where did you get your nice chunky gold plated clamps from?

[foxdie]

From the place I bought the battery from :) I think they were a tenner for a pair.

Just as an update, 4 months later, absolutely no issues with this battery, even after leaving the car stood for a couple of weeks, it still fires instantly in under half a second :) Absolutely love it!

[HMG1K]

Thanks, phosty! :-)

foxdie - have you sourced an OEM battery clamp for it? I've the original OEM on mine and it's a snug fit! :-)

[chris g]

And I bought one about a week ago to go in the Galant Estate...

Quality product!

Always telling people about this thread whenever they post about need for a battery...

[foxdie]

Thanks, phosty! :-)

foxdie - have you sourced an OEM battery clamp for it? I've the original OEM on mine and it's a snug fit! :-)

Admittedly not yet, it's on my list though :)

[andydckent]

Just bought one of these bad boys!

Am I going to need to visit halfrauds and buy a new battery clamp then? What's this business with the OEM one fitting? Would that have been removed by who ever fitted the small battery?

[foxdie]

Just to add to this, I"ll be buying another one of these batteries for the "Black Shadow" as it's been affectionately dubbed :)

[HMG1K]

Hi Andy - if you've your original battery clamp, it fits these batteries perfectly - snug, but fits fine with no modification. :-)

[HMG1K]

Still the best battery I ever bought! Two years on and it starts the Galant perfectly first time, every time, at the flick of the ignition - just like it did that very first time! :-)

[phosty]

Hi Andy - if you've your original battery clamp, it fits these batteries perfectly - snug, but fits fine with no modification. :-)

Hmmn - not sure I agree with this: When I imported both my Legnums from Japan they both came with skinny batteries with the narrow Jap style battery terminals and clamps. I tried to persuade the -ve clamp to fit on the regular size terminal of a Halfords calcium battery and while I got it to go around the terminal, the ring split on the lower flange. And the +ve clamp would not go on. So when I got this AGM battery for the second car I had to cut both narrow clamps off and put a set of Halfords regular size clamps on (no need to tighten them too far or they will split as above).

So check if your current battery has regular or narrow terminals first as these AGMs have normal (i.e. fat) terminals.

[peter thomson]

Yes Andy will need new terminals as it has the small ones at present

[andydckent]

Hi guys!

Thanks for the replies, I realised that I needed new terminals and have got some nice gold plated ones. I was meaning about the battery clamp that holds it in place which is, I think, what HMG1K was saying?

Cheers!

Andy

[peter thomson]

Lol, yes looks like it

[phosty]

Ahh - you meant the battery clamp!

Well, if like me you had the skinny jap spec battery then you will likely also need a new clamp too! The jap one is about half the thickness of these AGMs (they take up the whole battery tray). My old clamp had a long hook bar that fitted into the hole in the middle of the tray and a shorter hook bar that went into the hole on the side of the tray. The AGM battery will need two short hook bars to attach to the sides of the tray as it obscures the holes in the middle of the tray. Also the top part of my clamp would not fit (too short) so I got one from a breakers (the universal one from Halfords does NOT fit - the hooks and the top piece are too long!!).