One starter battery spec

[MonkeyBongo]

Hi,

I am sorry if this topic has been discussed before, I could not find it.

An auto electrician told me that the Bongos come originally from Japan with two starter batteries as it is quite cold there. People here in UK quite often replace one of these with a leisure battery and change the wiring. First question here, is this true?

If that is true, my second question would be... Shouldn't we spec up the main battery if I change a van that is prepared to start with two batteries to start with only just one battery?

I do have indeed a starter battery and a leisure battery at the front, that were linked up without any relay or clever charger system when I bought it! Anyway. Back to the starter battery. My current starter battery is a Yuasa YBX3100, 71Ah, 650A. I can see online that the batteries for Bongos are usually around 70-75Ah and around 600-650Ah.

During the summer my battery is fine buy in winter sometimes it struggle as I don't drive it much. Wondering if anyone have battery issues during winter with the standard spec and if someone has tried higher spec batteries.

BTW, my bongo is a 1996 2.5 Diesel.

Cheers!

[Bob]

Hi.

Partly true.

Some Bongos are fitted with two starter batteries for life on the North Island where it gets really chilly.

If yours is a 'winter spec' one it will have a switch with a little engine icon on the dash somewhere.

In the UK one starter battery is sufficient but I would think 90 ah is the least you would want, 100 ah would be better.

Hopefully Geoff will have thoughts on your second battery and it's wiring.

[MonkeyBongo]

Thanks Bob!

That helps, because all starter batteries that I see when I search online for Bongo are low spec. I wonder if other people have other point of view?

Regarding the wiring of the second battery, no worries, I have the relays already and I will go that way. Indeed I have another leisure battery at the back what is already wired by a relay and working well.

Cheers,

[Bob]

The Bosch S4 335 has been recommended on here a few times.

A quick search will normally find you a discount voucher for Eurocarparts or I've used this company several times:


https://www.tayna.co.uk/