What battery

[bigdaddycain]

Hi
How much does a battery anywhere between 95- 110 cost in the UK?....we find a lot of things expensive over here compared to the UK
Bob & mike...I definitely agree that you don't want anything less in terms of amperage...as you say, just click the button and it starts. I'm just guessing here, but if you have to crank AND warm glowplugs, the starter takes a fair bit from the plugs causing them to work inefficiently,and if they are not working as quickly as they should, then they will wear out rapidly....under-heating the plugs may be as bad as overheating them.
Cheers
Helen

Very interesting point. Inadequate battery power (not voltage) on my model glow-plug engines didn't necessarily show up if you checked the glow on a dry plug. Once fuel enters and starts quenching them, resistance drops, current goes up, battery collapses etc. and the plug temp becomes too low to cause ignition. Not only that, but it is subjected to thermal shock I imagine. So yes, I reckon your theory would make sense.

Beefy Batteries Make Better Bongos

Hi Mike, no thermal shock, as the fuel instantly combusts as it is introduced into the cylinder, so the plug should maintain it's thermal output during this process. The glowplug doesn't heat the fuel, it simply heats the top (or pre-chamber) of the cylinder bore so that the injected fuel is introduced to a high enough temperature to combust.

[mikeonb4c]

Hi
How much does a battery anywhere between 95- 110 cost in the UK?....we find a lot of things expensive over here compared to the UK
Bob & mike...I definitely agree that you don't want anything less in terms of amperage...as you say, just click the button and it starts. I'm just guessing here, but if you have to crank AND warm glowplugs, the starter takes a fair bit from the plugs causing them to work inefficiently,and if they are not working as quickly as they should, then they will wear out rapidly....under-heating the plugs may be as bad as overheating them.
Cheers
Helen

Very interesting point. Inadequate battery power (not voltage) on my model glow-plug engines didn't necessarily show up if you checked the glow on a dry plug. Once fuel enters and starts quenching them, resistance drops, current goes up, battery collapses etc. and the plug temp becomes too low to cause ignition. Not only that, but it is subjected to thermal shock I imagine. So yes, I reckon your theory would make sense.

Beefy Batteries Make Better Bongos

Hi Mike, no thermal shock, as the fuel instantly combusts as it is introduced into the cylinder, so the plug should maintain it's thermal output during this process. The glowplug doesn't heat the fuel, it simply heats the top (or pre-chamber) of the cylinder bore so that the injected fuel is introduced to a high enough temperature to combust.

That's great as long as it does instantly combust. But the starting problems are surely because it isn't instantly combusting and the question then is why. It may be (as with the glow plug engine scenario) because the glowplug hasn't got sufficient energy being provided to it so hat it can resist quenching by the fuel. I'm not an expert on this so may well be wrong, but you see what I'm saying.

[Daniel]

I was looking for a new battery and in the end fitted a pair in parallel as I plan on camping in the van all year round. I got them locally and they were £65 each which is a bargain compared to the £105 quoted on the cheapest internet site and that was minus postage!
I got the Varta 505-404-083 95amp Asia battery. 95amp with 830amp crank I believe. This is the standard replacement battery or the Asia battery as they are known. If your local to South Wales you cant go wrong with the place I got them from. I have the 2.5 diesel 2WD free-top by the way.

Dan

[missfixit70]

Do you isolate one of them as a leisure battery & reroute lights etc when you're stopped & camping Daniel? If not you're in danger of just having 2 flat batteries.

[Daniel]

I have an isolator switch on the passenger battery. I keep it separated while stopped but its not really needed as i run virtually nothing from the battery while stopped. Its more of a procation for the one time i may need a jump. Im keeping the whole thing very simple so not re-wiring anything to the passenger side battery. Have LED lighting than charge from the cigarette lighter when on the move and runs for something like 15 hours on a full charge. My TV is a laptop so has its own battery that charges while on the move. That about it.
Will get some pics for you all.

[mikeonb4c]

Sounds very good to me Daniel. I'm tempted to get a starter type battery when I replace my LB following some debate about whether the LB type (dis)likes fast charge from the alternator. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with yours over time.