Battery - can you get too much CCA etc.

[jake75]

Vibe battery will be 5 years old October 2007 - counting from when it was built, not from when I bought it.I figure I am on borrowed time.Autozone has a Duralast $59.99 2 year replacement/7 yr warranty 500 CCA 80 min reserve, and a Duralast Gold $69.99 3 year replacement/8 year warranty that I think has 640 CCA and 100 min reserve.Since I have been operating with 300 CCA for 5 years I wonder if the 640 cca is overkill, and also if my usual short trips would keep a 640 cca battery charged as well.In the 35 series the difference is only this $10 - it is $20 on most other sizes.I thought it was interesting that the 34 is smaller but has higher CCA etc. ratings than the 35.I am not interested in the Red or Yellow Optima - I know that is overkill for me.

[prathman]

Congratulations on keeping the old OEM battery alive for so long, especially since there have been many reports of premature failure.I'd go with the "Gold" model with higher CCAs mainly for the longer warranty in exchange for an extra $10. Shouldn't be any problem keeping it charged. No matter which battery is used you only need to replace as much charge as was drained while starting the car or for any accessories used while parked (plus some extra due to less than 100% efficiency and some self-discharge). The CCA rating of the battery shouldn't have much of an effect on how much current your alternator needs to supply to keep it charged.

[Raven]

A bigger battery is not a problem for the charging system. As you say though too big is overkill. No need to spend extra money for nothing.OK, so I got beaten by a minute. For the warranty alone, it's worth the $10.00.

[Sublimewind]

CCA = Cold Cranking Amps, the higher the better... Zero problems with using a larger battery..

[jake75]

Costco has a Kirkland 35 series battery with 640 CCA 100 min reserve 3 year replacement/100 month warranty for $55. Made in Mexico which I think was also the case with the Duralast Gold. Would not be surpirised if it came from the same manufacturer. Had a 08/07 date so it is fresh. Pay $5 for the battery deposit - get it back if you return old battery I assume. No installation but that is probably a low skill level job that even I can do.