Battery Reliability

Hi Paul

I have used Supercharge batteries in excavators for years without any problems what so ever.

The conditions vary from rough, to extreme heat and dust in the summer to snow in the winter.

Would highly recommend them,

Cheers Axle.

You are probably right with your diagnosis about battery failure - heat and vibration. You may be able to help with both a little by placing some rubber eg an old inner tube under the battery and making up a heat shield from some aluminium sheeting to deflect the hot air from directly hitting the battery walls. It still wont keep the battery cool but if it is located where there is a blast of hot air from the radiator or a turbo, then it may help.

You could give CAT batteries a try
175 - 4390 ( product number / code )
with 1000 cca should be plenty of current for the 4.5 v8
Had a few now over the years
I used to be able to get one for $145
But no discounts these days
Soo budget around the $200

Theyres nothing on the market for the cca for that bargain price
Awesome warranty
2 years full replacement
And add another 2 years pro rata

Soo if your battery last 3 years
You only pay a percentage of new battery cost
But you dont get warranty on the new battery if you take up the pro rata offer


Optima go for around $350 plus range

I only use Exide now. The endurance has a 24 month warranty and the extreme has 30 months, although warranty isn't worth anything if it fails in the middle of nowhere! been using the endurance without any issues. I also have 2 marine starter batteries in the boat without any issues. The marine batteries have bonded plates with help against vibration which I have also used in the 4x4.

Paul
No matter which battery brand or claim to be good, having the battery clamps, rubber between it and the battery AND a cushion or rubber underneath each battery will vastly reduce the instantaneous vibration into the battery. That suddenness of vibe is the killer. Also, a piece of vacuum cleaner flex hose or larger, from front near radiator to feed fresher cooler air to the battery has to lessen the battery temps. If also insulated from radiant heat as mentioned you are providing further insurance for the batteries. Unless you do at least some of those things the situation regarding life isn’t going to change with and battery.
PS. A battery needs to be retained in place, so having the battery clamping system too tight means you are delivering the road shocks/vibes directly to the battery. Cushioned as above and retained gently, not clamped to within an inch of it’s life allows any cushioning to do it’s job and maximise battery life if vibes are what is destroying them.

Both odyssey and optima are designed for corrugations and hold up well. I have one odyssey and a number of optimas. They end up being cheap as they last so long. You won’t have an issue with either. I have also owned a number of the brands mentioned above and have been less than impressed with them unfortunately.

Hi Paul
I have had good results over the years with Optimas. The best lasted seven years as a starter.
AGM batteries do not like the heat under the bonnet.
Ross

70 series have had problems with underbonnet heat and shortened battery life since 1985, so bad that in the early days Toyota fitted insulated covers and an air duct with a separate vent on the side from the factory.
The heat, vibration and in many instances the auxilary not being fully charged properly leads to early failure.
Fitting extra batteries and other accessories both internally and externally which further reduces airflow doesn't help at all.

Paul I have Odysseys in my 200. Big and heavy as they are I like them. These are the second pair I have had the first were not the metal jacketed ones and did suffer a little from the heat I think. The current ones have been in for about three years and going strong. I guess the one downside is they are costly but if you can get around that I would recommend them.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and advice. I would love to support Aussie made where possible but I need reliability overall so I will have a look at all the brands recommended.
Also I will definitely look into the cushioning option and the air cooling possibility but as you know there is not much spare room under the bonnet of a 76 Series with a dual battery setup.
Thanks again Paul S.