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| Batteries are the things that hide (usually) under the bonnet and nobody takes much notice of until the car doesn't start. Thats probably the way they should be particularly with modern sealed long life car batteries. However at the end of the day, if the battery stops working then so does the car. In my experience over the years most cars seem to get at least 3 years from an average battery though I'm sure it depends largely on how you use your car and how often. However the same cannot be said for the Kia Sportage. The overwhelming concensus from Kia owners all over the planet is that Sportages chew out batteries like nothing else on earth. Some have even said that 2 or 3 batteries have been replaced during the warranty period. Bearing in mind that at the time my Kia was doing high kilometers due to work use, I didn't have any problems and was starting to doubt what other Kia owners were telling me. Then it failed. Abruptly. 61900km and not quite 2 years old it didn't even give a parting whimper. To cut a long story short the dealer told me batteries aren't covered after 12 months and wouldn't elaborate on whether the battery problems are as widespread as what I am finding. Not surprising really. A few theories have been passed around but nothing certain as yet and here are a few examples : a) Crap battery quality - possible but unlikely as Yuasa are one of largest battery suppliers in the world and have a (generally) good reputation. b) Heat due to proximity to exhaust manifold - unlikely as US spec left hand drive Sportages have the battery on the intake (cooler) side. c) Poorly designed electrics - possible but no other electrical problems evident to date. d) Vibration - battery not suited to use in 4WD - possible but again a lot of Sportages never go offroad yet problems persist. Perhaps simply a badly matched battery type / specification to this particular vehicle ? Well any more ideas out there ? Battery technology has come a long way over the years in some ways but surprisingly backward in many others. Even though many vehicles are fitted with 'low' or 'no maintanance' lead acid batteries the underlying technology is largely unchanged. The reason ? Well who knows but my guess is that mass marketing and relatively cheap cost is a good start. Hey they work pretty well too in most instances. When it comes to four wheel drives and other heavy use applications (marine for example) a general purpose 'standard' car battery isn't the ideal fitment. Sure they're cheap but you get what you pay for and when you're in the middle of nowhere with a failed battery you'll quickly start wishing you'd shelled out a couple of extra bottle tops for a decent battery. There are specialised '4x4' batteries which are still lead acid but have far better anti-vibration and shock protection for those corrugated gravel roads and pot holed tracks. They generally have more plates inside giving a higher output than a similar car battery. Think about it; its well worth it believe me. Oh stay away from 'cheapy' no name batteries. I've seen some absolute shockers (excuse the pun) with transparent brittle casings so thin that you could just about push your thumb through with very little pressure. Its going to let you down - period. I wouldn't run a calculator off these things so stay with a known brand with a long warranty. Keep the receipt in your glovebox too; most batteries have an evil streak where they'll fail at the furthest possible point from home in the worst possible weather in the heaviest possible traffic and the only day in the last 10 years you left your wallet at home ..... Been there too have you ? I've replaced the factory Yuasa battery with an 'ODYSSEY' battery by Hawker Energy. These are a quality US made unit that is totally sealed; there are no caps or valves and can actually be mounted on any angle or position except upside down. The Kia (Yuasa) standard battery is a typical 12 volt, 530 CCA (cold cranking amp) lead - acid battery. The Odyssey I've fitted is a Model ES12V800 unit that is a fraction of the size as the photos below. However the power it packs is amazing and have a design life of up to 10 years. It will operate in temperatures as low as - 40 degrees Centigrade and maintain 50% of its charge after 2 years on the shelf in temperatures of around 25 degrees (even longer at lower temps). If you live in an area with temperature extremes, have high power drain (spotlights, big stereo etc), do relatively high annual mileage or go places far from civilization then something similar to an Odyssey or an Optima gel cel is the only rational choice. If the dollars won't quite stretch the go for a decent specialised sealed 4x4 battery. People such as Exide and Century sell them and they don't cost a whole lot more that standard spec. Gel cel technology also allows quicker recovery from a discharged state and being absolutely sealed (no vents or caps) it is even classed as a dry cell battery and can be transported without fear of leaks via normal courier or transport. To cap it all off the Odyssey was charged and ready to go upon delivery and mine has a metal casing fitted as standard. To top it all off it has a two year replacement warranty. The down side is cost as always but once again you get what you pay for and since this is obviously a problem with Sportages the extra dollars in my book are justified. The ES12V800 was around $300 again through 'mates rates'; maybe 3 times the cost of a standard type battery but a dead car is something I can do without every 18 months or so and especially if off road in a remote spot somewhere ! The only other thing to do is to modify the bracket the secures the battery with some sort of spacer or cut down the securing rod; the Odyssy batteries are far smaller than standard. Another type of battery that I've had some experience with is by a company called 'Optima'. They manufacture an exceptional range of batteries incorporating ground breaking technology including gel-cel batteries which we use in high current applications such as competition car audio. The one we're interested in here at the moment is called the Optima Spiracell. Why is it so good ? Firstly its sealed. Totally. The thing can be mounted on its side or even upside down and not leak or fail like conventional batteries. Why would you mount a battery upside down I hear you ask ? Easy. If you have limited engine bay space and require a second battery to run camping accessories, car fridges etc then these things can be stashed anywhere without leaks or fumes. Good eh ? Its called 'Spiracell' because it uses a unique internal construction. Conventional batteries use a stack of lead plates suspended in acid to create the reaction to produce an electric current. Spiracell differs by using two thin lead plates wrapped in a tight spiral with an absorbant glass mat in between to hold the electrolyte solution. Simply put the lead plates have a higher surface area exposed to the electrolyte and produces more current than a conventional battery of similar size. It also has inherently good anti-vibration properties making it suitable for the heaviest duty applications and will withstand up to 15 times more vibration. It can be left unused 3 times longer (low latent discharge rate) and will last up to 3 times longer over the period of its life. Should you need to recharge one it will charge far more quickly than a normal battery due to lower internal resistance and the high quality of construction and design. There are several types of Optima Spiracell batteries each optimised for particular applications. The Red Top is the ideal starter battery and two models are available in Australia; the 750 CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) and the 25mm shorter 700 CCA version for smaller engine bays. The Yellow Top is perfect for consistant high load applications such as 4x4's equipped with a second winch battery, campervans and second battery installs for running car fridges and other high load applicances such as competition car audio installations. The current will remain constant regardless of the charge level in the battery so power to your equipment or appliances doesn't gradually decrease over a long period of time. These are rated at 550 CCA. |
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| UPDATE 03 SEPT 03 Well wouldn't you know it; the Hawker Odyssey battery has failed; yep dead. It was purchased March 2002 at around 61000km and here we are 15 months and 24000km later with a dead 'un. I had the Kia checked out to ensure there wasn't a fault with the alternator or charging system, or that any of the gizmo's on board (TV, alarm, stereo etc) was draining the battery. No fault found and no obvious reason to explain the failure. I got in touch with a local battery specialist who diagnosed a faulty battery. Admittedly it took 2 days after calling the national distributor for them to return my call but after they contacted the battery specialist I took my car to, they have agreed to supply a new (replacement) ES12V800 free of charge. The moral of the story is that even quality goodies can fail regardless of cost; I don't really have a problem with this as such but because of a delay of almost a week between the battery becoming totally unusable and a replacement arriving, I've had to purchase a conventional (quality) battery for the time being. Be sure that you always keep a copy of receipts for items such as batteries in the glovebox; you never know when you'll need it. I actually intend using the replacement Odyssey as a second unit in a dual-battery system when the roller drawers are fitted later in the year; its safe to mount an Odyssey inside a vehicle as they're totally sealed. More on that when it happens ! |