Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Audio battery question

Hey guys my battery is shot. Well it will light my interiors and whatnot but when i go to start all i hear is clicking (im guessing from the starter). This has happened b4 and started right up from jumping the battery....so i guess it has to be the battery.

My question is...I need a new one and I've heard redtops are the best especially for audio setups and whatnot, but I hear their VERY expensive and you need to do some modification to make it work. I need an easy drop in and go battery but one that is pretty darn good. I plan on getting a new Alpine recieiver and then amping some 5x8's in the near future and then perhaps may run a sub or two (12's) off another amp in the distant future.

What battery should i get? I dont want to spend too much but then again i want something good. I went to National Tire & Battery and they have a replacement for the contour which is a "vented" battery??? Not sure what this is or what brand it was. Anyway its rated at 675. Factory is 590. Is this strong enough for my situation? suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Personally I would recommend a Gel (not the brand name)type battery. Those are gonna have minimal to no gassing accuring in the batter, it has more plate surface area (more amperage), and will last you quite a while and the power rating is outstanding if you ask me. A typical fully charged batter is suppose to run 12.6v, but we tested my friends gel and it was puting out a little over 13v. The amp ratings are great too. But the price on these batteries can get high. I believe they start somewhere around $120?

IMO, get the highest CCA, highest reserve battery you can afford and will fit in the car.

I don;t know anythting about gel bateries..where to buy,how to maintain,their CCA,their cost, etc

well thats the thing...when I went to NTB they only had one battery to fit the Contour and its a vented battery (whatever that means and if its good or not)? It puts out 675 CCA compared to factory 590 CCA and is $65. But i don't know if this is strong enough for my needs.

Any other suggestions? Am I correct you need to do modifications for the Red/Yellow top to fit/work?

Need help ASAP b/c I need to buy this battery today b4 the stores close so I can run my car this week.

Thankyou.

well, the only other suggestion I have for you is not a battery... I mean the batter is only used to start the car, once the car is started then the battery doesn't do much but sit and get charged. If your system is taking all the power out of your battery, than another suggestion I have for you is to get a high output alternator (a pain to replace compared to replacing a battery). You can find a gel batter at Pepboys. or go to a performance shop, they should be able to help out a lot. I hear Odysey is a great brand.

Just get that $65 battery then upgrade your wiring. Do the alternator to battery, alternator to ground,etc. You should be fine.

I agree with kermie, your not running much off the battery, save the $$ and put it into the tunes.

I can't as I've never done it. Basically just all the wiring between the alternator and battery, and alternator and ground, and another one, maybe battery to ground (I've seen people say the Big 3, can't remember what they are). You just take that wiring out and replace it with thicker wiring.

Is there a possibility of a how-to on the big 3 for the contour? I'm sure a lot of people on here would love to have one. I had a buddy do mine, so no mas for me...