Which is the best battery to run in our cars? Looking at installing a lot of audio gear, so something deep cycle would be best I assume? Read in a previous post that the Optima Yellow Top is good, but also read it's not worth what you have to pay for them, and that there's better options around..

Any thoughts/ opinions?

Mate yellow top batteries are quite good. What sort of audio you looking at installing?
My mate had a yellow top. Used his laptop 14hrs straight and car started no probs after. Was considering putting one in my car but cant justify paying so much for just a battery.

Where are you located? And what sort of power demands does your car require?

Located in Chch, and looking to install 4 subs with decent enough amps to run them, around the 4kw mark RMS. Heard both good and bad things about both the Yellow top, and the Optimal so not sure which path to go down, or if there is any other options?

I have a D34 Yellow Top, it was about to go out of warranty (2 years) so I had a winge and got it tested at batteryworld incase it wasnt up to scratch.

They charged and tested it, after 2 years of abuse - it has been run dead flat many times - it still tested at 820 CCA. It is only sold as 750CCA - so I couldnt really complain.

Good battery.

Anyone know where I could get an Optima from in Chch?

Try your local CenturyYuasa agent (one of which just happens to be Toyota dealers). You do realise you're looking at @ NZ$690 for a D34/78. Cheaper option would be to go for a 55D23L or X56C which retail for @ NZ$165 at Toyota. Guess it all depends on how serious your install is going to be.

Managed to pick up a Yellow Top today for $450 brand new through a mate so all sorted, now to build these enclosures..

I think my battery is probably done for and i'm almost sure i have a dead cell? So this morning i start her up and while getting warm, at which point i always turn TRC off, then i turned lights on and the ABS, skid lights came on, felt a shudder as if it was dying but it kept going and noticed the TRC was on again. Turned it back off as i was going down the driveway and same thing happened about twice this morning. I drove into the city with no problems. I just wanted to make sure that it could be the battery before i go and buy a new one?

Why dont you go get your battery load tested? If you drop a cell you would lose 2.1 v so thats the quickest way to tell.

What's the best way to do the test? Can it be done with just a multimeter?

You can check the voltage of the multi but you cant check current because your engine draws 500+ amps to crank so you would blow the fuse on your multi or set it on fire...

Go to a battery world or something similar. They have a tool and they only charge $20 odd dollars

first thing to check is voltmeter on your dash, should be 12V with ign on but not running, close to 15V with engine running. Normally with the engine running the cars electrics will be powered by the output of the alternator so low battery should not matter once the car is started.

Still probably best to have battery checked but would think if it stuffed enough to cause that sort of problem it would not have started the car in first place.

Car would still start as you wouldn't lose cranking current but if the disks are warped you could intermittently lose continuity which would stall the motor. I would have a look at the water levels but my money is on the battery being shot.

Things to check
Lead acid battery max charge 12.6V
Alternator output 14.4V
Check water level in battery
Check and de corrode terminals
Check and de corrode battery earth

Hmmm.. sorry to hijack thread, but can the stock volt gauge be trusted? Mine reads 12v while running now that I think of it!

Yea in my experience with 3 different gauges and two different cars IS200 and Altezza It can but its very hard to use the scale.

Then again you are using power FC and the battery voltage is taken straight off OBD2 so I dont know, I'm pissing in the wind with that one really.

Just go measure your alternator voltage and see if its 14.4, these gauges are only meant to be qualitative measurements anyway. Get a decent OBD2 scan tool and see what the voltage is on that.

Yeh was planning on busting out the multimeter when I get a moment to check it out.

Thx!