NECRO MOVED FROM OT: Any harm in putting a smaller battery in a car?

[amdforever2]

My Thunderbird battery died so I put one from a Ford Probe in. The Probe battery is noticably smaller, but appears to work alright.

 

[slikmunks]

you need to check the specs on the battery, make sure it has the same wattage, or ohms, or volts or something.... otherwise you might not have enough cranking power

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: slikmunks
you need to check the specs on the battery, make sure it has the same wattage, or ohms, or volts or something.... otherwise you might not have enough cranking power

You're thinking of cold cranking amps. All car batteries are 12 volts.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Aslong as it can start the car and isn't flopping around in there no. You may run into a problem in the winter if you got a big v8 and the probe had a 4 banger but I doubt it. I know a lot of people with 4 bangers running lawnmower batterys to free up some space and they don't have any problems starting their cars even in the winter. They just have less of a reserve if something does go wrong.

 

[TheCorm]

In some cases you will be okay, in others you won't, it's like running a 300W PSU where everyone recommends a 400W one...sometimes it will work....othertimes it will give you trouble. If you do long journeys it should stay charged.

Jamie

 

[amdforever2]

Can it mess up the alternator?

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Aslong as it can start the car and isn't flopping around in there no. You may run into a problem in the winter if you got a big v8 and the probe had a 4 banger but I doubt it. I know a lot of people with 4 bangers running lawnmower batterys to free up some space and they don't have any problems starting their cars even in the winter. They just have less of a reserve if something does go wrong.

What do they use that "freed up space" for?

just curious.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Actually, it's usually for weight reduction. Though sometimes they might do it to give more room for turbo and intake plumbing.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

 

[Salvador]

There is no problem as long as the battery is held down and isn't flopping around. As long as the terminals match up and (this is a big one), it starts your car ok. Some smaller batteries just don't have enough "juice" to turn over the bigger engines properly. You put added wear and tear on your starter if you have to crank it and it might leave you stranded in the cold.

I say if it fits fine, connects fine and starts the car fine, go with it.

Sal

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

It wasn't the battery.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

It wasn't the battery.

then why did my alternator and a brand new alternator die. The third started going until the mechanic suggest we try a bigger battery. After that the alternator problems went away.

Doesn't really matter much anymore, as I sold that car years ago.

 

[Broncho]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

It wasn't the battery.

then why did my alternator and a brand new alternator die. The third started going until the mechanic suggest we try a bigger battery. After that the alternator problems went away.

Doesn't really matter much anymore, as I sold that car years ago.

From what I know any time an alternator goes it takes the battery with it. If you had the same battery through the two alternators that went bad most likely when the first alternator died it damaged the battery which in turn helped kill the second alternator. New battery, new alternator and everything is ok. The couple of times I've had alternator problems I've always replaced the battery because more often than not the battery is messed up.

 

[CraigRT]

should be fine!!
on my car people often remove the stock battery and put in a smaller battery to make room for an intake... works just fine... as long as it's 12V and it cranks your car no problems... should be OK!!!

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Broncho

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

It wasn't the battery.

then why did my alternator and a brand new alternator die. The third started going until the mechanic suggest we try a bigger battery. After that the alternator problems went away.

Doesn't really matter much anymore, as I sold that car years ago.

From what I know any time an alternator goes it takes the battery with it. If you had the same battery through the two alternators that went bad most likely when the first alternator died it damaged the battery which in turn helped kill the second alternator. New battery, new alternator and everything is ok. The couple of times I've had alternator problems I've always replaced the battery because more often than not the battery is messed up.

Ahhh, that makes sense.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Broncho

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Can it mess up the alternator?

No.

Like alternator having the recharge the battery more because each start drains the small battery more than it would a large one?

Again No.

Can the alternator, designed to recharge a certain size battery, kill a smaller one by overcharging it or anything?

No, the alternator is regulated to prevent to overcharging a battery.

In my '95 Corsica it was a problem. A small battery killed two alternators. It wasn't until I got the proper size battery that my alternator problems went away.

It wasn't the battery.

then why did my alternator and a brand new alternator die. The third started going until the mechanic suggest we try a bigger battery. After that the alternator problems went away.

Doesn't really matter much anymore, as I sold that car years ago.

From what I know any time an alternator goes it takes the battery with it. If you had the same battery through the two alternators that went bad most likely when the first alternator died it damaged the battery which in turn helped kill the second alternator. New battery, new alternator and everything is ok. The couple of times I've had alternator problems I've always replaced the battery because more often than not the battery is messed up.

Ahhh, that makes sense.

come on, everyone knows that GM's eat alternators like nobody's business

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Actually, it's usually for weight reduction. Though sometimes they might do it to give more room for turbo and intake plumbing.

Bingo. I may have to do it too when I install an intercooler on the caravan.

 

[icebro112]

I used a lawn motor battery to power two of my F150'S one was a 5.0 and the other I6, worked just fine they're troopers.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[BoomerD]

Way to bump a 15 year old thread, bro...

 

[Stopsignhank]

I just looked at the title of this and new it was a necro.

 

[Red Squirrel]

How's that battery running so far? I guess 15 years would be a good way to know if there's any harm in doing it.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I have a 13 volt battery does that make a difference???

 

[BoomerD]

I have a 13 volt battery does that make a difference???

A fully charged 12 volt battery should be at 12.6 volts or slightly above. Your charging system should charge at 13.5 to about 14.7 volts.

(and this thread should be moved to The Garage)

 

[Skunk-Works]

Can a small car battery power a vibrator? She likes it rough.