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So my battery completely drained two months ago and would not hold a charge at all. It was the OEM battery in my '14. I just got the car in January but kept it in storage for several months. It's my first time getting into an Evo so jumped into the forums to see a replacement. Besides the OEM battery with the vent provision, everyone was recommending the Optima RedTop, group 35. Specs looked good, but when compared to the same one in a group 34, I don't know why people didnt use that instead as it is a stronger battery and it would fit into the stock location. I am guessing it was because the size 34 batteries are larger and weigh more. My car is solely a DD so I definitely wanted something a robust battery, not really caring about weight reduction. This is where I started comparing Group 34 batteries. I was also reading that the Optima's arent as good as they used to be from say 10yrs ago as they moved the manufacturing to Mexico and the quality isnt the same.
I compared several different companies Optima Red/Yellow, Bosch, Autocraft, Odyssey, etc. I wanted good CCA/CA as well as deep-cycle properties and of course, had to be an AGM. Finally narrowed it down to two batteries: XS Power or Northstar. Both had STELLAR specs:
Northstar:
Product NameNSB-AGM-34
BCI Group Number34
Height with Terminal: 7.76 in
Width: 6.73 in
Length: 10.9 in
Weight:50 lbs
Terminal Configuration: SAE
Pulse Cranking Amps: 1,500 A
CA/MCA at 32°F": 1,050 A
CCA at 0°F: 880 A
CCA at -20°F: 585 A
Reserve Capacity: 133 min
Capacity 20 Hour Rate 64 Ah
Capacity 10 Hour Rate 61 Ah
Internal Resistance: 3.6 mΩ
Short Circuit Current: 3,100 A
Warranty: 4 years full
The Northstar had better CCA/CA but slightly lower RC and Ah. XSPower doesnt list a CCA but after emailing a rep, it is 850CCA. I ended up going with XSPower for two reasons. 1: It seems to perform better and recommended across the car audio forums (winning competitions, etc). And 2: XS Power offers this in a reversed polarity (D3400R) so I can bring the terminals closer to the rear of the car - not that it matters really, just personal preference. Both are robust batteries and maybe when this dies, I will go with Northstar.
Just a couple of notes. I believe there was only one other post of another member using this that said it fit perfectly but then there is one video on youtube from an Evo X member that reports that the tiebar doesnt fit over the top. I can confirm that the tiebar was off by exactly 0.125" . I ended getting a tiebar from an Infiniti G37 and it was a perfect 6.875" that is needed. Besides that, fitment in the stock tray was perfect. Also, the battery does not come with terminals so I ordered them along with the battery: https://4xspower.com/shop/accessorie...top-terminals/
So my battery now has the starting power of an Optima Redtop 34 with the deep-cycle properties of a yellow. Is it over-kill? Of course. I have the stock sounds system with stock Amp. I dont really have any other electrical modifications in the car, besides some gauges. But for the price point being slightly more than an Optima, I figured why not and went for it. I know that this is a long post for a battery, but wanted to share my experience in case someone wants something other than the go-to Redtop. (Note, my battery is wrapped. I know that it is not needed as the battery is in the trunk and not exposed to the heat of the engine, but I have always heat-wrapped my batteries and old habits die hard haha)
Jul 3, 2018, 07:39 AM
