12V Battery Upgrade

[N2STY]

16v is to high just as 8v is to low when charging 13to14v is the sweet spot

 

[BarryH]

in the dashboard it says 8v -16v. Can the car take 16v battery?

No I wouldn't have thought so. The Nominal 12V Lead Acid would have an actual fully charged voltage of a little over 13V and the charger would output (open circuit) close to 14V to achieve that charge level. The Charge Level indicator would always have a scale with a range extending above and below the expected range. Lots of cars with Analogue Speedo will have a top speed on the dial way higher than possible speed the car could possibly reach unless in free-fall from off the Forth Bridge

 

[David F]

I have started this thread because I have seen so many comments about how crappy the 12v battery is so I am looking into viable upgrades ranging from bigger lead acid batteries to Li-Fe or Li-Ion to save a bit of weight in the process. We can also use this thread to discuss options on how to keep the 12v battery in tip top condition whether that be a smart trickle charger if the car isn't going to be used for a while etc.

I'm glad I found this thread. My MK2 has started to say ' please don't park your car for more than 3 days '.
This is the second time it's done this, the first time the battery needed charging up. This time I've just done over 100 miles and the following day I'm getting the same message.
Are the 12v batteries that come with the mk2 unreliable?

 

[N2STY]

Let's just say not the best a bit hit or miss but mine has been ok Touchwood

 

[David F]

Let's just say not the best a bit hit or miss but mine has been ok Touchwood

Do think that would be covered under warranty as it's only 3 months old?

 

[N2STY]

Some people have had it replaced under warranty up to the value of £100 but I think that's when the mg assist get involved

 

[David F]

Some people have had it replaced under warranty up to the value of £100 but I think that's when the mg assist get involved

Maybe that's what I'll have to do then.

 

[Ealing Guy]

Hi David, you could try unbolting the battery terminals and cleaning them and putting a thin layer of vaseline on them before bolting them back, there could be a bit of oxidisation or corrosion reducing the charging and at other times making a voltage drop triggering the warnings. That is if the battery is still OK and not got at by the cold weather.

 

[David F]

Hi David, you could try unbolting the battery terminals and cleaning them and putting a thin layer of vaseline on them before bolting them back, there could be a bit of oxidisation or corrosion reducing the charging and at other times making a voltage drop triggering the warnings. That is if the battery is still OK and not got at by the cold weather.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try doing that and see what happens.

 

[pollenface]

I'm thinking of replacing the OEM battery with a Lifepo4 drop in, the voltages seem compatible 14.2-13.8v

 

[BarryH]

Do think that would be covered under warranty as it's only 3 months old?

12V batteries from any car maker are classed as "Consumables" as are wiper blades for example. I've had my ZS EV 3+ years and never had an issue. But that doesn't mean others won't have. once a battery is fitted to a new car and is then OME any warranty on the label of the battery is irrelevant as you were sold a "Car" not a list of individual parts. Carmakers get parts as a trade-to-trade component purchase which carries a much lower unit cost because the Car Maker is accepting responsibility for the component performance and not the component maker. Hence you would pay more for the battery over the counter because you are paying for the Retail Warranty. Typically then consumables will only have a 3-month or sometimes a 12-month warranty by the carmaker. I found out the hard way when I had a 5 year Bosh battery fail at 24 months in a Renault I had bought from new. The AA patrol man which rescued me explained this and Renault said the same.

 

[Chrismgzs]

Having to replace my battery, any idea if a 027 will work? All of the sites (Euro car parts/ Halfords etc) are saying it needs a 027 but everyone on here seems to be saying it's 096 so unsure which I need. I have a 2019 MG ZS EV.

And is it AGM or EFB that I need? Thanks.

 

[N2STY]

027 is a bit smaller than 096 in length both should fit fine
Bosch 027 (S5005) is 63A/610CCA,
BOSCH 096 (S5008) is 77A/780CCA
More amps in 096 so takes longer to go flat

And is it AGM or EFB that I need? Thanks.

I would just go for a premium battery i.e normally 4\5 year warranty ones
Exide
Bosch
Varta

 

[David F]

I'm glad I found this thread. My MK2 has started to say ' please don't park your car for more than 3 days '.
This is the second time it's done this, the first time the battery needed charging up. This time I've just done over 100 miles and the following day I'm getting the same message.
Are the 12v batteries that come with the mk2 unreliable?

I eventually took the car to the dealer who said it needed a software update to solve the problem of the battery draining. It's a known issue apparently. So if your battery is draining too quickly get MG to do a software update. It seems to have solved the issue, 3 weeks since having it done and no warning signs.

 

[N2STY]

027 = 242mm (L) x 175mm (W) x 190mm (H)
096 = 278mm (L) x 175mm (W) x 190mm (H)
There are 2 battery clamp holes on the car

 

[CoolDudePT]

Hi, I hadn't used the car much until this week, so couldn't respond earlier. No other downsides so far. With the new battery I haven't had any more 'low battery please start' warnings even after I left the dashcam on (motion detect only) for a couple of days so I feel a bit more confident there won't be an issue. Also I have a 12V to mains inverter for emergencies so can hook that up to the car without worrying too.

what camera do you have?

 

[kiwi]

@CoolDudePT if you’re looking for a dash cam recommendation see my thread:

ZS EV dash cam install

The USB socket in the rear view mirror mount assembly makes for a very convenient dash cam installation. This is a DDPAI mini 5 4K unit and the cable is a short USB-C to USB-A. Light rain this morning when I took the picture. This is my wife's new 2023 diamond red NZ market 'excite' base RHD...

www.mgevs.com

Works well and I recently supplied police with a video of a bike accident almost 200m (300 feet) away from me that was usable and gratefully received.

 

[Ealing Guy]

I have an Azdome GS as it was a cheap dashcam that quoted the video chip part number but I don't really recommend it as it was not as good as promised, for instance you loose the 4K video when you plug in a rear camera and after about 18 months the focus went and refocusing was a real pain, I almost binned it but found a way to connect it with my home CCTV so didn't. Maybe the newer ones are better . . . I am still pleased with the upgraded 12V battery and still don't get the low battery warnings I had with the SAIC one.