[rsovitzky]

I just replaced the original battery on my 2003 2.0T. What a PITA to get the battery back in and clamped down.

Anyway, the positive cable end does not go all the way down on the post. I tightened it up anyway since I needed to get going.

I do not remember what it looked like when I started. Will this be a problem? Should it go down all the way? The cable end is complex enough to get hung up on the battery box enclosure.

Thanks...Rick

 

[ctrlz]

I trimmed the battery box to accommodate the positive cable. You do not need to remove much plastic.

 

[DavidMorgan]

Sounds to me as though you did not get exactly the right size replacement battery...:roll:

 

[brianl703]

The problem is that the group 48 battery made by Johnson Controls is actually a group 48/91 battery and is therefore about 15mm shorter (175mm)

The same is true of the group 48 battery made by Exide. It's also shorter than a "real" group 48 battery.

I checked AC Delco (Delphi's) website, they only offer a Group 48/91 battery that is again 15mm too short.

The above three manufacturers probably represent about 95% of the batteries sold in the USA.... (incidentally, batteries in Europe are not sold by group size, but by DIN or ETN size, so if you've never heard of that before, that's why).

The rationale is probably that a group 91 battery fits in most places where a group 48 does, plus all those places where a group 91 battery fits, so by making a dual-application group 48/91 battery they are able to consolidate inventory and, well, if people who buy a car that sells 25,000 in a year have to file down their battery box to make it fit, well, too bad.

The only battery I know of which is supposedly (I'm going by what they say on their website--I haven't measured one) identical in height, width, and length to the stock Saab battery is made by Deka/East Penn, is a group 48 battery, and I know of only two places that sell it: Batteries Plus (as a "Werker" battery) and Carquest. Needless to say, Deka/East Penn isn't one of the larger battery manufacturers here in the USA.. But you can read about it here:

http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/assets/base/0379.pdf


The other option is to use a group 47 battery. It should be the same height as the stock Saab battery, 190mm[1]. But it has less capacity than than a group 48/91 battery, since it is not as long. The Saab battery tray has an additional hole for the hold-down to accomodate a shorter battery, which should make it fit the group 47 battery.

[1]I haven't measured, but a "short" group 47 battery would be the same phsyical size as a group 42 battery(175mm), and I've compared the capacity between the group 42 batteries made by Johnson Controls and the group 47 batteries made by Johnson Controls and the group 47 has more capacity, which indicates to me that it is indeed physically larger than the group 42.

 

[rsovitzky]

OK - thanks guys.

It's a Werker 91 from Batteries Plus. $10 more than the 48. ??

I guess I'll do the 'ctrlz mod'.

Rick

 

[brianl703]

Might want to take it back and tell them to give you a group 48 and $10 back.

 

[rsovitzky]

Well, too late now.

I printed out a group size chart. The 48 is 12.06 long and the 91 is 11. I do NOT see 1.06" worth of space in the box now that the 91 is in there. How would that have worked?

The 91 is indeed lower (7.56 vs 6.8). There's my difference.

Rick

 

[brianl703]

The 48 is not 12.06" long. I've seen that BCI chart and I think someone made an error when they transcribed it from the BCI data book. It has this disclaimer on the bottom:

" Data excerpted from the BCI Battery Replacement Data Book.
[ errors may have been introduced in transcription. ] "

According to the specs from Deka (see the PDF file linked above), their group 48 is 11" long, 6 15/16" wide, and 7 1/2" high. Presumably the Werker group 48 is the same size since it too is made by Deka.

The group 48/91 batteries made by Exide, Johnson Controls, and Delphi/Delco should be 11" long, 6 15/16" wide, and 6 15/16" high.

 

[rsovitzky]

So if the 48 and 91 are the same length, and the 48 is a tad higher, the 48 would have a bit more total volume. Why might the 91 be higher priced?

Rick

 

[brianl703]

So if the 48 and 91 are the same length, and the 48 is a tad higher, the 48 would have a bit more total volume. Why might the 91 be higher priced?

It may be a slower selling battery. Or the cars it may go into may be more expensive I've noticed that the group 40R battery is usually cheaper than the group 47 battery even though they both have the same CCAs. The difference is that the group 40R battery goes into Ford vehicles, group 47 batteries go into European vehicles. Alas, it doesn't have side flanges so while it will fit in the Saab 93, the hold-down won't work.


The Batteries Plus website says that the group 48 weighs 42lbs, which matches what Deka specifies in the PDF above. The same website says that the group 91 weighs 36.5lbs. That website also specifies the group 48 battery for the Saab.

 

[Panoply]

You really only need 1/4" to get a tight fit. I raised by battery by putting a small piece of ceramic tile under it. I posted this same question a week or two ago wondering if putting something under the battery was a mistake.

 

[JonV]

You really only need 1/4" to get a tight fit. I raised by battery by putting a small piece of ceramic tile under it. I posted this same question a week or two ago wondering if putting something under the battery was a mistake.

That's a great quick solution. As long as it's something inert...non-corrosive, non-conductive and heat tolerant like tile, lexan, some rubber etc.