Issue replacing battery in 2013 V8V
 

I decided to go ahead and just replace the battery in my newly purchased 2013 V8V as it seems the battery was left low too long and now doesn't want to hold a charge very well. I'd like to get the Braille, but $530 is more than I want to spend on a battery at the moment. So I did as much research as I could before buying one and found the Bosch AGM on sale at Pepboys.

Long story short, the Bosch is 1/2 inch taller than the Aston Martin battery. The battery that was in the car is 7" and the Bosch is 7.5". This means the strap that goes over the top of the battery doesn't fit. It's too short. So WTF? Did Aston change the battery specs in the newer cars or are they just using some battery that only they use. The footprint of the Bosch is the same, it's just too tall. I checked the specs on several other group 49 batteries and they were all 7.5" tall.

So what to do. I can leave the strap off and just rely on the brackets at the base to hold it in place. I may be able to fab up my own bracket, but that just pisses me off that I have to do it. I can return the battery and try to find another one that is the right height or just get the Aston one.

I can't be the only one to run into this issue, but I can't seem to find anyone else that has seen it.

Edit: It appears that a group 93 battery has the same footprint as a 49, but is 6 7/8" tall. It appears AM switched battery sizes.

David

Do it at your own risk, but: The clamps are incredibly strong so long as everything is properly installed. The battery should be held in place just fine by the clamps alone. When I was doing testing on my battery mount, I was able to rock the car back and forth by the battery - that's how secure it is. So if you want to save the hassle, skip the tie-down bracket. Just make sure the battery is secure with the clamps.

For those wondering about the Braille: http://www.redpants.lol/shop/lightweight-battery-mount
The battery isn't terribly expensive compared to similar batteries, but the initial mount purchase does add to the cost at first. That said, it pays for itself in saved labor since a battery swap is now a 5-minute job ;)

I have the battery installed with just the clamps at the base and it is pretty solid. I'm not concerned about it moving, but it occurred to me that the earlier cars using the group 49 battery would have the longer strap and I asked Rich if he'd sell me the one he removed off his car. He was nice enough to do it and it is on the way.

Rich measured the strap from his car and it was 7.5". The one in my car was 7". This pretty much confirms that the later cars switched to a group 93 battery. I suspect it happened with the 12.25 update, but that's just a guess. The way to tell for sure is to measure the length of the strap.

The group 93 batteries aren't as prevalent as the 49. There were a couple of the house brand at local auto part stores. There's a Duracell in the 93 size, but none of the local Batteries Plus had it in stock. There's also an Interstate that looked good. None of them are AGM. The only AGM I found in that size was the Odyssey and it was twice as much as the group 49 Bosch and weighed more. I opted to just stick with the Bosch.

The standard group 93 batteries weigh about 10 lbs less than the group 49. So you save a little weight by using a 93. I think you could probably also use a 92 or 91 or possibly even a 90 to save more weight. Those have the same depth as the 93, but are narrower. The big difference is the amp hour rating. I'm not sure why AM put such a large ah battery in the car. I think you could just use the clamps at the bottom to hold the battery. Of course, the ultimate solution is to use Rich's mount kit and the Braille.

David

A picture is worth a thousand words. My 2013 battery strap lined up with the 2007 Rich sent me. The 2007 is the longer one on the bottom

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...9ad176c28a.jpg

The 2013 is a slightly thicker metal.

David

Great to know they've got two sizes. Pretty sure this is going to come in handy when people start changing out the batteries on newer cars!

Yes, I just replaced my battery (2 weeks ago) with the group 93 Duracell Ultra AGM battery. Fits perfectly. That said, there was NO strap in my car... no idea why, guess the previous owner trashed it.

I can't imagine for 1 seconds the battery breaking loose from the base clamps, they are solid.

My car is a 2013 V8V S.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...3bc65d2255.jpg
group 49 AGM vs Aston oem battery. you can see it's about 1/2 inch taller.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...ffd78c5524.jpg
I ran into same problem today. any chance you have part number for the longer strap bracket. I have 2013 v8 vantage, Want to install 94 group AGM battery, but strap is about inch short.

Battery dimensions specs
https://www.jegs.com/Sizecharts/bcigroup.html

That Duracell AGM is a group size 49, not 93. The strap was probably not put back on previously because the battery was too tall for it.

The only AGM I found in size 93 was the Odyssey. I think the clamps at the bottom are sufficient for anything but track use, but you have to decide that for yourself. I don't know the part number for the strap as I just purchased Rich's old one. I think it would be pretty easy to make your own out of some aluminum bar stock; just need to make it 1/2 longer than the current one.

David

If the posts the bracket bills to are looking enough, can you just put a block under the bracket to raise it up?

Is there a specific reason to go AGM vs a sealed maintenance free battery?

duracell makes one for the 2013 V8V will pm you the number