P38A Battery - 1997 V8 GEMS

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tank93

Active Member
Posts
155
Looking for some advice please.

Need a new battery on my P38 (its a 1997 V8 GEMS) as the current one is leaking!

Was going to buy a Hankook MF31-1000 battery but have been told the battery posts on this battery are located in the middle of the battery so the battery leads on my car will not stretch? Something about the battery/leads changed at 99MY when the thor was introduced.

Any truth in that, has anybody on here fitted a Hankook MF31-1000 battery to a GEMS model?

Thank you
 
tank93 said:
Looking for some advice please.

Need a new battery on my P38 (its a 1997 V8 GEMS) as the current one is leaking!

Was going to buy a Hankook MF31-1000 battery but have been told the battery posts on this battery are located in the middle of the battery so the battery leads on my car will not stretch? Something about the battery/leads changed at 99MY when the thor was introduced.

Any truth in that, has anybody on here fitted a Hankook MF31-1000 battery to a GEMS model?

Thank you
Click to expand...
I have,and I'm sure I'm not in the minority.;) the battery clamp will have to be modified,it has a piece that needs to be cut off because the original battery is smaller,or fit a diesel battery clamp.
 
tank93 said:
Looking for some advice please.

Need a new battery on my P38 (its a 1997 V8 GEMS) as the current one is leaking!

Was going to buy a Hankook MF31-1000 battery but have been told the battery posts on this battery are located in the middle of the battery so the battery leads on my car will not stretch? Something about the battery/leads changed at 99MY when the thor was introduced.

Any truth in that, has anybody on here fitted a Hankook MF31-1000 battery to a GEMS model?

Thank you
Click to expand...
The leads stretch no problem on the diesel and as far as I know on the V8 many have fitted the Hankook MF31-1000 which is very good, I have several from Battery-Megastore, about £105 delivered.
 
That Hankook is a type 643 truck battery. One of those wretched things was fitted to my 4.0SE P38 when I got it, so I dumped it and fitted the correct type 072.
 
P38 Monkey said:
That Hankook is a type 643 truck battery. One of those wretched things was fitted to my 4.0SE P38 when I got it, so I dumped it and fitted the correct type 072.
Click to expand...
Big mistake, the MF31-1000 is the best battery around for the P38 with it's constant drain as many members will confirm. The 072 is a 75AH 660CCA torch battery useless on the diesel and is certainly not the correct battery for the diesel and I doubt it's correct for the petrol although Halfrauds may say so.
 
MF31-1000 that's in my 1998 GEMS fitted with zero changes to the cables. Excellent battery.

If the car is draining any battery fix it. . . .plenty of threads on here about typical causes.
 
Datatek said:
Big mistake, the MF31-1000 is the best battery around for the P38 with it's constant drain as many members will confirm. The 072 is a 75AH 660CCA torch battery useless on the diesel and is certainly not the correct battery for the diesel and I doubt it's correct for the petrol although Halfrauds may say so.
Click to expand...
I take on board people's comments that the Hankook is a good battery based on real life experience - would not argue with the positive evidence.
The P38 workshop manual lists the 072 as the correct battery for the petrol V8, and the 664 for diesel engines.
With excellent advice from the experts in this group (including your good self!) I have minimised battery drain and the 072 is just fine for me.
 
kermit_rr said:
Here what you say, but why would you replace a big battery with a smaller one just because the bassoons at JLR say so
Click to expand...
IMHO bigger is not necessarily better. 072 is a neater battery, it's a better fit in the holder. My 4.0SE is easy on its battery - no excessive overnight drain and it fires up instantly on the button.
I suppose if you have a big old truck engine, you need a big old truck battery to churn it over until it rumbles into life...but I wouldn't know.
A bit like that argument ref increasing key fob range by sticking it against your temple (in another thread herein) - why do that, when your key fob works over 30 metres away?
Horses for courses.
 
P38 Monkey said:
IMHO bigger is not necessarily better. 072 is a neater battery, it's a better fit in the holder. My 4.0SE is easy on its battery - no excessive overnight drain and it fires up instantly on the button.
I suppose if you have a big old truck engine, you need a big old truck battery to churn it over until it rumbles into life...but I wouldn't know.
Click to expand...
Mine is a 4.0 Thor with just the normal drains, but a bigger battery means it stays at a healthy voltage for longer, thus last longer over all
 
P38 Monkey said:
IMHO bigger is not necessarily better. 072 is a neater battery, it's a better fit in the holder. My 4.0SE is easy on its battery - no excessive overnight drain and it fires up instantly on the button.
I suppose if you have a big old truck engine, you need a big old truck battery to churn it over until it rumbles into life...but I wouldn't know.
A bit like that argument ref increasing key fob range by sticking it against your temple (in another thread herein) - why do that, when your key fob works over 30 metres away?
Horses for courses.
Click to expand...
Your 4.0 is probably down on compression.:p:D:D
 
Why would anyone replace a big battery with a small one and so reduce the capacity reserve for that one time when the begger doesn't want to start?
With the P38, the more spare capacity the better, it only needs the BECM to decide to stay awake and you will be walking.
 
When the roll pins went in the clutch release fork I was able to start it in gear and drive it home syncing the revs by ear to change gear, having driven many cars ,wagons and fire engines with non synchro gearboxes, double declutching is second nature.Youngsters are probably wondering what the old fart is talking about:eek::D:D;)
 
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tomcat59alan said:
When the roll pins went in the clutch release fork I was able to start it in gear and drive it home syncing the revs by ear to change gear, having driven many cars ,wagons and fire engines with non synchro gearboxes, double declutching is second nature.Youngsters are probably wondering what the old fart is talking about:eek::D:D;)
Click to expand...

I did just that as well due to the pins, and then drove it to the garage to have it fixed a couple of days later
great fun anticipating junctions and roundabouts with no clutch in a 2 1/2 ton brick:D
 
Datatek said:
Why would anyone replace a big battery with a small one and so reduce the capacity reserve for that one time when the begger doesn't want to start?
With the P38, the more spare capacity the better, it only needs the BECM to decide to stay awake and you will be walking.
Click to expand...
Point taken. The old battery (wrong size anyway, damaging the cover) was shot and leaking acid so I fitted an 072 as specified by the P38 designers. You are suggesting a 110 AH battery instead of my 75 AH one, which makes sense as it should still fit OK. The first time that this battery lets me down, I'll get a larger one.
There's a super-capacitor jump starter in the boot anyway...
 
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