Hi, could anyone please advise me if there is any reason why I cannot/shouldn't use a slightly lower amp hour battery. I have an 05 reg Freelander HSE and have been given a Varta E43 blue dynamic 72Ah 680 battery. My old existing one is a 75Ah which is what is stipulated in the hand book. Any comments would be greatly appreciated, many thanks in advance for any help.
Best regards
Rob.

if there is any reason why I cannot/shouldn't use a slightly lower amp hour battery.

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shortened battery life ..

higher workload for the alternator as well i'd guess
and as it's winter .. colder temps will add to the workload
cranking a cold engine .. heating up glowplugs if it's a diesel ..
more usage of headlights .. and the ptc heater if fitted ..

car batteries don't like deep discharge .. it shortens their life ..
( a.f.a.i.k. )

i don't know how much difference 3Ah will make

actually .. just bumping your post ..
as someone with electrical knowledge might give you a better answer

when my last battery was on it's last legs ..
the starter motor began chirping ..
( when the starter gear doesn't disengage quick enough )
the door locks squealed on locking/unlocking ..
then cranking got slower .. few days later it refused to crank ..
i think it were the original battery as well .. 11 years ..

now have fitted an 80 ah battery ..
stater motor and locks all happy now ..
even my portable 12v hi-fi defaults to a higher volume at switch on
which surprised me

anyhow .. post Bumped
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A couple of Amps less won't make much difference. However if you used a battery with a capacity 25% less, you could find it running out of power when demand is high. Personally I always used the biggest battery that will fit in the tray.

If it's free and in new condition then go for it. If your paying for it anyway then get the right one.

@Bristles
consider replacing the exterior filament lamps .. with led types
i.e. side-lamps .. tail and stop lamps
as .. they use much less power than the filament types

i replaced all of mine .. except for the turn signal lamps

tail and stop leds are just as bright .. if not more so than the filament types
and the sidelamp leds are much stronger ( by how much depends on type )
( https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk )

using 'contralube-770' on the various electrical contacts will
ensure the electrics have an easier time ..

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I ran mine with a 63ah 610cca Bosch Silver Top 027 for a while after my 096 battery died one winter
10 miles to work at 03:30 on a Monday, and back home on Friday night is its normal use, and the little battery didn't let me down.
Have a Yuasa 85ah, 800cca 110 battery in now.

Thanks to everyone for your replies, B.

The 3Ah drop in capacity will make no noticeable difference, it would only be a concern if you used lots of accessories or tended to leave the car parked with its lights on for long periods.

What is more relevant, especially in winter, it’s the current capacity aka cold cranking amps (CCA). If this is significantly less then you might have problems starting on cold mornings regardless of the battery size.

However as the one you have been given appears to be 680amps that should be fine.

Thank you all once again for your kind assistance, ATB B.