I need advice. Searching for batteries for our 2002 Gem E2. Contacted batteries and bulbs and they are offering a DC31DT. Specs are as follows.
CCA 105
MCA 650
8 Hour cap 800
6 Hour cap 225
weight 60 lbs
length 13
width 6 3/4
Height 9 1/2
Comments please? Price is good so hoping these will work. Short trips with some short climbs for us. Thanks.
Look at 31DCM at ORilleys. $625 a set. East Penn battery (best in the business) 3/4 year battery if you keep them watered and charged. I have purchased 7 sets so far and no problems.
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The ones I mentioned are East Penn also, are they not Ok to use? Price is much less. Thanks.
maybe should ask, is a set 2 batteries?
6 in a set. $625 total with cores and get a $20 coupon.
The gut at Rielly said they no longer have the one you suggested. He suggested the group 27 battery.
Ken and Karen Stockton
What will be the correct procedure to replace all 6 batteries? Thanks.
Where are you located? My store has 1 day availability. We are in central Florida. They are listed on the website. $96.99 each.
These are a 105AH battery. Weight is 60 pounds. 27DCM are only 53 pounds and range would suffer significantly. Many store personal are not familiar with our requirements and are not up to speed. Try another store. One of our members bought a set 2 weeks ago. Keep us up to date.
Rodney
Remove the old ones and install the new. Before starting make a drawing of wiring hook up paying particular attention to orientation and polarity.
Unfortunately we are in California. I will check around tomorrow at other Oreilly stores. Thanks for your help.
So thinking main battery switch may need to be in the off position during replacement and turn it on after completion. After replacement should I activate the on board charger before a test drive. Going to our other local O’riellys now with pictures of the group 31. Thanks.
ALWAYS turn off the main switch when working on the car. ALSO buy 2 gallons of DI water and top the batteries off. They don’t fully fill the batteries for shipping reasons.
CHECK THE ORIENTATION OF THE BATTERIES BEFORE REMOVAL!!!
Rodney
Not doing well in my search. Neither O’reilly has them and auto zone does not either. May need to go with the ones from Batteries plus bulbs in my original post.
Try this link and see if it works. I couldn’t get there from the link above but did a search on the site and found them. Good luck
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/marine-5356/battery-accessories-16452/deep-cycle---marine-batteries-17354/220f7dcd7121/super-start-marine-group-size-31-top-mount-battery/31dcmj/4742532?q=Super+Start+Marine+Group+Size+31+&pos=0
Our local O’riellys does not stock them unfortunately. The price and availability are good on the ones I described on my original post. Can I ask for opinions from you more experienced it seems Gem owners. Thanks again.
Where in CA are you? I followed the link above and entered my local O’Reillys (Grass Valley) and it offered me free shipping to that store. If you give me your zip or town I can see if it will ship to your local store
95687 store people did not mention that, Vacaville. If they will ship there, they should here. I would even drive there to get them, can you check on price? Thanks.
Ken and Karen Stockton
Ok, the one I found has the same name and almost the same part number but there is an extra J on the end - 31DCMJ vs 31DCM. If you read the specs it might be that the one I found is more weighted toward starting marine than deep cycle. You will have to get @Old_Houseboater’s opinion on that since he is the expert, not I. If the ones I found will work, they can be delivered to your store by ordering on the website. The ones he showed do not come up as orderable for in-store delivery. It might be that his local store stocks them.
On a side note; have you considered going with Lithium? I am just finishing up my conversion and I can’t overstate the improvement over lead acid. Its absolutely amazing. You might spend a bit more but you should never have to fuss with it again and the car runs unbelievably well.
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Old houseboater can you please comment on your opinion on the batteries from batteries plus bulbs in my original message. Seems I should be able to get the battery you suggested shipped by O’reilly main office but haven’t tried that yet. Thanks and have a great holiday.
31DCM is the deep cycle unit that we use in our GEMS Its a 105AH battery and specifications are iterated below.
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The 31DCMJ Specifications indicate a higher starting current capability for starting service with deep cycle capabilities. It is a different battery and I have not been able to find the AH rating. I will check with East Penn and report later.
For now I would stick with the 31DCM
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Battery; Motor Wheelchair; Specifically designed to withstand the rigors of long, deep discharges and long, slow recharges, our marine deep-cycle batteries stand above the rest in dependability and long life. Excellent recharge capabilities for lasting performance, trip after trip. Special features make transport and installation easier.
Designed to withstand the rigors of heavy-duty deep cycle use
Exclusive dual-top stainless steel terminals for corrosion-free connections
Includes handles for ease of installation and transportation
Power for starting
Special fiberglass mat and heavier grids and plates extend performance and life