I just replaced mine on my 2015 with the Costco/Interstate 51R yesterday. I had to cut my tray in order for it to fit but it was not a big deal. I did have to enter in the radio code after the new battery was reconnected. But the station memories were still all there. I started by clipping on a battery saver to the terminal but it was too much of a pain so I didn't use it. I was using one of those battery packs with the large alligator clamps.

 

I just had the tray cut today and put in the bigger battery. Works like a charm. You'll be glad you did. And its not hard...especially as the battery shop installed and cut and took the old on the spot. That's livin

 

Has anyone thats made this upgrade run into any issues overloading their alternator? 2015 Fit EX here.

 

Battery size and capacity has very little to do with alternator output or load. In reality the vehicle is powered by the alternator and not the battery The battery is a temporary storage device and really only powers the starter to get the engine running plus a few other minor loads when the engine not running. So after starting, the alternator replaces the power used to start the vehicle which is not much. How much power do you use to crank the vehicle less than 5 seconds. Using a larger battery just adds to your storage capacity and cold cranking capacity.

In other words, do not worry about it.

 

n9cv is right. It's a non-issue.

 

A battery with a larger capacity (measured in ampere-hours, or coulombs) will not put a load of a larger size on the alternator. The rate of charge, in amperes, will be the same. However the length of time that the battery is charged at that rate, will be longer. At least, for the first time you put in the larger capacity battery. After that, the length of time that the alternator will charge it, will depend upon the amount of discharge that it has undergone. In other words. For example if the battery is fully charged, and then you turn off the engine, and then you leave the radio on for, say, 1 hour, with the engine off, the alternator will take a certain amount of time to charge the batter to full capacity, once you start the car, Having a battery with a greater capacity than another battery will not cause that amount of time to be significantly different. What will be significantly different is the amount of time you can leave the radio on, before the battery is discharged the same amount, for example the amount of time you can leave the radio on before the battery is so discharged that it will no longer be able to start the engine (assuming the same engine temperature). So the wear and tear on your alternator will not be affected by a larger battery, unless you use the battery more, which you will be able to do if it has a larger capacity. But that doesn't mean you actually will use it more, it just means you can use it more, if you wish.

 

yes!! bigger battery not problem for tiny alternator.....IF you have not added additional load and undersized the alternator(ex amplifier..lights)

 

I just swapped out my OEM 151r battery with a 51R from Napa and it works just fine. My car ('16 LX) was built in Japan, and already had the bigger battery tray so no mods were needed. The only additional work I had to do was raise the nut on the hold down clamp since the 51R is taller than the 151R.

 

No modifications needed. The battery tray is large enough to take the slightly longer battery. The battery tray is long enough to take the slightly longer (than the 151R) battery. The height & width are the same as the 151R.

 

OEM battery lasted until a week or so ago. Always bought DieHard batts, so off to Advance to get one ($169!! ). Had two 151R batts there. Guy at the counter calls back to the guy in parts room to grab a 151R. He mishears, and brings a 51R. I had noted, while removing the OEM battery, that the 151R only uses up about 2/3 of the battery tray, and the 51R was about the same height and width, just longer. And rated for 160 CCR more than the 151R. And the same ridiculous price. So I took the 51R and it fits like a champ. So, I got the perfect upgrade by accident.

While it's a good thing to try and keep a bit of distance between the ECM and the negative terminal, the ECM heatsink is at ground potential, so if the battery managed to slide back and touch it, nothing untoward is likely to happen, certainly not electrically. Mechanically, I don't suppose it would be a good idea to have it rubbing on the ECM. Give it all the clearance you can and cinch the battery down well.

Did you know that a lot of batteries (including my new DieHard) are now made in Vietnam? It's a TIL for me.