Main dealer is quoting circa £100 for OEM Mazda battery - I can’t get them to tell me which manufacturer - the guy just repeats its made by Mazda. But I don’t think Mazda make batteries? Could it be a Panasonic which I have seen referred to in other threads?
However, my real question is this. I’ve done some reading on threads and elswhere about Yuasa Batteries which seem to have a good reputation. Yuasa themsleves offer three alternatives for my model - the middle one of which is the YBX5053. On checking with suppliers - eg Halfords - their offering is the Yuasa HSB053. The number is different, but the pictures (very small) look very similar.
Anyone know if these are one and the same battery?
Also, find the cheapest offering from a UK online store and then get Halfords to match it under their price-match promise. I did that when my local Halfords had the same battery on sale for £105; I got it for £69. Sadly, they wouldn’t take off a further 10% owners club discount!
I’ve used Yuasa batteries for many many years especially in my motorcycling days and always found them excellent. Twist Halford’s arm for your best discounted price as mentioned
The Yuasa batteries are very good. There are a few grades relating to efficiency and lifetime. I chose the YBX grade in the 5000 series in the 053 case style, ie a YBX5053. At the time MDS had the best price and quickest delivery.
I know next to nothing about the Mk3. Is there still a requirement for the battery to be vented, as in the boot-mounted items in the NA and NB? Or is the battery up front in the NC? Just curious.
Up front if I remember rightly…and dont drop the retaining nut as I did whilst replacing the battery on my neighbours…or its time for the magnetic fishing rod
It is up front, and there is also positive cooling ventilation of the battery box when moving; a ‘battery duct’ two or three fingers wide comes in underneath the ‘battery tray’ from behind the nose cone. When the car is stationary any battery fumes will drop out of it, otherwise dust is funnelled in while moving. The inside of the battery box (missed by the dealer’s valet prior to me buying it) was by far the dustiest part of my engine compartment!
Ah, well, I chose not to live up a muddy forest track in quiet clean Scottish air. We only suffer from a surfeit of noisy diesel fumes and unremitting builder’s dust in our filthy jet-fuelled London air.
Seriously, I am very impressed by how clean the NC engine compartment remains, all through the rough wet dirty weather, it’s infinitely better than our Mazda3 which was filthy after just five hundred miles.
So I was surprised to see in the NC a normally dusty dirty battery top under a protective cover, until I noticed the duct, which explained everything.
