Replacement battery size and access for '84 Mondial cab

Go for an optima red top 34, these are the best.

Check the threads out for details of easiest battery removal

 

Just to be sure - is the battery size 34R with the reversed terminals like a 308 or a standard 34 ?

 

If i'm correct Jimmie that refers to the 355/360's but don't quote me on it specifically.

there are loads of threads on the pro's and cons of Optimas

 

I thought 308 & Mondial are the same - looking down at the battery I think the Earth is top left - as for removal the 328 came with a removable strap - or you just struggle - and make sure the new battery is one with handles

Looking at the Varta site they may be different and they think the Mondial is not reversed - and claim to have USA availability of three different types :

Article number Product line Voltage [V] Battery Capacity [Ah] Cold cranking current, EN [A]
566 047 051 3100 motive 12 66 510
574 012 068 3172 BLUE dynamic 12 74 680
575 121 072 3172 BLUE dynamic HP 12 75 720

Whether I believe it or not however......

 

To get the battery out of the Mondial, you have to remove the panel from the boot area just to the rear of the battery. Pull up the rubber seal around the top and there are a bunch of screws that come out. You have to remove the windshield washer tank as well. Carefully angle the panel out and you have full access to the battery.

I had a similar intermittent starting problem with my '84 Mondial. Turned out it was that on/off switch that is wired into the negative ground strap, as well as corrosion in the woven strap from the switch to the body and at the body itself. IMHO, remove that switch entirely and replace the negative lead with a new cable, running directly to the body. Get rid of that old woven strap. Be sure to clean up the spot on the body where the negative lead attaches so you have metal to metal. And after you have it all together, spray the negative terminal and body connection with some anti-corrosion protectant that you can get at any auto parts store.

My bet -- if you just clean up the battery terminal, eliminate the switch (which is a POS), put in a new negative cable, clean the body connection and make sure all the contacts on the negative side are good, the existing battery will work just fine.

Regards,
Steve

p.s. Most electrical problems you describe, and a lot of others, are caused by a bad ground. Clean up the grounding points and most of the problems will go away. Wouldn't hurt to check the ground from the engine to the body as well. It's the negative side that developes the corrosion, not the positive. But wouldn't hurt to clean up the positive terminal on the battery as well, while you are in there.

 

BTW, I did buy a new battery from Sears. Got a Sears Die Hard, 34R, and it fit just fine, works well. But if your battery is relatively new and holds a charge, there is no reason to change it. You can also take it to a local Auto Zone, Sears or similar store and they can put it on a tester for you and tell you whether it is shot or not.

 

I put an Interstate MT-34 in my '79 308GT4... I know it's not apples-to-apples with a Mondi QV, but I thought I'd mention it just so you have one more tidbit of info for your search....

 

On my Mondi Cabrio, you have to remove the passenger front right wheel, un-screw the access panel in the wheel well and there's the battery. I also went ahead and replaced my battery with a shorter, slightly taller one with a strap and poles at the middle so that it could be jumped (if need be) easily, and so that I could just lift it out. Though you still have to take the panel that holds the windshield washer bottle out. I still owe Russ Turner in the "Mondial electrical thread" the specifics of what battery I replaced it with...I'm getting to it.

 

Interstate MT-34R, period.

 

I have now tried both methods of gaining access to the battery in my Mondial, and for my money, going in from above is the easier of the two. I think they each take about the same amount of time, going in from above saves the hassle of jacking the car and re-torquing the lugs.