Lightweight Batteries

[MisterMiniS]

Hey,
I need a new battery, so why not make it a lightweight one? Research says Deka / Braille are the best options. Anyone have experience? Where can I pick one up local?
Thanks!

[iamsam]

I know Clark has one that is pretty light.

[fsmtnbiker]

Braille/Deka will last you maybe 1 season. Beyond that they are flaky.

I had good luck with my odyssey PC680, but they are heavy compared to the new lightweight batteries coming out.

We are selling a new battery from Shorai, that weighs about 4.5 lbs and has more power/amperage than the Deka ETX18 or the PC680. They are more expensive than the Deka, at about $350, but you won't find a lighter battery with more power.

[MisterMiniS]

Ok,
That basically leaves me with one question.

Is the Shorai's weight reduction worth the 3x cost compared to the heavier Odyssey?

I have so many other things that I can do prep wise for my car that will have more bang for buck, but do need a battery, so I was trying to hit two birds with one stone and just get a lightweight for roughly the same price as a stock sized replacement. Basically, you convinced me to go the Odyssey route, but if I'm missing something, let me know.
Thanks a bunch for the info.

[clarkkey594]

I have one of the Odyssey PC680s and it has been a champ as long as you don't leave it sitting for more than 10 days. I paid $150 for it 2 years ago and it weighs 15.x lbs.

[Swanny]

lightweight battery?? you're going to mess up that 50/50 weight distribution :nice:

[fsmtnbiker]

Is the Shorai's weight reduction worth the 3x cost compared to the heavier Odyssey?

That's really the question, isn't it?

On a max-prep car where you can lose 10+ lbs for "only" $350? Absolutely.

On a car you still street-drive occasionally or often, and aren't necessarily prepping to max out every rules allowance? Probably not.

Some keys to keeping the odyssey happy, for me:

-I did not run it in my car during the winter. Once the ambient temps dropped below freezing, starting was pretty slow and I didn't want to stress the starter. Instead, I kept the battery on a Tender, inside where it was not subject to big temperature swings.

-Use a good, solid mount. Bimmerhaus has a great mount for the PC680, that uses the stock battery tie-down. Make sure you get the tapered terminals for SAE car battery cables, the light battery won't come with them.

http://bimmerhaus.com/vendors/wiles.html

Between these two, my battery lasted me 3 seasons, and as far as I know it's still going in another friend's racecar. And it had surprisingly good starting power, I could let my car sit for up to about a week without worrying. Beyond that, I always disconnected it since the classic slow-draw that BMWs seem to have would run it dead.

[MisterMiniS]

-Use a good, solid mount. Bimmerhaus has a great mount for the PC680, that uses the stock battery tie-down. Make sure you get the tapered terminals for SAE car battery cables, the light battery won't come with them.

http://bimmerhaus.com/vendors/wiles.html

I picked up the PC680 on my way home today. Just set the connectors on there and walla, car started right up, no issues at all. That makes me ridiculously happy. Also, battery mount/case = ordered. That is all good to go. Thanks for the 100% awesome info.

[Roland H]

I picked up the PC680 on my way home today. Just set the connectors on there and walla, car started right up, no issues at all. That makes me ridiculously happy. Also, battery mount/case = ordered. That is all good to go. Thanks for the 100% awesome info.

I have one of those cases collecting dust, unused. Wish I would have seen this earlier. :(

Anyone else need one? :p

[clarkkey594]

I have one of those cases collecting dust, unused. Wish I would have seen this earlier. :(

Anyone else need one? :p

I might PM me a price.

[MazterDizazter]

Anyone running the PC680 with a different mounting setup than the Wiles? Bimmerhaus is currently out of stock and likely won't have any more til the end of the month. I suppose I could rig up something temporary but...

Just to chime in a little on Odyssey: I bought a used PC545 from a fellow MR2 owner back in 2007; no idea how long he had it in his car but it lasted me until the end of last year when it finally stopped holding a charge. I never took it out of the car or trickle charged it for the winter, or it probably would have lasted even longer! Cost me $116 to replace it, which is about the same for a regular battery anyway. Good product!

[Cloudbase]

This makes me want to go get my 12lb battery out of storage. Doesn't it kill onboard computers and stuff to have the battery out of the car for a prolonged period of time?

[visionaut]

...different mounting setup than the Wiles?

When I'd looked before - I also found these:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/accessories/billet.htm

http://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/battery-boxes/box-material/steel

[Eric]

I want to do this:

Here's my battery. 3.0lbs LiFePo built with A123 cells bought from Ebay. It's a 16 cell pack, 9.2Ah reserve, 480 cranking amps for 10 seconds, 280 cranking amps for the full charge of the battery. It's been in my car since last July, daily driven all winter and was used in another car for about 8 months before that. Never failed to start my car, though it cranked pretty slowly a couple times when the temps were in the 14 degrees F range.

With the relocation to the engine compartment, and removal of the battery cable that runs from the trunk to the engine bay, it saved about 40 lbs.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-f...d-battery.html

[downforce22]

I built a lithium ion charged electric bike with a similar procedure. I'm sure you could save space weight and cost doing it yourself but be wary of soldering them together as it is quite dangerous. I would also invest in a PCB to prevent the battery from over charging and other dangerous happenings. That is going to be the expensive component.