Learn Me Batteries

[Jgt58]

You have to watch ac delcos now. Made in china

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Juice]

Yikes, Antigravity batts starting at $695...

 

[GriffX]

My battery is now 12 years old, because I opened and refilled it from time to time. And, I did sometimes a refresh cycle with the cteck charger until the pyknometer becomes green again. Best battery I ever had.

 

[Sky Render]

I'm not putting a lithium battery in a vehicle that I want to be able to drive on a regular basis. Lithium batteries have not impressed me with their reliability.

Also, my '11 will have a dead battery after about 2-3 weeks of sitting. It seems the Copperhead ECU has a significant current draw when the vehicle is off.

 

[06 T-RED S/C GT]

I always connect the tender at the battery.

Is the battery also connected or disconnected from the car's battery terminals?

 

[Juice]

Battery stays connected in the cars. I rotate one tender between two cars and my Vmax.
Motorcycle and jetski batteries get removed for winter and lined up on the bench. I have a solar rv charger that stays connected to those.
Battery tender gets rotated between my van, my 91, and my Vmax. Too much shit in the way on the Vmax to keep pulling the battery. That has the plug-in pigtail installed.

 

[WNYGT5-0]

Yikes, Antigravity batts starting at $695...

Actually, the ATX-20 which is dd sufficient is around 280$ and weighs in just under 5#.

 

[Juice]

Actually, the ATX-20 which is dd sufficient is around 280$ and weighs in just under 5#.

I have two small problems with the "new tech" batteries. While $280 is more reasonable, it is still beyond my personal "acceptable price for new tech" limit. For a car that weighs 3500+ lbs, a 50lbs reduction is only equal to 1 1/2% total weight reduction. Could I even see that in lap times? lol If I cannot measure the gains, I'm looking elsewhere for speed.
Second, I am not trusting this new technology. I have personally seen three of these batteries, Shorai, fail in friends' bikes. In much less than one year.

My tender lithium battery actually lasted over 2 years. I can still probably charge it, and use it in the jetski for the day out. Wont start next weekend without charging the night before. And it sucks to be stuck out in the middle of the river with your ski not starting. Been there. Conowingo damm, Susquahanna river. Fun stuff!

Now, If it would last for 5 years in the jetski (lead acids do last me 5 yrs) there it is a huge improvement that I can feel. It is about a 5% reduction in weight in the jetski.

 

[WNYGT5-0]

Apples to oranges, I get it a lot of old tech folk are sore about a couple bad experiences with 1st gen big box lithium batteries. It’ll take time like with anything for everybody to see the light.

As far as your dollar to performance discussion, if you’re only gonna look at overall weight yeah pretty trivial, but take that 50# from on top of your RF and put it over your LR and get back at me. As for total life expectancy I can’t vouch but mine have paid for themselves.

 

[06 T-RED S/C GT]

Battery stays connected in the cars. I rotate one tender between two cars and my Vmax.
Motorcycle and jetski batteries get removed for winter and lined up on the bench. I have a solar rv charger that stays connected to those.
Battery tender gets rotated between my van, my 91, and my Vmax. Too much shit in the way on the Vmax to keep pulling the battery. That has the plug-in pigtail installed.

I'll see if I can find my battery clips for the battery minder plus tender charger, if I can remember where I put them, as it's been well over 8 years lol. Hopefully, I'll find out if connecting the tender directly to the battery will make a significant difference over connecting the tender with the 12v power plug adapter into the dash

 

[Juice]

Apples to oranges, I get it a lot of old tech folk are sore about a couple bad experiences with 1st gen big box lithium batteries. It’ll take time like with anything for everybody to see the light.

As far as your dollar to performance discussion, if you’re only gonna look at overall weight yeah pretty trivial, but take that 50# from on top of your RF and put it over your LR and get back at me. As for total life expectancy I can’t vouch but mine have paid for themselves.

Oh, trust me, battery relocation has been considered. Still under consideration.

 

[Nuke]

Getting 5 years on a battery, especially in hotter climates, is a decent life span, like it or not.

Unless you run your high power audio system with the ignition off, you don't need a higher capacity battery then stock or equivalent. With the engine running, all loads are supplied by the alternator. If you exceed the alternator's max output, then the battery will supply the excess. And if this occurs frequently and for more than just short periods, you'd better think about upgrading your alternator, battery and some wiring.

I'm a big fan of Interstate batteries. And as stated previously, fitment will be your biggest concern. For simplicity, I'll often go with the OE Motorcraft.

 

[OX1]

My Motorcraft batteries last no longer than 3 years and that's with keeping a battery tender connected whenever the car isn't being driven

Mine went 5 on my 14 GT with it being on tender and only 9K miles since new
(just grabbed a Deka ETX18L for it, not sure how those usually last with very low usage).
I consider 5 years very low, for a low use newer car that has a tender on it exclusively.

Got 10 years out of the batteries on my diesel (about 40K miles and they were still good, was
just worried they would die towing somewhere, someday). Get 7-10 on all my broncos,
that sit most of the time. Got 14 on the orig battery in my EVO8 (which has extremely low mileage also).

 

[Windstang]

I buy Costco or Walmart batteries. They are a bit over $100 and they have a 3 year warranty. What more do you want? I use a tender when I store the Mustang and have no issues. I always wonder why people wait until the battery dies then try to milk a little more time out of it. I changed the Mustang battery in 2015 and it is still good, but I might change it this year just because I don't want it failing because it is getting old. On my daily driver, I've generally found batteries last about 5 years then I change them even though it might last another year or 2. For $100+ every 5 years, I don't want to be stranded. Yes some get 8-10+ years but why chance it until one day, you can't start it. Also as the battery begins to fail, it requires more amps from the alternator which shortens its life too.

 

[gbstang]

Well unfortunately, since we no longer have lead smelters in the US (Thanks Obama) the quality of lead is continually going down.. A typical Battery has two types of lead, as it discharges the electrons move from one plate to the other (through the circuit) thus breaking down the lead. when you charge the battery you reverse the process. This is all great but given that the lead is less pure and recycling batteries just pupetuates the issue the battery quality goes down. I remember when Batteries had a 10yr warranty, notice how the warranties are getting shorter?

Ok, how do you extend a battery in storage? ----EASY! if you have a new battery you can extend the life by doing this:
1. Completely charge your battery
2. Once charged and disconnected from the charger, remove all the elctrolyte into a large glass jar. You can dump your elctrolyte into a tub etc then into the jar. USE PPE!
3. remove the battery from the vehicle and store on a shelf on top of a rubber sheet.
4. When you are ready to return it into service reverse this process.
Batteries are normally charged dry, then stored for long durations. They are filled with sulfuric acid just before they are sent of to retailers to enter service.

If properly cared for, a Battery should last upwards of 50 Years! Yes that is correct.. Batteries on Submarines are in service and are usually older than 30 years old, though they are never removed and drained they are kept in service and maintained daily through float charges, equalizing charges and also have a air lift sytem in them to prevent stratification which is also a battery killer.

Cheers!

 

[Juice]

Battery life depends on two main factors besides keeping them charged. Number of charge/discharge cycles and how deep of a discharge during a cycle.
Starter batteries in cars are ok to discharge to 80% capacity.
Yellow top style hybrid starting/deep cycle can take 50% discharge.
True deep cycle can be discharged to 20% capacity. (Like boat trolling batteries.)
Discharge them further, and it takes life out of them.

How can you charge a battery dry?? And good luck with the "draining the electrolite" as you could never get it all out.

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

Go to Batteryplusbulbs if you have one local. Get a Duracell for your mustang, made by East Penn/Deka. I only use Deka made batteries in my cars now.

 

[Juice]

Had the worst experience with Deka. Acid leaks around terminals, and maybe 3 years life out of them. Gave up after the 3rd one.

 

[Jgt58]

Go to Batteryplusbulbs if you have one local. Get a Duracell for your mustang, made by East Penn/Deka. I only use Deka made batteries in my cars now.

If you have a Fisher/Federated auto parts in your parts , thier brand batteries are made by East Penn/ deka as well

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[WNYGT5-0]

Battery life depends on two main factors besides keeping them charged. Number of charge/discharge cycles and how deep of a discharge during a cycle.
Starter batteries in cars are ok to discharge to 80% capacity.
Yellow top style hybrid starting/deep cycle can take 50% discharge.
True deep cycle can be discharged to 20% capacity. (Like boat trolling batteries.)
Discharge them further, and it takes life out of them.

This is the Gospel of Lead Batteries. Preach on... but honestly the best information in this thread pertaining to batteries.