Small battery - On the cheap!

[88GT-R]

What are your plans for this year, Ben?

John

[Initial-D]

Well originally it was time attack but due to the cost its out of my budget this year so trackdays will be the main thing instead! Basically I\'ve stripped the car down and currently its being seam welded and then having a full FIA roll cage put in, along with suspension and bracing mods. Hence why I\'ll have to postpone time attack until next year! At least I can save some cash for decent brakes!

[88GT-R]

I know what you mean...!!

John

[RemarkLima]

Right ho, sorry about the delay...


But got it attached properly and it works a treat... It\'s quite mild today so it may struggle a little in the depths of winter but checking the full size battery I have that\'s 510 CCA\'s.

But basically had plenty of poke to turn the engine, Halfrauds are doing a cheaper one (the one I\'ve tried is the grey box 200 or something), which is a yellow box, implies 400 CCA\'s maybe... Or 900... Hard to tell, but either way should work fine!

I\'m about to plumb in a solar trickle charger (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=98358&criteria=solar&doy=11m2) and you\'d probably need something like that to keep the battery topped up if you don\'t drive the car everyday.

HTH and GL!
Mark

[RemarkLima]

Further... Just got a confirmation from Halfrauds that it\'s 400 CCA\'s but only for short bursts

Sweet!

[dazsir]

Hi guys, following on from Mr Lima, I bought a jump-start pack from Maplins with a 400CCA battery, just fitted mine after a reloaction to the boot, where the ABS computer is.  (N/S rear corner, the batter is wedged in tightly and the earth is taken to the rear washer pump earthing point, which is directly behind the wheel on the rear bulkhead (where the lights attach)

I am also fitting an at-a-glance, battery voltage meter that I stripped from the afore mentioned jump-start pack.

[Initial-D]

We want pictures!!
Sounds great though!

[RobbieRX-7]

I would imagine that if your going down some long dark country roads in the cold and rain with the wipers,heaters,main beam,radio,amplifier etc on, this battery is gonna drain quick and put a lot of strain on the alternator which in turn puts strain on the engine meaning more petrol usage. If the alternator dies a long way from home, the only way your getting home is on a recovery truck. Personally i would feel safer with a normal batery in the boot. At least this way i am not putting abnormal stress on the alternator

[allstaruk]

Your alternator should run everything on the car and still be able to charge the battery, if your out it cold and rain with the wipers,heaters,main beam,radio,amplifier on then then turn off the amplifyers and it\'ll be ok.

If you have a power FC you can have the volts displayed on the commader just to be safe.

Al

[RemarkLima]

That\'s what I would have thought as well, it should always run at 14.4v...

And short of a snapped belt, you can normally tell when your altenator is on it\'s way out, battery light flashing at high revs is normally a good indication of it about to die

[TonyC]

Sounds great though if you are running a race car that won\'t need to be started in the cold depths of winter, or run with wipers, lights, heater, stereo.
Very interesting....

[allstaruk]

If you alternator is up to scratch then you will be able to run everything on the car as stock, if you\'ve added some brutal lights or amplifyers then you might get into trouble but otherwise there shouldn\'t be a problem

Can anyone post up exactly what kit these are and what batteries in each as I need to do this.

Alan

[dazsir]

Well the definitive test is here, did as Mr Lima did, fitted it, started really quickly first time in the afternoon.  8:00pm last night "right lets go for a blast" went out drove 25 miles and thought oooh I will stop for petrol, as usual stopped and filled up.  Came to restart the car, nothing!  The battery would only just turn over the car but would not spark into life! Had to get someone to jump start me!
So here is what I am thinking, the battery is 17AH which is its discharge rate, if you are asking it to start the car every hour or so, you are buggered the battery will not have time to recover, lets say the minimum the 7 needs is 100amps to start it (from cold).
I have had experience of the Varley red-tops which are great, light racing batteries, but they cannot handle a large electrical load!

Last night, I had my stereo on, lights and heater.  So there you go, maybe these batteries are no good for out inclement weather!

Bottom line, I am off to Halfrauds, getting a battery, placing it in a wooden box, in the boot.  Most batteries are maintenance free, therefore sealed so should not vent any gases (if they needed topping up, they vent gases as hydrogen, the only way the battery gets that hydrogen back is through the electrolysis of water)

:god

[RemarkLima]

Hi Dazsir,

Well, that is the definitive test! I guess it\'s the cranking that rapidly drains the battery...

But once you had a jump start (i.e. the battery had no power left), you still could run OK with everything on? Meaning that the altenator can handle the load, but you just need enough time to get the battery charged.

Cheers for being more thorough than I

[allstaruk]

Ok that answers a few questions, do you have a power FC what was the voltage on that while you were runnig everything.

So on a seperate not what spec battery will work.

Alan