Bigger Battery?

[Graham-P]

Started mine last night, the battery only just coped even though it has been on a battery charger/conditioner, it's the small Oddesey battery. Does any one know of a bigger battery with better cranking amps and staying power that can be fitted. I have looked at the Optima batteries but they are too wide, it looks like the max width is 150mm. I don't want to buy another Oddesey if something better can be fitted.

[TuxMan]

Hi Graham , i got a new battery at autosport last year ,will get the specs and send them to you . How did the start up go ???

[GTWayne]

Graham, may well be a little OTT I know but I have an Optima battery fitted under the navigator footrest, yeah, it is big and heavy but it is the way to go for sure and will solve any problems you may have or are likely to have in that department.

[Graham-P]

TuxMan said:

Hi Graham , i got a new battery at autosport last year ,will get the specs and send them to you . How did the start up go ???

Simon, thanks would appreciate that. Start up was OK, no leaks etc....but the battery was struggling after only a few atempts. We were running the engine for a few mins then stopping, checking everything then starting again to get a few heat cycles into it.

GTWayne said:

Graham, may well be a little OTT I know but I have an Optima battery fitted under the navigator footrest, yeah, it is big and heavy but it is the way to go for sure and will solve any problems you may have or are likely to have in that department.

Thanks for that Wayne, but the thought of getting under the bl dy dash again does not inspire me, it's a good suggestion though if I can't come up with an alternative.

[andygtt]

The old red top battery was significantly better in my canam that the rather pathetic little thing they do now, it never faltered.... only problem is that the red tops are scrap once they have been run flat which is probably why they changed.

[Graham-P]

Konnichiwa or is it now konbanwa Andy san,
Was that a Optima battery? can't say that I took much notice of it then. I've looked on the Optima site and it seems the batteries are too wide I recon on around 150mm and the battery width is 175mm.
see you soon
Sayonara

[rduart]

I am in the middle of my build, but I fitted an Optima 51.

"Model 51 top dimensions are 5"W x 9.25"L. Height is 8.9" including posts.
Case height w/o posts is 7.8". Base measures 4.75"W x 8.9"L."

The down side is it’s a top post battery, and I had to build a new hold down strap.

Randy

[Pb3]

I agree with Andy, I have stuck with the Varley Red Top 40, it gives something like 1100Amps cranking! But you do need to look after it, my first one was sitting around for over three years. Once I started to use it I read the instructions and that explained why it did not hold much of a charge, as in those three years I had never topped it up - bad move!

[GtrSimon]

I fitted a redtop 40 bit heavy but just don't want any problems starting, can alway fit a small one for track days if i think weight not ability is the problem (I wish)

[Graham-P]

Thanks guys,
A Red Top 40 it is then, don't have to change the cable ends either as M6 fittings.

[andygtt]

Graham-P said:

Konnichiwa or is it now konbanwa Andy san,
Was that a Optima battery? can't say that I took much notice of it then. I've looked on the Optima site and it seems the batteries are too wide I recon on around 150mm and the battery width is 175mm.
see you soon
Sayonara

don't you bloody start as well, having enough trouble understanding people here!

Nope its not an Optima its a red top, look at demon theives cataloge under race batteries.... miles better than the new style if ya look after it.

[TuxMan]

Hi Graham , battery i used was a Powervamp 30

http://www.powervampracing.com/detail.asp?ID=24

it measures 250mm long 150 high and 90mm off bulk head. was a good upgrade on the factory battery .

[ROWDYRENAULT]

guys: I run a Odyssey pc925 rather then the factories 625. So far no problems at all. The battery is 7 inchs by 7.5 by 5 and fits nicely in the stock location with the terminals pointed forward. I mounted the battery on a 1.5 inch thick section of wood with a 1/2 inch depression in the wood to secure the battery from the bottom and a really simple 90 degree bracket to keep the thing from moving verticaly. Part of the reason for the raised piece of wood was to put the terminals high enough to avoid the steering rack. lee

[GTRMikie]

My Redtop is still going strong after 8 years. I just connect it up to an Optimate charger when the car is not being used. I just hope the battery survives the "period of inactivity" while the car is being repaired at the factory.

[Pb3]

GTRMikie said:

I just hope the battery survives the "period of inactivity" while the car is being repaired at the factory.

I seem to remember that providing there is now draw on the battery it can be stored for up to 2 years, may be wrong though, but a few months should be fine. If you have an alarm though, best get Ultima to disconnect the battery, but then as any Haynes manual says that should be the first thing that is done!

[ultimad]

How long roughly do you think the Red Top 40 would last without a charge connected up with an alarm that's armed ? I have to leave the car somewhere soon for 4-5 days and I know that's right on the limit of my factory battery.

[highflyer]

Yo ultimad, you should be good up to a week with the red top, but if it is drawing juice for the alarm etc then I wouldn't leave it any longer than that unless you connect a trickle charger to it, and like Andy said once a red top is drained it is hard to re juvinate it, so it would be another £160 for a new one. Trickle chargers are £20 upwards well worth it !

[Pb3]

4-5 days no problem, I can go a few weeks and that includes my dash/controller being semi-alive as well.

[DHGTR]

Ive just had to replace my battery (odyssey) after 3 years. It has been left to go flat a couple of times over the winter and was generally not looked after in the early stages of its life, probably no wonder its died now.
I got my replacement from a company in leicester called euroenergy, very nice people. They were saying that even if the batteries are not connected, they should be kept at about 12.5 volts while in storage.
Their opinion was that the Odyssey batteries are amongst the best available.

there we go - my two penneth.

dave

[ultimad]

Isn't there a battery that can be abused (i.e. forgetful owner lets it run down every now and then !) that has a lot more power than the factory battery but is still a reasonably straightforward replacement ?