Battery type/number
Discussion
All the details are in this thread.
Since having my battery go flat on me after leaving the car for several weeks I'd recommend getting as big a one as would fit in the space. Any extra weight is right where you'd want it over the front wheels.
Since having my battery go flat on me after leaving the car for several weeks I'd recommend getting as big a one as would fit in the space. Any extra weight is right where you'd want it over the front wheels.
GTRClive said:
I have had no problem with the Red Top 40.
Unlike me. I bought my Red Top 40 early in the build process in order to fix its position relative to the aircon receiver/drier and to establish the exact route of the (very rigid) battery and starter motor cables. I'm talking here about a Sports completed in 99. I knew that this would mean storing the battery for some considerable time but as the manfacturer stated in its literature, "these batteries can be stored for up to 12 months before use", I didn't foresee a problem. How wrong I was. Despite charging the battery periodically with a normal charger, when I came to use it, it simply didn't have the power to turn the engine over more than a couple of times before everything ground to a halt. Even when fully charged, I couldn't get an open circuit reading of more that 12.48 v compared with that of a new battery which should be around 13.0 to 13.2 v.
I sent it back to the main supplier who did a "teardown analysis". This is techno-speak for cutting it in half with a hacksaw. To cut a very long story short they said that the internal condition of the battery indicated that it had been left in a partially discharged state for a long time and could not be recovered.
They did offer me a good discount on the then latest addition to the Red Top range, the Red Top 60 (1400 amps cranking current and 51 amp/hrs capacity) so I bought one as well as a dedicated trickle charger. I've had this battery now for just about 4 years and it has performed superbly. It is still showing over 13.0 v when fully charged and spins the engine over even in the dead of winter. Why? because the only time that it isn't attached to the battery charger is when I'm driving the car.
The moral of the story is, if you have a Red Top battery, never ever let it become even partially discharged if you can possibly help it. If you do, it will die a little bit and when it becomes partially discharged again, it will die a little bit more. Most importantly, buy a proper trickle charger (it's an arm and a leg job) but a lot cheaper than a new battery.
>> Edited by Alan 2 on Wednesday 31st December 14:03
I had the red top for over a year and it worked perfectly, never failing to start and could turn the motor over for as long as my other car with a huge diesel battery. Worth explaining this is despite having a stereo and an alarm.
However I managed to discharge it at pistonfest due to a hurried engine installation on the very morning of it.
This then turned into a major problem as once discharged they are almost unrecoveable, basically I drove 250miles home and it still couldn't turn the engine!
So I purchased the little odysee one from the factory, bloody increadable little thing it is too. It weighs almost 15ld less at only 14 (comapared to 29 for the red top). I thought it would never start the engine but it did perfectly.
What I have noticed though is that it does not have the stamina of the old red top and I managed to recover the red top so I'm back with that.
If I was starting again I would investigate the possibility of getting a larger version of the odysee as they have the advantage of being recoverable.
However I managed to discharge it at pistonfest due to a hurried engine installation on the very morning of it.
This then turned into a major problem as once discharged they are almost unrecoveable, basically I drove 250miles home and it still couldn't turn the engine!
So I purchased the little odysee one from the factory, bloody increadable little thing it is too. It weighs almost 15ld less at only 14 (comapared to 29 for the red top). I thought it would never start the engine but it did perfectly.
What I have noticed though is that it does not have the stamina of the old red top and I managed to recover the red top so I'm back with that.
If I was starting again I would investigate the possibility of getting a larger version of the odysee as they have the advantage of being recoverable.
Yeah. The Odessy batteries don't seem to have the Ah capacity of the Red Tops (but their cranking capability is incredible!).
If you fit a trickle charger then make sure you get a good one with all the appropriate thermal fuses, etc. Don't want to end up like this:www.wreckedexotics.com/newphotos/exotics/15xj12_20030916_002.shtml
Happy New Year to everyone when it comes!
If you fit a trickle charger then make sure you get a good one with all the appropriate thermal fuses, etc. Don't want to end up like this:www.wreckedexotics.com/newphotos/exotics/15xj12_20030916_002.shtml
Happy New Year to everyone when it comes!
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