5-lb LiFePO4 battery for S2000
05-13-2014, 01:52 PM
#61
I have some real world experience that you guys may find useful.
First, you have to take a look at what each battery is actually designed for. All of these super lightweight (3 pounds or less) are made for powersports and NOT automotive use. While they MAY work for a little while, using them "out of spec" will overwork them and certainly cause premature failure. If you don't mind replacing it every couple years and want to risk the chance of it failing at an inconvenient time (all for a few more pounds of savings), then have at it.
Being one who does not want to deal with a battery failure at all and would prefer to have a lithium battery that will last 10-15 years, I chose to go with a lithium battery actually made for automotive (daily driver and track) applications. Sure, a battery with more power & capacity will cost more up front, but will deliver the kind of power, performance and reliability that most of us want from our cars and the battery.
I decided to go with the Braille GreenLite GU1R lithium battery that came out last year at SEMA. This is a 6.6 pound lithium battery that is designed for the Import Tuner market and even small block V8 street cars, hot rods, etc. http://www.braillebattery.com/index....al_media_award I decided to replaced the 55 pound Group 49 battery in my daily driven 2000 BMW 540i 6-speed (with 4.4 liter V8) with this battery. I immediately noticed the quicker starting due to the improved electrical performance from lithium and smoother acceleration. Shedding 50 pounds is always a good thing, but relative since it's a 4000 pound car and almost the same ratio as using it in the S.
As for letting the vehicle sit, I have let the car sit for 9-10 days on several occasions while out of town. It had no problem starting the car like it does when driven daily. Now, due to lower capacity, if the car is going to sit for more than 2 weeks, I will either hook up the 2 amp lithium charger (comes as a combo for $50 additional) or would lock the car without the security system being active. (option with my car)
As mentioned previously, lithium does not self-discharge the same way all lead batteries do. I have personally seen 2 different occasions where pro race teams had a "spare" Braille lithium battery, new in the box, that had been in the parts cabinet for 24 and 27 months, respectively. Those batteries still measured at 13.4 and 13.5 volts, which is about half a volt less than when fully charged. So, if you disconnect the battery at the terminal or have a power disconnect switch, you can part the car, cutoff any draw, leave the car for a year, come back, flip the switch and fire up the car. (not that I would recommend having a car sit for that long for a long list of reasons)
Anyway, I have been running this battery since the beginning of summer in hot Florida and haven't had an issue. Is this battery for everyone? Certainly not. For those looking for better performance, a longer lasting battery and especially those who "drive enthusiastically" or do track days, it's a very cost effective way to shed weight, improve engine management/ignition system performance and since it will last 3-5 times longer than a lead battery (even longer when compared to small sized lead or lithium battery), then it virtually pays for itself. As I mentioned, this one is made for automotive use and comes with automotive terminals. http://www.braillebattery.com/index....ies/gu1r_combo
So, I hope this info helps you guys, as I plan to eventually put this battery in my "weekend warrior" cars, as well. Heck, if HPD mandates that Braille lithium be used in their Le Mans P1 & P2 cars, as well as in all of the SuperGT cars, it makes sense to run it in our cars, right? :-) If you check out their Facebook page to see how many different cars run their lithium, there must be something to it. Think of how much money we spend on tires and how long they last (or don't last), so at least I'll spend less money on this upgrade and will last longer the car, in most cases.
First, you have to take a look at what each battery is actually designed for. All of these super lightweight (3 pounds or less) are made for powersports and NOT automotive use. While they MAY work for a little while, using them "out of spec" will overwork them and certainly cause premature failure. If you don't mind replacing it every couple years and want to risk the chance of it failing at an inconvenient time (all for a few more pounds of savings), then have at it.
Being one who does not want to deal with a battery failure at all and would prefer to have a lithium battery that will last 10-15 years, I chose to go with a lithium battery actually made for automotive (daily driver and track) applications. Sure, a battery with more power & capacity will cost more up front, but will deliver the kind of power, performance and reliability that most of us want from our cars and the battery.
I decided to go with the Braille GreenLite GU1R lithium battery that came out last year at SEMA. This is a 6.6 pound lithium battery that is designed for the Import Tuner market and even small block V8 street cars, hot rods, etc. http://www.braillebattery.com/index....al_media_award I decided to replaced the 55 pound Group 49 battery in my daily driven 2000 BMW 540i 6-speed (with 4.4 liter V8) with this battery. I immediately noticed the quicker starting due to the improved electrical performance from lithium and smoother acceleration. Shedding 50 pounds is always a good thing, but relative since it's a 4000 pound car and almost the same ratio as using it in the S.
As for letting the vehicle sit, I have let the car sit for 9-10 days on several occasions while out of town. It had no problem starting the car like it does when driven daily. Now, due to lower capacity, if the car is going to sit for more than 2 weeks, I will either hook up the 2 amp lithium charger (comes as a combo for $50 additional) or would lock the car without the security system being active. (option with my car)
As mentioned previously, lithium does not self-discharge the same way all lead batteries do. I have personally seen 2 different occasions where pro race teams had a "spare" Braille lithium battery, new in the box, that had been in the parts cabinet for 24 and 27 months, respectively. Those batteries still measured at 13.4 and 13.5 volts, which is about half a volt less than when fully charged. So, if you disconnect the battery at the terminal or have a power disconnect switch, you can part the car, cutoff any draw, leave the car for a year, come back, flip the switch and fire up the car. (not that I would recommend having a car sit for that long for a long list of reasons)
Anyway, I have been running this battery since the beginning of summer in hot Florida and haven't had an issue. Is this battery for everyone? Certainly not. For those looking for better performance, a longer lasting battery and especially those who "drive enthusiastically" or do track days, it's a very cost effective way to shed weight, improve engine management/ignition system performance and since it will last 3-5 times longer than a lead battery (even longer when compared to small sized lead or lithium battery), then it virtually pays for itself. As I mentioned, this one is made for automotive use and comes with automotive terminals. http://www.braillebattery.com/index....ies/gu1r_combo
So, I hope this info helps you guys, as I plan to eventually put this battery in my "weekend warrior" cars, as well. Heck, if HPD mandates that Braille lithium be used in their Le Mans P1 & P2 cars, as well as in all of the SuperGT cars, it makes sense to run it in our cars, right? :-) If you check out their Facebook page to see how many different cars run their lithium, there must be something to it. Think of how much money we spend on tires and how long they last (or don't last), so at least I'll spend less money on this upgrade and will last longer the car, in most cases.
^ I love that battery , if cost wasn't an issue I would have bought it first time out, it is expensive but I think it's worth it. That may be my next battery.
I have started using my 17lb Braille AGM battery this spring and it has been turning the car over like a champ, even better than my 27lb Optima ever did. I know it isn't super light but almost 13 lbs lighter than stock is still a good savings, and it has a higher CCA than my full size Optima. Their 11 lb or 15 lb battery could have been just as good but I wanted the extra reserve capacity of the 17 lb and the higher CCA.
One word of caution don't run the battery down all the way, don't use it to crank tunes while the car is turned off. Use it as intended and it should be fine.
04-24-2015, 10:33 AM
#63
Pretty good. I killed my first one, my obd2 reader would kill the battery since it sucked a lot of current so if I forgot to unplug it the battery would die after a few days. It handled dying maybe 5 times over the course of a year or two, then permanently bit the dust.
Then I got another one I think a year ago, this one Ive discharged I think once and it's still going strong.
As long as I don't leave stuff plugged in sucking current it hits just as strong if not stronger than the stock one, even after sitting for a week or two.
If I kill this one I'll buy another one so I guess that's a pretty positive review.
Then I got another one I think a year ago, this one Ive discharged I think once and it's still going strong.
As long as I don't leave stuff plugged in sucking current it hits just as strong if not stronger than the stock one, even after sitting for a week or two.
If I kill this one I'll buy another one so I guess that's a pretty positive review.
04-24-2015, 12:05 PM
#64
I have had mine for two years. Drained it early on by letting it sit for two weeks with an ODBII dongle, but it came back just fine on a trickle charger. I've started it in sub-freezing temps after sitting all night with no issues. I don't have any powerful stereo stuff, so can't comment on that.
04-24-2015, 12:33 PM
#65
I've only been using my car about once or twice a week for a few months. I use a trickle charger and sometimes I park the car and don't connect the charger for as much as 5 days, and it charges right up and car starts without problems when I use it again. So far so good after 2 years.
04-24-2015, 12:40 PM
#66
Originally Posted by Croc' timestamp='1429895288' post='23589972
So what's opinion about Shorai batteries after few years of usage?
Then I got another one I think a year ago, this one Ive discharged I think once and it's still going strong.
As long as I don't leave stuff plugged in sucking current it hits just as strong if not stronger than the stock one, even after sitting for a week or two.
If I kill this one I'll buy another one so I guess that's a pretty positive review.
04-24-2015, 01:53 PM
#67
On my bike I don't have any draw on the battery with the key off. So when I have let my bike(1500cc V-twin) sit all winter(4 mounts) it will start it right up. Can't you shut off the ODB2 scanner? Without a draw on the battery I would think you could let the car sit for a year and it should start right up. It all depends if you can get ALL the draw off the batter when the key is off, and that means no clock also(if parked for a long time).
ROD
ROD
04-24-2015, 02:51 PM
#68
On my bike I don't have any draw on the battery with the key off. So when I have let my bike(1500cc V-twin) sit all winter(4 mounts) it will start it right up. Can't you shut off the ODB2 scanner? Without a draw on the battery I would think you could let the car sit for a year and it should start right up. It all depends if you can get ALL the draw off the batter when the key is off, and that means no clock also(if parked for a long time).
ROD
ROD
04-24-2015, 07:31 PM
#69
Originally Posted by IntegraR0064' timestamp='1429900417' post='23590094
[quote name='Croc' timestamp='1429895288' post='23589972']
So what's opinion about Shorai batteries after few years of usage?
So what's opinion about Shorai batteries after few years of usage?
Then I got another one I think a year ago, this one Ive discharged I think once and it's still going strong.
As long as I don't leave stuff plugged in sucking current it hits just as strong if not stronger than the stock one, even after sitting for a week or two.
If I kill this one I'll buy another one so I guess that's a pretty positive review.
[/quote]
haha glad I wasn't the only one. Was the same for me, the thing is supposed to turn off automatically but it doesn't really do that, I guess it's still got some maintenance current. Took a few times of dead battery before I made the connection as well.
On my bike I don't have any draw on the battery with the key off. So when I have let my bike(1500cc V-twin) sit all winter(4 mounts) it will start it right up. Can't you shut off the ODB2 scanner? Without a draw on the battery I would think you could let the car sit for a year and it should start right up. It all depends if you can get ALL the draw off the batter when the key is off, and that means no clock also(if parked for a long time).
ROD
ROD
04-25-2015, 10:04 AM
#70
Registered User
Originally Posted by IntegraR0064' timestamp='1429900417' post='23590094
[quote name='Croc' timestamp='1429895288' post='23589972']
So what's opinion about Shorai batteries after few years of usage?
So what's opinion about Shorai batteries after few years of usage?
Then I got another one I think a year ago, this one Ive discharged I think once and it's still going strong.
As long as I don't leave stuff plugged in sucking current it hits just as strong if not stronger than the stock one, even after sitting for a week or two.
If I kill this one I'll buy another one so I guess that's a pretty positive review.
[/quote]
why the alternator got dead?