Battery Choices & Information

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by Rom

Based on some calculations I did, using a 35mA draw (15mA immobilisor, 20mA alarm),

Except...

I seem to remember that the system pulls 10 mA with the imobilizer on and alarm off, and 15 mA when the alarm is activated along with the imobilizer. The alarm being active adds 5 mA draw to the immobilizer only - the two amounts are not added together.

Even if I'm wrong about the 10 and 15, and it's really 15 and 20, they still are not added together to get 35 - it's one or the other.

[TheViper]

The "whole" car with the alarm/immobilizer on, pulls 20ma, immobilizer only 15ma. (from Lotus Service Notes). From Cobra manual "armed 13ma", the conclusion, which Lotus feel is a "reasonable assumption" is that the ECU draws 7ma (20ma - 13ma).
Michael

Originally Posted by TimMullen

Except...

I seem to remember that the system pulls 10 mA with the imobilizer on and alarm off, and 15 mA when the alarm is activated along with the imobilizer. The alarm being active adds 5 mA draw to the immobilizer only - the two amounts are not added together.

Even if I'm wrong about the 10 and 15, and it's really 15 and 20, they still are not added together to get 35 - it's one or the other.

[buzzy]

Does anyone know where I can get a bracket for a PC925? S111 doesn't have their bracket anymore which I was planning on modifying.

[CHRISN]

Jetworks Battery

KB-25 13 LBS
XC 11 LBS

I received via email from a friend I have not verified the weights.

Anyone know anything about these batteries?

Chris

[CrusaderTBC]

I have the Optima Red in my TT. The original (2003) one died after a year and a half, but Batteries Plus replaced it free of charge and it's been great ever since.

[agirls]

I think I need a new battery soon so was looking into getting an AGM battery. I don't want to deal with a bracket or mods and I'm not fast enough to where weight really matters. Looking at the chart, I'm going to guess that the Odessey PC1200 is the one I want ?

[tmr]

Do a search on the PC925, as it's not that hard to put in and weighs about the same as the original battery. The 1200 is heavier, which might be a problem with the original mounting points. You only have two nut plates that are each held in place with two rivets to fiberglass, so this might weaken those attachment points over time.

[TheViper]

The Optima is the only AGM I am sure that will secure using the OEM battery clamp, and also use the cover:
PS Posting from vacation with Tesprit in Costa Rica

[tvacc]

The Odyssey is the really the only way to go. There are several posts about making a lock down system. I made a lockdown system with Stainless Steel strap.

I and many of our LOONYs use the 925. Others have used the one half that size...I think the 680. I use the 680 in my Seven.

eBay Motors: Odyssey HDB925 Battery Hold-Down Bracket Summit (item 330317624266 end time Apr-25-09 11:23:32 PDT)

eBay Motors: Odyssey HDW925 Battery Hold-Down/Mount Steel Natural (item 330317624294 end time Apr-25-09 11:23:33 PDT)

[agirls]

Cool. Thanks for the replies!!

[Cthulhu]

I just got my Braille 106 battery (6.6 lbs). I use my exige as a daily driver and needed a replacement for my big, exhausted 40 lb marine battery (prior owner's selection). The specs on the battery made me a little cautious... 10 amp hours... I had fabricated a stock battery bracket (it was nice, looked IDENTICAL to the original), but then found my OEM bracket under the carpeting in my trunk. So, I sawed some grooves in the bracket I made so that I could bend part of it around the smaller battery. I also used a few additional washers, a zip tie, and double sided sticky tape to mount the battery, and banged my aluminum bracket down a little to widen it. The bracket clamps against the side of the battery nice and hard and it weights 7 lbs, so it isn't going anywhere. I have enough scrap metal to fabricate a better bracket if I needed.

I expected this 10 amp hour battery to be "smart", by which I mean: include some type of trickle drain prevention so that my alarm doesn't kill it. I'm assuming this protection exists because every time I turn my car off and leave it for a few minutes, my clock resets to some random time of day.

I may call up Braille and find out if there's a relay inside the battery that opens in certain situations. If there is, then I'll put a tiny 12-14V battery (like a 1AH 12V battery pack) in parallel with the main battery.

If there is a relay, I HOPE someone at Braille knows if I can use a small parallel battery to keep the clock alive. If the Braille battery has a relay, maybe it won't open if it's equillibrating with another parallel battery. Any thoughts before I harass Braille?

[TheViper]

The Braille 106 does not have a disconnect relay. Braille do make an auto-disconnect, called the "power protector", it has a yellow cylindrical top to it, check if you have it. If the battery was disconnected the alarm would switch over to it's back up battery and sound.
Cheers, Michael

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

I just got my Braille 106 battery (6.6 lbs). I use my exige as a daily driver and needed a replacement for my big, exhausted 40 lb marine battery (prior owner's selection). The specs on the battery made me a little cautious... 10 amp hours... I had fabricated a stock battery bracket (it was nice, looked IDENTICAL to the original), but then found my OEM bracket under the carpeting in my trunk. So, I sawed some grooves in the bracket I made so that I could bend part of it around the smaller battery. I also used a few additional washers, a zip tie, and double sided sticky tape to mount the battery, and banged my aluminum bracket down a little to widen it. The bracket clamps against the side of the battery nice and hard and it weights 7 lbs, so it isn't going anywhere. I have enough scrap metal to fabricate a better bracket if I needed.

I expected this 10 amp hour battery to be "smart", by which I mean: include some type of trickle drain prevention so that my alarm doesn't kill it. I'm assuming this protection exists because every time I turn my car off and leave it for a few minutes, my clock resets to some random time of day.

I may call up Braille and find out if there's a relay inside the battery that opens in certain situations. If there is, then I'll put a tiny 12-14V battery (like a 1AH 12V battery pack) in parallel with the main battery.

If there is a relay, I HOPE someone at Braille knows if I can use a small parallel battery to keep the clock alive. If the Braille battery has a relay, maybe it won't open if it's equillibrating with another parallel battery. Any thoughts before I harass Braille?

[Cthulhu]

Ahh. That's what that is... Everything seems to be OK now that the battery has been fully charged. Thanks, Viper, that woulda been a long back-and-forth with Braille, culminating with lots of confusion.

[JLotus94]

Great info!

[RichS]

Looks like the VolkPhreaks batteries are missing from the list.

I certainly love mine. The customer service has been over the top.

[Thomasio]

As a note, RLS has the PC680 for $120 and also the Lotus - specific mounting bracket.

[Lancia]

To quote an engineer at optima
"The optima is a wet cell."

Wet and agm are part of the same thing.
AGM is not the same as a gel cell.
Gassing issues are the same as with any open wet cell battery.
Very high end batteries can use devices to capture these gasses.
Some can add them on, common in solar.
I don't recall optima coming with them.

The big advantage to the absorbed approach is the containment of materials that may short out a cell in an open wet cell design.
The optima is agm more to enable it's design to be manufactured easily than for other reasons.
The resistance to large leaks is a plus.

Other attributes of the optima are from it's circular design and not the agm detail.
The design is a very low resistance approach and this often enables quick charging.

I have found it to be very tough in high vibration mounting, as on the track.

[SweetDaddyD]

Originally Posted by Lancia

To quote an engineer at optima
"The optima is a wet cell."

Wet and agm are part of the same thing.
AGM is not the same as a gel cell.
Gassing issues are the same as with any open wet cell battery.
Very high end batteries can use devices to capture these gasses.
Some can add them on, common in solar.
I don't recall optima coming with them.

The big advantage to the absorbed approach is the containment of materials that may short out a cell in an open wet cell design.
The optima is agm more to enable it's design to be manufactured easily than for other reasons.
The resistance to large leaks is a plus.

Other attributes of the optima are from it's circular design and not the agm detail.
The design is a very low resistance approach and this often enables quick charging.

I have found it to be very tough in high vibration mounting, as on the track.

To quote me "the optima is a giant piece of crap"
mine died and wouldn't recharge over a couple months of winter storage.

[Lancia]

That's not good.
Did they warrantee it?

[TheViper]

I beg to differ, AGM are VRLA (stands for valve-regulated lead-acid) and is the designation for low-maintenance lead-acid rechargeable batteries.
These batteries recirculate the hydrogen gas, but they always include a safety pressure relief valve. As opposed to vented (also called flooded) batteries, a VRLA cannot spill its elecrolyte if it is inverted.

Originally Posted by Lancia

Gassing issues are the same as with any open wet cell battery.
Very high end batteries can use devices to capture these gasses.
Some can add them on, common in solar.
I don't recall optima coming with them.