[aztec1382]

Picked up a new battery after seeing at a shop.
I Couldn't believe that it only weighed 2.2 pounds I immediately asked if I could see if it started my car or if it was just a fake battery. Honestly felt like nothing was inside.
It's lithium ion and inexpensive
Bought one immediately to replace my baker precision battery (also a great battery but at 2.2 lbs it's impossible not to make the change.
Best part is they are under 300



Mark at iron canyon has some in stock
Iron Canyon Motorsports



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[KHALED]

Let us know how it holds up.

 

[ltsjohn]

You need to check your charging voltage. The warranty is void if the charging voltage is not between 13.7 and 14.4

 

[oldmansan]

Their website says 2.99 pounds, but still impressive. Thanks for posting.

San

 

[Motorcitydak]

Very cool and interesting. Wondering about wiring up 2 of them just to be safe, or keep a jumper box on hand

 

[Almighty]

Very cool and interesting. Wondering about wiring up 2 of them just to be safe, or keep a jumper box on hand

IMO if you wire 2 of them together, the benefits in running the battery vanish. If there is a larger capacity battery, just go with that.

 

[bri3d]

I have had a similarly sized LiFePO4 battery ("Scorpion Stinger SSTX20HQ-FP") for about 7 months and it's worked very well so far.

It lasted 4 days the one time I forgot to cut the battery off when I stored the car, and started the car quickly every time even on ~20F days in the winter when I'd go to warm the car up and move it in and out of the garage. I don't tend to do things like sit in parking lots with the lights/radio on, so I'm not sure how much capacity it would have in that situation.

If you leave the car for long stints of a few days or more these might not be the battery for you since drawing them all the way down isn't good for them, although I'd argue that since the ECU data is stored in flash it makes sense to just get a battery cutoff switch and use that anyway.

Sure is nice not having to worry about a 30+lb acid filled missile living in the already-fragile clamshell, plus between this kind of battery and an exhaust you can lose a lot of weight from behind the rear wheels for comparatively little money.

If you've heard bad things about Lithium car batteries before, keep in mind that LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron) is relatively new technology and doesn't have the same drawbacks as older Lithium batteries (Lithium Cobalt/"LiPo") which require accurate charging and are prone to catching fire.

 

[drac]

Hi Guys,

I would love some feedback on these LiFePo4 batteries.

 

[+TSRAGR]

The biggest drawback with LiFePo4 batteries is that the internal resistance blossoms in cold temperatures (30s and lower). They're not practical in cold climates unless you have a battery blanket attached. Also, when these lithium iron phosphate batteries do get cold, you need to "warm them" by turning your lights on for 30 sec or so before engaging the starter. It seems counterintuitive, but it works by lowering the internal resistance enough for the necessary cold cranking amps. Just don't expect the battery to last more than a year if that's a common occurrence.

I've had a Shorai LiFePo4 in my motorcycle since Feb of 2013 and I'm amazed by its performance. It hasn't needed a single charge in 16 months, but that's due to periodic use and bringing the battery indoors if the garage gets cold. It's rated for 3 years, so we'll see.

 

[aztec1382]

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[afm]

I just purchased a Shorai LFX36L3-BS12 battery, which is the largest-capacity lithium iron phosphate powersports battery offered by Shorai.

It's under 5lbs and has great capacity. It's also fairly cheap relative to a lot of the competing options.

 

[forkmeupscotty]

I'm very curious about Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries as well.

I have some experience with Lithium Polymers, and they require a specialized charger like @aztec1382 has. I actually have the exact same model he has. Its's usually recommended to charge LiPos with lower Amps(well, C rating) than the battery's maximum discharge rate, and requires a circuit for balance charging the individual cells.
Seeing how cars alternators are dumb as a spinning brick at engine RPMs, I'm curious how it'll affect the battery.

Also, the LiPos that I'm familiar with for sure don't like being overcharged, and it's terrible for them to go completely flat, as well as recommended to be kept at 50% charge for storage. I usually keep the batteries in a fireproof bag when I'm not using because they tend to become a great source of entertainment when something should happen to them.

Maybe it's all different for LiFePo.:scratchhead:

On the side note, since my battery actually went flat yesterday from running around town(I have a small AGM battery that is usually kept disconnected), I was actually thinking about supercaps as a secondary/backup for the extra amps just for starting....

 

[mikelr]

I just purchased a Shorai LFX36L3-BS12 battery, which is the largest-capacity lithium iron phosphate powersports battery offered by Shorai.

It's under 5lbs and has great capacity. It's also fairly cheap relative to a lot of the competing options.

I've got the same battery in my race car since 2012, I use a battery isolation unit so there is no draw. The car sits for months in the winter (outside in a trailer) in deep freeze conditions and has never needed a charge in the spring.
The manufacturer actually states that storing the battery in the refrigerator when not in use is the best way to store for long periods.
This season I checked the battery voltage after sitting all winter and it was at 12.8 VDC, (that equates to 80% charge) 14.2-3VDC is fully charged for these units.