Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile
How long did you get out of if? I've got 14,000km and roughly 7300 starts on my supercap/ lead acid combo so far (from new).
|
I installed the lithium battery about two years ago and had the bridge rectifier failure about a month ago after replacing some slipping belts and one worn pulley that were basically limiting the alternator output. It always did that, but it was just getting worse to the point it would slip for a minute after every start (and I do many in London). After this I modded the alternator to supply 30A at idle, rather than trying to bump 120A.
Years ago I had a van and used to work as a mobile mechanic. I had a sealed deep cycle battery to start the car, power the tools and a mini fridge, which was good for about 2 years or 50000KM (they were about the same). Never had one dying, the capacity would just go down to the point the battery was no longer viable for my needs and this could be detected months earlier as the starting power would slowly go down. Starter batteries on the other side are normally fine one day and die unexpectedly overnight with a shorted cell.
My point is that super capacitors are viable if they replace the battery altogether, I don't think I would pay the premium just for the added longevity of the starter battery, when a smaller size deep cycle VRLA or lithium would achieve just as much, unless it was the case for extreme low temperatures.