Battery replacement?
 

So due to my use of P&G after dark, my battery is starting to not work right... I had to set aside(not track) a tank of fuel to charge the battery so I can reliably start again(tired of pushing the blasted thing)... any good info on possible LiFePO4 replacement? Or should I just get a deep cycle (wet lead acid) of the right size and call it good?

It doesn’t help that all my lights are still incandescent and I use the radio at a good loud volume... aside from giving up radio or coasting with switch in ACC only(until right before I restart) I don’t know what to do short term...

You don't trickle charge or charge when you get home?

Unless you are going to relocate the battery away from the hot engine compartment, don't even think about LiFePO4.

No charger with which to do so, and no outdoor receptacles to plug into anyway

Stock battery location is in the spare tire well, sooo...

I like this one:

LiFePO4 Prismatic Battery: 12.8V 20Ah (256Wh, 10C rate) (24.0) - UN38.3 Passed (DGR)

Keep in mind it isn't to be charged when below freezing, so hopefully locating it inside the cabin will prevent that situation.

Radio shouldn't matter much, but you should replace your lights with LED. Don't bother with the blinkers though.

If you buy from batteryspace, there are usually 10% off codes that should at least cover shipping.

Keep in mind this battery likely has half the capacity of your pb battery when it was new. It can handle deeper discharging on a regular basis, but doesn't like very deep discharging.

I would upgrade the blinkers too if your car uses the blinkers as driving lights. As far as lithium batteries I highly recommend them in the warmer weather. During the summer I run a lithium motorcycle battery that I got off Amazon for $100 it only weighs 2 lbs and has no problem starting my car I would even say it cranks over faster than the standard battery but it doesn't have much reserve capacity

Can’t charge it below freezing? That won’t work, as I park outside and my cabin can remain below freezing several minutes into my commutes... I do wanna go LED for my lights and a switchback led for my front turn signal/ DRL... trying to find a decent LED 9007 bulb, as projectors are a little too rich for my blood at the moment

You need to charge the battery more (alternator or grid) or reduce electrical draw. No battery will give you more power than you put into it.

Easy test is no radio then see if situation improves.

If you can't charge the car where it is parked, then you need a portable way of transporting charge to your car.

Here is what I went with:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1473952372

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1473952372

I just connected it to the car through both filaments of a dual filament headlight bulb, but a DC-DC converter would be better.

Just buy the biggest jump pack with air compressor, light, usb charger etc.. you can get at wally and change out the cables ends to something better. Carrying it in the house every night to recharge.

You need as much reserve capacity(amp-hours) as you can get your hands on and/or to reduce the draw (amps) from said battery, as you are already suggesting with LEDs. Plus it would be good that the battery be designed to put up with deep discharges. Pick whatever you want, though an AGM or deep cycle flooded will be cheapest and easiest. And also the most heavy.

Then you probably want to consider a means of putting back the amp-hours taken from it each day. Plug it in, or find some kind of portable power supply that you can charge inside and use to recharge the battery through your cigarette lighter. It will need to have the current limited to 10a or so, and have a higher voltage than your battery. Without over-charging it. Or you need to rig up your alternator to do it's job now and then. If it isn't already.

Lesson learned the hard way: If you P&G, you need to trickle charge the battery at least once per week.

If you park outside in the sun, maybe you could put in a solar panel. Set it on the dash, mount it in a window, and plug into the 12V power outlet. You will need to either size the panel so as to not over or under charge, or put in an oversize panel and a charge controller.

I did something similar with a e-bike battery this winter and went through a pair of cheap dc-dc converters off of eBay. It works pretty good but it could use a bigger converter. Disconnects easily to take in for charging. LED lights help as well.

Buy a deep cycle lead acid battery. I have had several years service under heavy use from an Odyssey unit. Make sure it has a metal jacket to ensure against expansion of the lead plates in the heat. Get the Odyssey trickle charger and plug in at night. Cheaper ways are marine deep cycle batteries, but I think I got a lot better service life out of mine with the higher price. And it's a lot cheaper than a lithium set up. Also, I really think that some smart alternators might struggle a little with charging lithium properly.

I figure this would be a good workaround... the issue had a slow onset and it just slowly became less reliable about starting... I set aside a tank of fuel and now the car is starting fine but I’m now trying to sort out a misfire so no hypermiling is possible right now...

I gave up engine off coasting in the dark for a similar reason and went with coasting in neutral with the engine idling.
The FE hit wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be (and it's nice having lights that stay bright).