Lightweight Batteries

[oil pan 4]

Mod is done and in.
Check the dieselplace.com link.

[wagonef8]

I have X's power battery in my Del Sol

[BrianAbington]

I can attest to the quality of Optima batteries. I had a red top deep cycle in my sentra. left my led parking lights on for 2 days when I went out of town came back to find them still on, and the car still started. I had that battery for over 10 years in and out of 5 vehicles over that time. Still tested perfect when I left it in the jeep I sold.

One way to save some money and look at more size and cca options is to call the local interstate distributor. they sold direct to me and I saved a bunch.

[oil pan 4]

Optima batteries were my 1st choice, until I discovered lithium.

[ecomodded]

I am considering putting in a small 135cca lithium battery in my car for a starting battery.
Fleabay has a $104 , 135cca motorcycle battery that may work.
Not sure if 135cca would suffice, being it would be a reliable near full 135cca it 'may' work.
My car calls for a big 220cca , probably to insure people can slightly abuse the battery and still start at the end of the day. My cars ac is non functioning, so its needs are factored out.

http://www.starcycle-usa.com/catalog/BatterSpecs.pdf

[oil pan 4]

Get the biggest battery you can fit and afford.
It will work but it wont last long.

I ran under sized lithium batteries in my diesel and they aren't holding up so well.
Thats why I am replacing the smaller 350 amp battery with a 900 amp battery. Then when the 500 amp battery I made goes I will replace it with another 900 amp battery of the same design.

[ecomodded]

Thanks for the advice.
Damn i was hoping the lithium batteries were more durable.
I am not willing to spend more then $150 on a battery so lithium may well be out of my range.

My 2nd idea was to buy a 'battery pack with cables' used for jump starting a car, gut it and mount it.
I have one that starts cars very fast, it is getting long in the tooth now so a new one is in order, though my older jump starter still holds a charge for over a year and starts a car like that, weighs 15 lbs or so.

[oil pan 4]

If you can assemble your own battery you can get a 4 pack of A123 amp20 cells for about $130 and that would give you 450 amps for starting.
I think it would be pretty durable in a small diesel.
A single stack of AMP20 cells would be more than enough to start my diesel, during testing I got it to start with my original battery made from 20 size ANR26650 cells, which is only good for about 350 amps max and thats pushing it.

I am installing extra capacity to run lights, air compressor and inverter for power tools.

[ecomodded]

I am curious as too why your first smaller lithium battery pack failed and why you suspect your 2nd pack will need replacing. I suspect it was because it was drained deeply continually during use ?

I made a error in my cars cca, as it turns out the car had a 700cca 875ca battery from interstate in it, when i bought it a few years back, I was way off with 220cca number. I agree that a 450cca would work with my 1.9L , the weather rarely goes below -5 all the same a battery warmer could easily be employed.

My car jumper battery pack is rated for 700 Amps, its a MotorMaster Eliminator Mobile 700 A power pack.

I may not be able to successfully charge it from the alternator, it charges now at a slow AC charging rate, it may well not like to be rapid charged. It has a 12v receptacle on the front for charging from a car, although slowly..
I am going to dig a little deeper into its battery type AH and its charging ability's.

The Lithium's are pricey! although they are light for shipping..

[oil pan 4]

I measured my 6.5L 22:1 compression diesel drawing about 330 amps at start up.
My batteries are on fork lift quick dissconnects so I can pull them when it gets real cold, like it is tonight, weather service is calling for mid 20s.

The only reason I think the 20 cell is failing so soon is because it discharged down pretty low when it was sitting on a shelf for about a month.