I've been corresponding with a lot of people about batteries and thought I would post what I've done on here since there is a lot of interest in lithium batteries these days.
Seems like everyone is putting these things in motorcycles, ATVs, Miatas, Corvettes, NSXs whatever. The problem is that most are not designed for charge currents exceeding ~15 Amps, and of course our alternators can put out 50 Amps just at a high idle and up to 120 Amps maximum. The other problem is that most batteries should not be drained at high currents for more than 5 seconds without risking thermal runaway (and the battery melting/fires that follow). Not good and not worth risking my car for. Also, if you ever drain your cells, they are usually permanently damaged unlike the old Pb-acid batteries. Finally, most lithium battery manufacturers have a weak pro-rated warranty and even then, will only allow you one replacement.
After a lot of research and a lot of going back and forth, I decided on a Lithium Pros battery with built-in Battery Management System. This thing even has a thermistor to measure cell temperature, and will kill the bus when it senses over-temp, over-current, low-voltage, and high-voltage to protect your investment (including your car).
This is the L40 model with a custom aluminum holder and vibration pad underneath. I had to redo my battery cables as this save even more weight and gets rid of your typical heavy round brass terminals your cables clamp onto. So, with new cables, terminals, and the special adhesive-backed heat-shrink this thing really cranks over the car much faster. I no longer have to worry if I'll have enough voltage for my aftermarket engine management system while it is cranking on a hot restart. It's also light, low, and makes more space for future radiator ducting.
Highly recommend the Lithium Pros....
Dave
http://lithiumpros.com/shop/12v-lithium-powerpack-with-bms-3/
Seems like everyone is putting these things in motorcycles, ATVs, Miatas, Corvettes, NSXs whatever. The problem is that most are not designed for charge currents exceeding ~15 Amps, and of course our alternators can put out 50 Amps just at a high idle and up to 120 Amps maximum. The other problem is that most batteries should not be drained at high currents for more than 5 seconds without risking thermal runaway (and the battery melting/fires that follow). Not good and not worth risking my car for. Also, if you ever drain your cells, they are usually permanently damaged unlike the old Pb-acid batteries. Finally, most lithium battery manufacturers have a weak pro-rated warranty and even then, will only allow you one replacement.
After a lot of research and a lot of going back and forth, I decided on a Lithium Pros battery with built-in Battery Management System. This thing even has a thermistor to measure cell temperature, and will kill the bus when it senses over-temp, over-current, low-voltage, and high-voltage to protect your investment (including your car).
This is the L40 model with a custom aluminum holder and vibration pad underneath. I had to redo my battery cables as this save even more weight and gets rid of your typical heavy round brass terminals your cables clamp onto. So, with new cables, terminals, and the special adhesive-backed heat-shrink this thing really cranks over the car much faster. I no longer have to worry if I'll have enough voltage for my aftermarket engine management system while it is cranking on a hot restart. It's also light, low, and makes more space for future radiator ducting.
Highly recommend the Lithium Pros....
Dave
http://lithiumpros.com/shop/12v-lithium-powerpack-with-bms-3/
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