batteries

[Big_E-Dog]

wanna put an agm battery in the wagon but dont know what to choose. is there a calculator or something that will help with this decision, and wanna get one as small as possible.

 

damn near swapped all bulbs to LED cluster is digital roof rack lights are leds as well. running a vg30et with a maxima alternator. looking for a lil help.

 

 

thanks!

[datzenmike]

You only need enough battery to start a VG engine. LEDs are nice but only a savings if the engine is off and not charging. Some extra reserve is always good but once running, everything runs off of the alternator. As the battery ages the reserve becomes less and less.

[metalmonkey47]

I think the Z31-T stock requires somewhere in the neighborhood of 400-500 cranking amps below 32 degrees. Literally anything more than that is overkill. If you are dead set on an AGM, look into Johnson Controls (Same manufacturer as the popular Optima) or more commonly known as "Duralast AGM" batteries. Within the last 2 years they've gone through a total overhaul since they changed manufacturers from Eastern Penn and the overall quality has gone quite impressive. You can get one for somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 last I checked. Just don't treat them like a deep cycle. 

[Lockleaf]

Johnson controls also makes batteries for oreilly (super start) and Wal-Mart (whatever their brand is).

 

What matters most to you? Cost? Physical size? Some other consideration?

[thisismatt]

Been happy with my Superstart AGM (oreilly's), but it's not a small battery by any means.

[Big_E-Dog]

well now i got a standard size which i think is like 11" by 6". want something alot smaller because its taking up space in the wagon portion(and looks ugly lol). i would like something to fin in the side panel of tha wagon 

[]2eDeYe]

Now that I have learned how to recharge a dead Optima, I've ordered a couple more for my wagon and my moms 4runner.

I was really dreading trying to find a decent leak proof battery but this put the Optimas back on my approved battery list. 

 

 

One of the biggest problems I've had with them is that once they get below 10 volts or so they will not take a charge. I even bought a charger specifically for AGM batteries and it would not charge them. Turns out most regular battery chargers have too high of an amperage rate and don't go low enough to allow the AGMs to charge. My buddy Nuff discovered that if you use a maintainer/trickle charger that charges at 1.25 amps you can recharge an Optima back to 12 volts. It took mine 3 days, but it did charge from 6.2 volts back to 12.2 volts and has maintained 12 volts after being used for a while.
.

 

This is the charger you need. 

 

 

 

 

 

Got mine off ebay for $40 and it works, unlike the $80 supposedly AGM charger I bought previously. 

[MikeRL411]

I can't instantly recall the size code but the RL411 [and 1964 Corvair] battery may be what you need.  It is very slim because the plates are installed front to back, not crossways in the case.  It is "unique" in that the Datsun RL411 and 1964 Corvair are the only passenger vehicles that use it.  AC Delco makes it.

[Lockleaf]

Have you considered relocating the battery to under the rear seat? Common occurrence on the wagons, plenty of space. Mr big tanker and Datmo both show this install in their threads.

 

Look into a group 51 optima (92 civic battery)(and LOTS of other Honda's)

 

Or a Miata battery. It's a miata specific size.

 

Also, ETX30 size motorcycle battery (found in the largest of harleys).

 

Or go down to oreilly and look at battery sizes. All batteries use a universal numbering system. Just like a AA battery is always the same regardless of brand, a group 51 battery will always be the same dimensions, regardless of brand. So if you find a size you like, get the group number off of it, then you can search for higher powered or agm versions of it.

 

Crud, you could even purchase 2 250cca lawn and garden batteries and hook them together in parallel to join their amperages together.

[Lockleaf]

I work at oreilly. I have multiple times had a customer turn in an optima with very low voltage on it for a core. I can recover about 35% of them. We have a .125 amp charger at the store. I hook them to that and forget about them for a couple of weeks. :)

[scooter]

I have a puny 12v18ah SLA AGM in my car right now. Starts it, barely... Doesnt like starting hot or back to back starts. Gonna get a 2nd one and run it parallel to get more cranking amps.

 

Its basically a U1 lawnmower battery cut in half.

[docbainey]

If you want a small battery use lithium iron, really pricey though, 6.5" x 7.0 " x 3.5", 5.0 lbs., 405cca, $349.00

 

Where else but battery mart

[datzenmike]

Now that I have learned how to recharge a dead Optima, I've ordered a couple more for my wagon and my moms 4runner.

 

I was really dreading trying to find a decent leak proof battery but this put the Optimas back on my approved battery list. 

 

 

One of the biggest problems I've had with them is that once they get below 10 volts or so they will not take a charge. I even bought a charger specifically for AGM batteries and it would not charge them. Turns out most regular battery chargers have too high of an amperage rate and don't go low enough to allow the AGMs to charge. My buddy Nuff discovered that if you use a maintainer/trickle charger that charges at 1.25 amps you can recharge an Optima back to 12 volts. It took mine 3 days, but it did charge from 6.2 volts back to 12.2 volts and has maintained 12 volts after being used for a while.

.

 

This is the charger you need. 

 

 

 

 

 

Got mine off ebay for $40 and it works, unlike the $80 supposedly AGM charger I bought previously. 

 

Couldn't you use a regular battery charger and place a load that draws 1.25 amps in line? A 15 watt bulb draws 1.25 amps. 15W X12 volts = 1.25 amps.