dual batteries for TD5

bikedoc · Jun 13, 2008

Hello, advice needed. Will 2 batteries fit into the compartment under the passenger seat? I'd like to run a leisure battery split charge set up. Is national luna the best kit? Is their power pack a good option? Is it really easy DIY? Does disconnecting the main battery during the installation have any effect on the ECU ?
thanks

boydy1989 · Jun 13, 2008

bikedoc said:
Hello, advice needed. Will 2 batteries fit into the compartment under the passenger seat? I'd like to run a leisure battery split charge set up. Is national luna the best kit? Is their power pack a good option? Is it really easy DIY? Does disconnecting the main battery during the installation have any effect on the ECU ?
thanks

Well, I guess they will fit depending on the size of your two batteries - not being funny, but you can get any number of shapes and sizes.

What are you using the batteruy for, is a lesiure battery best suited? There is another thread on here recently, with mention of a split charge etc, look at the x-eng x-charge, everyone seems to rate that one pretty highly.

As for the ECU, i don't know but i doubt it.

SteveBot · Jun 13, 2008

Hi,

I've just bought the National kit plus two Numax 86ah batteries (claimed to be good for both deep cycle and cranking) and a battery tray from APB Trading.

I might get round to trying to fit them this weekend. If so, I'll post pictures.

I was warned off using the original battery due to the need run matched batteries and because the original is very large and may not fit turned round. I can see the problem with the size problem but I don't know if the compatibility thing is true or an attempt to sell more batteries.

The seat box in my TD5 has a step in the floor on the transmission side. The battery sits on the low side and the jack on the high side.

The new dual battery tray will fill this step raising the battery/s so the OEM battery may end up with the terminals above or uncomfortably close to the seat box lid.

I'm hoping to fit a compressor in the same box so I caved in and bought two batteries in the end.

One thing you might need is a heavy duty crimp tool if your going to make up your own battery, winch, acessory, jump leads. I bought a hydraulic one on ebay for £45 which works well.

Cheers,

Steve

bikedoc · Jun 19, 2008

SteveBot said:
Hi,

I've just bought the National kit plus two Numax 86ah batteries (claimed to be good for both deep cycle and cranking) and a battery tray from APB Trading.

I might get round to trying to fit them this weekend. If so, I'll post pictures.

I was warned off using the original battery due to the need run matched batteries and because the original is very large and may not fit turned round. I can see the problem with the size problem but I don't know if the compatibility thing is true or an attempt to sell more batteries.

The seat box in my TD5 has a step in the floor on the transmission side. The battery sits on the low side and the jack on the high side.

The new dual battery tray will fill this step raising the battery/s so the OEM battery may end up with the terminals above or uncomfortably close to the seat box lid.

I'm hoping to fit a compressor in the same box so I caved in and bought two batteries in the end.

One thing you might need is a heavy duty crimp tool if your going to make up your own battery, winch, acessory, jump leads. I bought a hydraulic one on ebay for £45 which works well.

Cheers,

Steve

Hi Steve, same here, brought the tray and Nat Lun Kit from APB, and Oprima red and yellow from Paddock Spares. There's sharks out there as some quotes for Optimas were £40 more...uuumm
Looks like there room for the batterys side by side and also low enough to miss the top lid. Likewise I'll fit all soon and see how it goes

thanks for your input
bikedoc

The Mad Hat Man · Jun 19, 2008

Just found on another site.........

I run a Red Top 60 battery in my car. In fact I have just installed my third one as they kept dying which is not what was expected. I took the last one down to the factory as they are not too far from me and have learnt a few things that are perhaps worth sharing.

These batteries are more sensitive to charging and environment than you would first think.

Environment - they don't like too much vibration! Odd for a racing battery but that is what the factory told me. Therefore you need to have a thin layer of foam or other cushioning material to absorb vibration. Fortunately I have always had a 1/4 inch peice of dense foam in my car for this purpose.

Charging - this is where my set up fell over! First up, when I bought my first RT60 I was also sold a 0.5 amp charger made by the same people. Therefore it should be fine? Well no, not really! Once the battery was fully charged, using this 0.5 amp charger would only be ok for maintenance charging. The 2.5 amp charger that they also make would be better but the 8 amp charger (the one I now have) is the ideal one to get. Put these batteries on charge after you have used the car for maximum battery life is the message I got from the factory.

The next issue on charging is what your alternator pumps out. Not the ampage although that needs to be ok for the load made upon the battery/alternator by all the goodies on your car, but the charging voltage is absolutely critical. From what I have been told and have read here, you cannot over do the ampage side of the alternator as it has a regulator to give out what is necessary and no more.

But for Red Top batteries the voltage can kill your batteries if it is too low or too high. It needs to be in the range of 14.4 to 14.7 volts. Too much variation from these numbers and the battery will die much sooner than if properly charged. If you measure across the battery terminals when the engine is charging the battey and you get a reading below 14 or 15 volts or more, your battery will die sooner rather than later. I am not an electrical engineer but something like this happens. The reaction by the lead plates in the battery causes them to grow so they basically destroy the innards of the battery. I am now looking for a better alternator!

If you keep hammering your battery and not charging it up fully, this causes it to "sulphate" up internally also leading to damage and loss of performance. It may be possible to recover the battery in this circumstance but not always.

Bear in mind that these batteries can be good for 15 years if properly looked after and as they cost getting close to £300 it may be worth checking the other parts of your electrcial system to see how it is performing.

bikedoc · Jun 19, 2008

Hi
Mick Moore in Cornwall is our local guru and he rates Optimas and the Luna setup. Says my alternator is fine and as long as I get good connections and not too much cable run then all will be OK.
fingers and credit card crossed!!
BIKEDOC

Pikey · Jun 19, 2008

Optimas are ****e and don't last any longer than any other battery. and cost 3 times more than other equally good battery. I have a fulmen Endurance gold, battery had it about 3 years and it's never failed me once. It's deep cycle resistant (whatever the fok that means) and 1/4 the price of an optima

bikedoc · Jun 20, 2008

redhand said:
Optimas are ****e and don't last any longer than any other battery. and cost 3 times more than other equally good battery. I have a fulmen Endurance gold, battery had it about 3 years and it's never failed me once. It's deep cycle resistant (whatever the fok that means) and 1/4 the price of an optima

Shame there's no evidence and only personal experience to guide us here. Loads have optimas for years and are delighted, loads have others and are delighted -- no sense to it at all. 'clinical trial needed'- pref double blinded!

dual batteries for TD5

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