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Thread: Lightweight Battery Project

  1. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    I think this thread is about someone using a motorcycle battery to start their car. They are interested in reducing the weight of their car for racing purposes & not much else. If you aren't interested in racing your Mirage or seeing it shed a few pounds, I don't see the point about arguing about all this?

    Personally, I hate motorcycle batteries. Motorcycles, UTVs, & ATVs all have them. They can be expensive for what they are, but some are surely better than others. Personally, I've considered going the other direction with my Kawasaki Mule. The next time the motorcycle battery dies in my Mule I want to replace it with a cheaper, larger riding lawnmower battery. These batteries are typically $25-40 and available most anywhere for that price.

    My 2006 Mule and 1993 John Deere (Kawasaki engine) riding mower have very similar engines. I've heard of others making some adaptations & going with lawnmower batteries on their UTVs , too.

    I once kick started my Honda ATV for two years straight, because I got tired of replacing the battery every couple years. Adding a motorcycle battery to my Mirage is of no interest to me. Thus, I shouldn't even be here commenting!

    I'll move on to another thread now.
    Batteries found in all the things you mentioned are the exact same. You hate "motorcycle " batteries but like lawn mower batteries? Same battery. Unless you're talking maintenance vs maintenance free vs agm etc.

    If your batteries are dying that quick you're not maintaining them in the things you dont use often. Lead acid batteries do not like to be discharged over and over and having one sit in a motorcycle not being used is discharging it. Get a cheap maintainer from harbor freight. I use their better one which is 15.00 and I have my truck and atv on it 24/7 when not in use. The cheap fleet farm battery in my atv is going strong for years now.



  2. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    Batteries found in all the things you mentioned are the exact same. You hate "motorcycle " batteries but like lawn mower batteries? Same battery. Unless you're talking maintenance vs maintenance free vs agm etc.

    If your batteries are dying that quick you're not maintaining them in the things you dont use often. Lead acid batteries do not like to be discharged over and over and having one sit in a motorcycle not being used is discharging it. Get a cheap maintainer from harbor freight. I use their better one which is 15.00 and I have my truck and atv on it 24/7 when not in use. The cheap fleet farm battery in my atv is going strong for years now.
    That's totally true. I started using battery tenders, & they make a huge difference. I use them on my Subaru (when it sits for a long time), UTV, ATV, Compact tractor, & riding lawnmower. I even throw a battery tender on my newer Mirage if it's going to be an extremely cold night (-20F for example). Thank goodness - my three chainsaws, log splitter, push mower, gas powered weed wacker, & rototiller don't all have batteries, too!

    The riding lawnmower batteries that I am thinking about are noticeably larger than the stock battery in my Mule, & they are about half the price most of the time.

    Walmart motorcycle batteries have crapped out on me relatively fast. Those from AutoZone or Farm & Fleet have done much better for me, too.

    These are some examples of the stock battery choices -

    https://www.batteriesplus.com/batter...4x4/400cc/2008

    https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...t-battery.html

    I want to go with a standard basic lawnmower battery -

    https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...s-battery.html

    These standard batteries are stockpiled most everywhere & they are much cheaper. Others who own side-by-side have had this same discussion.

  3. #93
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    That's totally true. I started using battery tenders, & they make a huge difference. I use them on my Subaru (when it sits for a long time), UTV, ATV, Compact tractor, & riding lawnmower. I even throw a battery tender on my newer Mirage if it's going to be an extremely cold night (-20F for example). Thank goodness - my three chainsaws, log splitter, push mower, gas powered weed wacker, & rototiller don't all have batteries, too!

    The riding lawnmower batteries that I am thinking about are noticeably larger than the stock battery in my Mule, & they are about half the price most of the time.

    Walmart motorcycle batteries have crapped out on me relatively fast. Those from AutoZone or Farm & Fleet have done much better for me, too.

    These are some examples of the stock battery choices -

    https://www.batteriesplus.com/batter...4x4/400cc/2008

    https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...t-battery.html

    I want to go with a standard basic lawnmower battery -

    https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...s-battery.html

    These standard batteries are stockpiled most everywhere & they are much cheaper. Others who own side-by-side have had this same discussion.
    Good to hear you found the battery tenders. They keep your battery tip top.

    Walmart is garbage I only buy oil there. And by me, I mean I have my wife pick it up. I stick to target. Or fleet farm, menards, HD etc type places.

  4. #94
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    For the record:

    This battery performed well enough for about a year. It never had a lot of reserve capacity. If I did something like a lot of back-to-back restarts, or start it a couple times to move it around the driveway without actually DRIVING it to put some charge back into the battery, it would be sluggish starting. And over the past couple months, it's been a LOT worse about that. Partly because I haven't been driving it as much. It will sit from 3-7 days or more, and if it sat for a full 7 days, it would be sluggish... or might not start at all, but it would always at least "try". And I carry a small lithium jump pack that gets the car going easily on the rare occasion that it is needed.

    Cut to last week. The last time I drove the car, I had to jump it. And then a couple days later I went to drive it, it was stone cold dead. I mean, dead to the point that the remote wouldn't even unlock the doors. (note... I just assumed the car battery is dead... I guess it could be the key fob!) I just drove another car, and haven't touched the Mirage since.

    Today, I ordered a replacement battery. Same battery, an ETZ10S cycle battery. $35.67 shipped from Amazon.

    I'm okay with a year of life out of a $35 battery. Don't try this in the frozen North.

    FWIW, this is my jump pack. It's awesome: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CVF7L77/
    Simplify and add lightness.

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    Senior Member Wallythacker's Avatar
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    I'm waiting for someone to develop an in cabin pull start. Screw batteries!
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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  7. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wallythacker View Post
    I'm waiting for someone to develop an in cabin pull start. Screw batteries!
    Id prefer a crank start coming out of the grill

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  9. #97
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    Coming from the lighter alternator thread (but staying relevant to batteries), would anyone recommend using something like those Braille lithium batteries in a daily driver in a warm state (Arizona)? I skimmed through this thread looking for that answer but it seems like cold weather starting seems to be a more popular topic.

    Loren, you got a year out of your moto battery, do you think a lithium one would last longer in hot weather?

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage GT 1.2 automatic: 37.5 mpg (US) ... 15.9 km/L ... 6.3 L/100 km ... 45.0 mpg (Imp)


  10. #98
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    I've tried Lithium batteries in the past, they are freakin' awesome! Huge amounts of power in a tiny and lightweight package. But, unless you spring for one that's got self-protecting electronics (and maybe the manufacturer's have learned, and ALL of them do now?), they are extremely unforgiving. All it takes is to run them down below their "happy" threshold of around 9.5 volts just once, and they are permanently damaged.

    You can easily start a Mirage with a 2-pound Lithium battery just as well or better than I am with my 6-pound cycle battery.

    But, I saved something like 28 pounds for MINIMAL cost. That last 4 pounds would cost you another $150. It makes sense to spend that money in a competition environment (sometimes). "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to spend?" But, if the goal is to improve fuel economy and ostensibly to SAVE money... that's a VERY expensive 4 pounds. Especially when compared with something like removing the rear seat or removing the rear wiper mechanism... those kinds of things are free!
    Simplify and add lightness.

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  12. #99
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    A few weeks of keto diet is an even cheaper way to get the weight down. I'm sure some of us could drop another 50lbs for free

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2019 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 38.8 mpg (US) ... 16.5 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Ichabod,
    . . . . I agree with you. When my OEM battery finally wore out I would replace it with the largest battery that would fit under the hood. I built a custom battery box for my RX-3 and I installed a 750 CCA, 120 minute reserve battery in it. Lots of power. I also upgraded the Alternator from 32 amps to a a Chrysler 100 Amp.
    GOD Bless and Thanks,
    rich!



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