Fitting Deep Cycle Battery?

[gotboost?]

I think i've done it right, but I just wanted to know what everyone else has done to fasten the battery in place and also how you did the wiring when you did the battery mod?

[h100vw]

I think i've done it right, but I just wanted to know what everyone else has done to fasten the battery in place and also how you did the wiring when you did the battery mod?

Are you talking about a motorbike sized battery in the std position? I have one and it's held down with a strip of 25mm wide aluminium from bunnings.

Have a look through my cheapy thread, there's multiple under bonnet photos on there.

Gavin

[gotboost?]

Ahh, I see. I've got mine in sideways. I put two holes in the battery tray and ran two pieces if threaded rod up through the bottom with a washer and two nuts locked together at the bottom to stop it pulling through the tray or undoing.

I then cut a strip of 32mm by 3mm flat aluminium plate and drilled a hole in each end, sat it over the two rods and tightened down with wing nuts.

The main issue I'm having is wrangling the strip of fuses to connect to the positive terminal. The cable is rather short and the metal is exposed on one side of the fuse strip, so I didn't want it shorting out.

[DonJuan]

Are you talking deep cycle or AGM? Deep cycle batteries aren't designed for continual starting of motors so I'm thinking you haven't gone down that path???

[gotboost?]

Are you talking deep cycle or AGM? Deep cycle batteries aren't designed for continual starting of motors so I'm thinking you haven't gone down that path???

From the Odyssey Batteries website:

"Odyssey PC680 dual purpose AGM and Deep Cycle Batteries"

[Transporter]

From the Odyssey Batteries website:

"Odyssey PC680 dual purpose AGM and Deep Cycle Batteries"

Is that what you're fitting?
You need much bigger AGM battery than that, believe me. That PC680 will have a very short life span under the bonnet as a starting battery.

[gotboost?]

That's strange. I've seen a number of other Polo owners with the same battery under their hood without complaints. I'd love to hear from anyone that's had issues, as I wouldn't want to have gone and got the wrong one.

[Transporter]

Maybe they frequently charge that battery, or drive very long distances and never leave the car standing over the weekend or the long weekends.

[gotboost?]

Mine is driven seven days a week.

[Transporter]

You should be OK then, as long as the trips are long enough and you don't start too often during the day.

[gavs]

Deep cycle batteries are not designed as starting batteries, they are there to store and discharge energy to a much lower level than a crankin battery. They also have very specific charging requirements and alternators do not provide this without a special onboard battery charging control module that will set you back around $600-$1000 depending in where you go. Want to know what happens to deep cycle batteries that are charged incorrectly? They either just die or hopefully they don't do what our test one did at work and turn into a balloon before exploding battery acid everywhere.

[Transporter]

There are many types of deep cycle batteries Gavs. Some are deep cycle and starting batteries as well. The AGM batteries recharge very quickly as well.

How ever I wouldn't use or recommend such small battery as OP is going to use, because there is more to the battery and the function it has to perform in todays cars, than selecting just AGM and disregarding other important specs of the battery.

[gotboost?]

Ah ok, cool. The trips are twice per day weekdays and then a bunch of them on weekends, usually for 30 mins at a time.

[DonJuan]

AGM batteries are ok, they aren't exactly a pure deep cycle. The Odessey's are still starting batteries and have the ability for a small amount of drain on the battery. They won't run flashing strobes like roadside vehicles. The starting capacity of the battery is measured in CCA (cold crank amps). The lower it is the less time it will take in between needing a new battery. The amount you start your car will also affect battery life, you can never replace the CCA, not even through charging. The voltage (charge) of the battery allows the battery to work so a fully charged battery will work to its capacity.

Yes, I used to work as a battery guru.