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      12-05-2017, 02:59 PM   #1
mabrahams
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LTW Battery Setup

Can anyone post some pictures of their LTW battery setup? What did you all do with the junction box? I understand coding is involved to set amps as close as you can to factory specs for charging purposes.
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      12-05-2017, 07:28 PM   #2
bbnks2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mabrahams View Post
Can anyone post some pictures of their LTW battery setup? What did you all do with the junction box? I understand coding is involved to set amps as close as you can to factory specs for charging purposes.
Yes,coding would be required.

This is how I rigged a 5lb lithium battery (tiny):



I zip tied the box to the hold down bracket. I then used a generic battery tie down to keep the battery in place. Drill holes through the floor pan for the hooks. I used new leads off the POS/neg nuts to better reach the battery terminals...

Do not bother trying to run a lthium battery in a daily driver unless you're in a very warm climate. I tried a 500cca lithium battery and it performed as poorly as 200cca in 50f weather. Failed to start the car and voltage drop overnight caused frequent codes/issues.

I used to have a deka ETX30L (20lb). Only lasted 1 year. I am now running an Odyssey pc925 (23lbs). So far so good. Still not sure the extra money over the deka is worth it. Probably won't last any longer but we will see... Fyi, I daily drive in the Northeast. I would not recommend anything less than 20lb/400cca if you see near 40f temps. Battery won't last long at all even if it does work for a while.

Last edited by bbnks2; 12-06-2017 at 11:08 AM..
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      12-06-2017, 09:28 AM   #3
RyanDavies
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15lb Braille equivalent with a Macht Schnell bracket here.

Never any issues starting the car. Not sure if I have a picture of it, but it's pretty self-explanatory.
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      12-06-2017, 09:50 AM   #4
mabrahams
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Originally Posted by RyanDavies View Post
15lb Braille equivalent with a Macht Schnell bracket here.

Never any issues starting the car. Not sure if I have a picture of it, but it's pretty self-explanatory.
So you kept the red junction box as well?
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      12-06-2017, 11:04 AM   #5
bbnks2
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Originally Posted by mabrahams View Post
So you kept the red junction box as well?
If you remove the top harness then you also remove the ability to monitor/alter charging amperage/battery voltage... I can't imagine that that would be ideal for a car with the factory DME since it relies on the data to go into sleep and recovery modes etc... There is no real reason to remove it and it would require additional coding to remove IBS from the $VO to avoid DME throwing codes.
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      12-06-2017, 09:53 PM   #6
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Check you have IBS... I don't so i guess not all models do.
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      12-07-2017, 11:10 AM   #7
RyanDavies
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I kept the junction box. Wasn't any issue at all, but it's been a while since I've thought about it.
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      10-21-2019, 08:27 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbnks2 View Post
I used to have a deka ETX30L (20lb). Only lasted 1 year. I am now running an Odyssey pc925 (23lbs). So far so good. Still not sure the extra money over the deka is worth it. Probably won't last any longer but we will see... Fyi, I daily drive in the Northeast. I would not recommend anything less than 20lb/400cca if you see near 40f temps. Battery won't last long at all even if it does work for a while.
How is the Odyssey battery going?
I found that the PC925 is 28Ah 380cca - how does it compare to the standard AGM (80Ah, 640cca)?
Odyssey have a range of AGM batteries. PC1100/ER40 Extreme Racing seems like a good compromise if it will fit. 12.5kg/27.5lbs, 45Ah, 500cca but 1100cca for 5sec burst.
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      10-21-2019, 09:23 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by 135 View Post
How is the Odyssey battery going?
How does it compare to the standard AGM (Ah, CCA)?
Looks like Odyssey have a range of AGM batteries. PC1100/ER40 Extreme Racing seems like a good compromise if it will fit. 12.5kg/27.5lbs, 500cca but 1100cca for 5sec burst. Not sure how many Ah it's rated at.
Odyssey is a standard AGM battery. PC925 has been great. If you mean how does it compare to a stock 800cca battery then I would say the answer to that is obvious. It has 1/3 the AH capacity. Definitely better than generic brand 400cca batteries though. It still starts the car just fine after 2 years.

If you don't drive the car much, keep it on a maintainer. Parasitic draw of the BMW electronics will run it flat in about 7-10 days. If you daily in <30f, you may not want to risk such a small battery. The 28lb one might be better."burst" rating aside, the PC925 will struggle in a cold snap and go flat in a few days. best to run two of them in the winter and just take one out in the summer. or, swap stock battery back in etc.
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      10-21-2019, 10:40 AM   #10
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Thanks for the update. It sounds promising.
I found some further info that I updated in my post above (I didn't realise you had already replied).

What is the benefit of having 80Ah vs 45Ah (or 28Ah like yours) if the car is driven regularly? If the alternator is charging the battery at a rate exceeding what is being drawn, then is it much of an issue having a lower Ah rated battery?

Fortunately, we don't get really cold weather - the colder months average 10-25°C, although, min temps can dip into single digits.
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      10-21-2019, 10:47 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 135 View Post
Thanks for the update. It sounds promising.
I found some further info that I updated in my post above (I didn't realise you had already replied).

What is the benefit of having 80Ah vs 45Ah (or 28Ah like yours) if the car is driven regularly? If the alternator is charging the battery at a rate exceeding what is being drawn, then is it much of an issue having a lower Ah rated battery?

Fortunately, we don't get really cold weather - the colder months average 10-25°C, although, min temps can dip into single digits.
AH is basically representative of the "size" of the battery. BMW's draw a lot of parasitic power due to all the ECU's that need to retain settings etc. Not only that but BMW anticipates owners sitting around in their cars with the engine off fans blowing and radio on. The electronic water pump draws 30amps and can sometimes run after the car has shut off. Small battery = goes dead quick. Large factory battery has the capacity to run the car for a while without going flat. Not sure how else to explain it. You can google around for a more technical explanation and example with numbers.

Last edited by bbnks2; 10-21-2019 at 10:54 AM..
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      10-21-2019, 11:44 AM   #12
berns
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Keep the junction box.
Also, Lithium batteries are amazing when you get the right one. Contact Anti Gravity batteries and they'll get you sorted. I'll make a post with my new battery soon.
Has an app, tons of amperage, weighs 7lbs and can sit for 1 month + without needed a charger.
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      10-23-2019, 12:06 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbnks2 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 135 View Post
Thanks for the update. It sounds promising.
I found some further info that I updated in my post above (I didn't realise you had already replied).

What is the benefit of having 80Ah vs 45Ah (or 28Ah like yours) if the car is driven regularly? If the alternator is charging the battery at a rate exceeding what is being drawn, then is it much of an issue having a lower Ah rated battery?

Fortunately, we don't get really cold weather - the colder months average 10-25°C, although, min temps can dip into single digits.
AH is basically representative of the "size" of the battery. BMW's draw a lot of parasitic power due to all the ECU's that need to retain settings etc. Not only that but BMW anticipates owners sitting around in their cars with the engine off fans blowing and radio on. The electronic water pump draws 30amps and can sometimes run after the car has shut off. Small battery = goes dead quick. Large factory battery has the capacity to run the car for a while without going flat. Not sure how else to explain it. You can google around for a more technical explanation and example with numbers.
So it'll be even more important to get a battery with a higher Ah rating, so the 45Ah (maximum for Odyssey?) would be the one.


Quote:
Originally Posted by berns View Post
Keep the junction box.
Also, Lithium batteries are amazing when you get the right one. Contact Anti Gravity batteries and they'll get you sorted. I'll make a post with my new battery soon.
Has an app, tons of amperage, weighs 7lbs and can sit for 1 month + without needed a charger.
Definitely interested in which Antigravity battery you went for and if you considered/discounted any of their other ones and for what reasons. I saw some OE replacements rated at 40 & 60 Ah, as well as some more motorsport oriented ones.
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      10-30-2019, 11:10 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by berns View Post
Keep the junction box.
Also, Lithium batteries are amazing when you get the right one. Contact Anti Gravity batteries and they'll get you sorted. I'll make a post with my new battery soon.
Has an app, tons of amperage, weighs 7lbs and can sit for 1 month + without needed a charger.
Also interested in this, please update when you can, sounds almost too good to be true!

edit: checked out their prices, now I understand.

Last edited by wook; 10-30-2019 at 11:18 AM..
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      11-01-2019, 06:22 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 135 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by berns View Post
Keep the junction box.
Also, Lithium batteries are amazing when you get the right one. Contact Anti Gravity batteries and they'll get you sorted. I'll make a post with my new battery soon.
Has an app, tons of amperage, weighs 7lbs and can sit for 1 month + without needed a charger.
Definitely interested in which Antigravity battery you went for and if you considered/discounted any of their other ones and for what reasons. I saw some OE replacements rated at 40 & 60 Ah, as well as some more motorsport oriented ones.
berns bump for your review. I need a new battery ASAP!!!
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      11-05-2019, 10:55 PM   #16
berns
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Hey guys - sorry, i'm swamped at the moment and have been prepping the car and balancing a hectic month for work. Can't tell you enough, Antigravity is the way to go. I went with the ATX-30. Send the guys there an email, tell them about your car, how you use it, and they'll tell you what works. Tell them I sent you and I'm sure they'll take care of you. They're all awesome dudes and they live for racing and modding cars.

More soon!
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      11-21-2019, 01:46 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by berns View Post
Hey guys - sorry, i'm swamped at the moment and have been prepping the car and balancing a hectic month for work. Can't tell you enough, Antigravity is the way to go. I went with the ATX-30. Send the guys there an email, tell them about your car, how you use it, and they'll tell you what works. Tell them I sent you and I'm sure they'll take care of you. They're all awesome dudes and they live for racing and modding cars.

More soon!
Appreciate the follow up! A few questions whenever you have a moment. Did you go with the ATX30 RS (restart?) or HD? What, if any, coding values did you change?
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      11-22-2019, 06:07 PM   #18
berns
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wook View Post
Appreciate the follow up! A few questions whenever you have a moment. Did you go with the ATX30 RS (restart?) or HD? What, if any, coding values did you change?
ATX30HD. Didn't change anything on the coding end. I "registered" it through MHD, and don't think I touched anything in the Pro Tool app, because none of it seemed applicable. All is well. Numerous track days, tons of idle sitting without starts, since I barely drive it, and a bunch of flashes, both long writes and short ones, cable connected and via wifi adapter. Battery is perfect and I'm glad I finally found the right one.

I literally don't worry about it anymore, as if it was a massive 65lb stock one.
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      11-22-2019, 06:51 PM   #19
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I ran a lifepo4 battery for almost a year without coding anything. Eventually I blew my comfort access module or whatever it's called starting the car with rundown battery. I replaced with lead acid again without coding anything. Never did repair that module, cuz who needs turn signals, high beams, sunroof or windows?

Now I'm gonna put in LTO. Probably won't code.
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