Full throttle Electric Supercharger Build Thread

[TM]

Originally Posted by robwbright

Yes, it would!



BTW, I drove the car 25 miles each way last night, getting home at about 8:15. 12.90 when I got home. The car sat overnight with amp unplugged and ESC off.



12.55 a few minutes ago and it started at 32 degrees F. I checked the battery with the car running. 14.50.



I assume that 12.90 to 12.55 overnight in 20+/- degree F temps means I either have an unknown drain or a bad battery..?

Similar experience here. Measured it in the morning after sitting overnight for 10 hours.

It rose a little every few times I measured it:
12.36v
12.44v
And seems to stay at 12.58v

It was 19F and started up.


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[Gary in NJ]

Originally Posted by TM

Similar experience here. Measured it in the morning after sitting overnight for 10 hours.

It rose a little every few times I measured it:
12.36v
12.44v
And seems to stay at 12.58v

It was 19F and started up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had a high school physics teacher who believed that the dome light in a car helps the car start on a very cold day. Here's how he came to this conclusion...

By opening and closing the car door we place a very small, short-term demand for current on the battery. This current demand that only lasts a few seconds acts to "wake-up" or excite the battery, causing the internal temperature to raise and the available current to increase - preparing the battery for the large starting demand. I had/have no reason to doubt him and have believed his theory for 30+ years.

Attaching the volt meter also creates a small load on the battery. Your experience proves his theory.

[robwbright]

Originally Posted by Gary in NJ

I had a high school physics teacher who believed that the dome light in a car helps the car start on a very cold day. Here's how he came to this conclusion...

By opening and closing the car door we place a very small, short-term demand for current on the battery. This current demand that only lasts a few seconds acts to "wake-up" or excite the battery, causing the internal temperature to raise and the available current to increase - preparing the battery for the large starting demand. I had/have no reason to doubt him and have believed his theory for 30+ years.

Your experience proves his theory.

So I set the dome light to come on when the car door opens but turn everything else off? LOL

[FingR-S]

Originally Posted by robwbright

So I set the dome light to come on when the car door opens but turn everything else off? LOL

I wonder if running LED's help take any load off the battery? Probably not a noticeable amount. The coldest nights here are max 28F, so I've never encountered any starting problems.


I did notice my battery terminal had come loose. The voltage meter was dropping today. It had gone up to 28.8 max this last week, but today it started at 28.7, then after an up hill pull about 10 seconds, it stayed at 28.5, then dropped to 28.3.. so I looked at my battery and saw the could-be culprit. I'll tighten that and check it later.

[Gums]

Originally Posted by Gary in NJ

Get us the part number & specs. A more powerful battery with the same physical foot print would be welcome news to just about everyone.

It's Saturday here, I've emailed and will post part No's on Monday.

[robwbright]

I don't really know how to compare power ratings between the wheelchair batteries and "normal" car batteries, but this looks interesting (although expensive):

http://www.phasteksport.com/2013-Sci...ery-b14115.htm

[robwbright]

Last drove yesterday at 1:00 pm. Turned everything off. Last night at 8:00 pm the battery tested 12.55. This morning at 10:50 am it tested 12.45 and was weak but started.

[Gary in NJ]

Originally Posted by robwbright

Last drove yesterday at 1:00 pm. Turned everything off. Last night at 8:00 pm the battery tested 12.55. This morning at 10:50 am it tested 12.45 and was weak but started.

Are you arming the alarm? The alarm system does have a fair quiescent current draw because it is actively listening to the vehicle sensors.

[robwbright]

Originally Posted by Gary in NJ

Are you arming the alarm? The alarm system does have a fair quiescent current draw because it is actively listening to the vehicle sensors.

I touch the two little slits on the door handle to lock the car... Which I think also arms the alarm. Correct?

Are you saying that the battery's power is so close to not being enough to start the car in cold weather that I will have to choose between using the alarm, having the ESC installed, or buying another battery?

If that's the case, then this battery was never strong enough for this car in temps below freezing. What I want - and I'd assume others want - is a battery that is strong enough to actually run the car like its OEM for the whole winter without shutting everything off everytime I get out of the car.

Is there a battery strong enough to do that and fit under the hood? Preferably that doesn't cost $200.

[Gary in NJ]

Originally Posted by robwbright

I touch the two little slits on the door handle to lock the car... Which I think also arms the alarm. Correct?



Are you saying that the battery's power is so close to not being enough to start the car in cold weather that I will have to choose between using the alarm, having the ESC installed, or buying another battery?

What I'm saying is that your battery seems to drain faster then others. I too, as well as our friends in Canada, have had temps well below freezing, yet our cars start in the morning. I'm just trying to identify what is different with your car.

I don't use my alarm at night...or ever really. I know from past experience that an alarm system can draw a lot of current. I don't think I'd want to play starting roulette every morning, so if I was having inconsistent starts I'd probably go back to a 1.0 dump pack and run a larger battery in the colder months.

[Target70]

I agree, all batteries are different, and operate within a set tolerance. Yours just seems to be so close to the low end of that tolerance that when it get's cold it can't get the job done.

Your condition seems to be rare, and a better battery would be much easier, but a few relays a step-down 2:1 transformer, and a toggle switch could be hooked up so we could actually use the dump pack to help start the car. It would be cool if we could do away with the starter battery all together, but that would be a serious undertaking.

[WNDSRFR]

A transformer won't work (DC). But you could jumper 12V off the dump batteries in an emergency. You just need some really short jumper cables.

[Gary in NJ]

Here's a $50 short-term solution to get you through the cold days...

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Ll1000-Li-Ion-Battery-Starter/dp/B005IU28AW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416757456&sr=8-6&keywords=lithium+car+battery+booster"]Amazon.com: Stanley Ll1000 Li-Ion Battery Jump Starter: Automotive[/ame]

[TM]

After leaving my car off for a little over 24 hours, it read 12.55v and started up nice and strong. It was also 52F, so I'm fairly certain the issue is temperature related. The only thing different I did was having the ESC switched to off instead of relay on/off.


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