WARNING - Ballistic Evo 2 battery users

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Shady195

I'll agree with that, they should have the battery specs clearly listed. Also lets just say without knowing those specs that the amount of draw on the battery was not enough to cause a quick enough voltage drop to push the battery into thermal runaway.. I still would not expect him to get a warranty replacement or sympathy from the company on something that was used in a clearly unrecommended way.

JDKane probably had a good point. The battery may have been pushed to the limits but was also brought up further by the heat created by the FI in the car. This combo may have been way more then it could take and POOOF

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Shady195

I'll agree with that, they should have the battery specs clearly listed.

That would be good. Then OP surely would have read the specs and known not to use the battery for his application. Surely.

[Canehda]

Originally Posted by Shady195

You're comparing a piece of metal to a piece of equipment that has current passing through it and is very volatile when pushed beyond its limitations..

It does explain it, that power drain may be to high for the battery. If you are unsure of what that means then there is always Google.

Thats all that should need to be said.

If it is in fact "very volatile when pushed beyond its limitations" don't you think that should be mentioned in the description for consumers to see? Not everyone is aware of the dangers of having a battery like this installed (including myself and OP) so does it not seem reasonable for a manufacture to post a more specific warning?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Canehda

If it is in fact "very volatile when pushed beyond its limitations" don't you think that should be mentioned in the description for consumers to see? Not everyone is aware of the dangers of having a battery like this installed (including myself and OP) so does it not seem reasonable for a manufacture to post a more specific warning?

If you are in any way unsure of what a battery can do you probably should not be messing with them. The do's and don'ts are pretty clear on the documentation ( at least on the Ballistic my buddy put in his bike they were)and the manufacturer's website and there is all kinds of info available for those that take the time to research.
There is a prevailing thought that manufacturers only put warnings on things to "cover their ass" and because of that far too many people ignore the warnings.
And as this is the internet, for every warning there is at least one guy saying "OH it's OK I did it and nothing happened" which confuses people even more.

[Shady195]

Maybe, however given its intended application one would think that such a person in the market for that very reason would have a bit more knowledge or at least the ability to Google or even email the vendor and ask. I think that they should have more information but really what the warning they have should at least prompt one to Google what a lifepo cell is, or Google applications with the battery installed and ask questions

Sent from my SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Poodles]

Looking through the OP's build thread on the other forums, he has a pretty significant stereo installation which is going to cause a pretty serious drain and possibly other issues.


Personally that looks like an overcharge, short, or bad install causing damage to the battery (crushing causing damage internally causing an internal short)

[steveoexige]

This forum makes me shake my head in doubt sometimes. I posted my findings on here as I know there are other fellow owners that run this battery in their cars.

To clear up some of the stupid replies I've had:

• Shedding weight in area of your car helps in every aspect; stopping, cornering, accelerating, MPG, etc, etc. There is no reason not to want to shave a few pounds off here and there.
• My car is road legal but has also been built up to race in the UK Toyota Sprint Series.
• I appreciate that 90% of the tuning parts available for our cars are labelled for off road usage. I don't have time to go into all the detail here as to why they are labelled as such suffice to say making parts road legal in most countries costs $$$ and lots of time which most parts manufacturers cant abide. This doesn't mean we should all only fit parts made by Toyota or that have been tested to destruction by a team of lab coated health and safety inspectors. With this attitude how would progress have been made in 90% of the areas mankind has come to dominate.
• Yes this battery (and other lightweight brands) is ideally suited for racing applications, as are coil overs, 3 inch exhaust systems, larger fuel pumps/injectors, etc, etc. By definition this does not mean it is unsafe to be used on the road. In fact the forces, loads and heat it would be subjected to in race conditions far exceed those on a Sunday morning cross country blast. The only issue to consider when fitting a light weight race battery is that on cold days and/or under heavy usage it may not have enough juice in reserve to turn the starter. I considered all of this before fitting it and I can live with the odd slow crank on a cold morning start and have a battery tender for if it really struggles in the winter. Under no circumstances would any of the above result in it catching fire.
• Ballistic are a very small company with battery cells supplied from China and assembled in the US. There have been reports of others fitting these batteries and them exploding or catching fire (google it). Incidentally most of these reports are from bike owners so the fault in those cases was definitely not due to excessive battery drain or their alternators over charging the battery as others on here have alluded to.
• There have been many reports of battery fires relating to laptops and mobile phones due to faulty battery cells. It happens to the best of them; HP, Apple, Samsung, etc.
• My battery MUST have been faulty as I hadn't overcharged it in anyway and discharging it would not have caused it to catch fire.
• Ballistic's attitude to my email in regards to what was without a doubt a life threatening situation caused by their product was ridiculous. Call me stupid but in my knowledge that this was down to a faulty battery and nothing else I was prepared for Ballistic to supply me with a replacement battery. To be told that I can expect nothing; no refund, no replacement is a joke.

Ballistic are a rubbish company with a terrible product. If you receive a faulty product you expect it to be replaced - end of story.

[Shady195]

I suggest you look up what a lifepo battery is.. and what happens when its pushed passed its amp limitations before you say a rapid discharge would not have caused a catastrophic failure.

I'm not saying it was for sure overcharged/rapidly discharged etc. I was responding to others... HOWEVER

I would not expect a warranty after using it in a clearly unrecommended way stated on their website... Faulty or not, it was used incorrectly by their own warning and without some serious testing and exact condtions theirs no way to tell which I don't expect them to do again because it was used improperly by their own warnings.

As far as arguing Exhausts and other components, you're comparing labeled as "offroad" use only because its not legal to.."Don't use this in a street car because the drain may be to high on the battery" Sure maybe they should mention what happens if the battery fails.. but really you should use google.

If your car failed inspection with a catless header would you expect the manufacturer to flip the bill or give you your money back? Just because other people have gotten away with it doesn't mean you will so to speak.


I'm really not trying to be a ****, Yes batteries fail it happens. It's the risk you take when you run more volatile cells. Things like this also happen when people ignore manufacturer recommendations. I hope/glad their was not serious damage and that you're okay given the circumstances, it could have been a lot worse

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by steveoexige

[*]Shedding weight in area of your car helps in every aspect; stopping, cornering, accelerating, MPG, etc, etc. There is no reason not to want to shave a few pounds off here and there.

So you set your car on fire with a lightweight battery that you were using incorrectly, yet you're still running a full interior. Not buying the weight reduction excuse. This smells too much like somebody chasing a fad.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

[*]Yes this battery (and other lightweight brands) is ideally suited for racing applications, as are coil overs, 3 inch exhaust systems, larger fuel pumps/injectors, etc, etc. By definition this does not mean it is unsafe to be used on the road.

For some of them, it does. You're trying (unsuccessfully) to equate regulatory restrictions with safety restrictions. There's a difference between a product being labeled for off-road use because of regulatory restrictions and a clear indication on the product that it should not be used in an application that exceeds its safety tolerances.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

In fact the forces, loads and heat it would be subjected to in race conditions far exceed those on a Sunday morning cross country blast.

Especially when you're running a full interior and blasting your stereo like no serious racer does.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

[*]Ballistic are a very small company with battery cells supplied from China and assembled in the US. There have been reports of others fitting these batteries and them exploding or catching fire (google it). Incidentally most of these reports are from bike owners so the fault in those cases was definitely not due to excessive battery drain or their alternators over charging the battery as others on here have alluded to.

Wow. With a terrible reputation like that, I can see why you did your research and ran right out and put one in your car anyway. I always look for mods that will catch my car on fire.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

[*]There have been many reports of battery fires relating to laptops and mobile phones due to faulty battery cells.

I'm with you! The first thing I thought when I saw all those news reports is, "Damn! I gotta get one of those in my street car!"

Originally Posted by steveoexige

Call me stupid but in my knowledge that this was down to a faulty battery and nothing else I was prepared for Ballistic to supply me with a replacement battery... Ballistic are a rubbish company with a terrible product. If you receive a faulty product you expect it to be replaced - end of story.

LOL-tastic! This guy sets his car on fire with a battery he thinks is defective. It was made by a company he claims has serious quality control problems. And yet he wants that "rubbish company" to send him another "terrible product" to put right back into his car.

[stugray]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

LOL-tastic! This guy sets his car on fire with a battery he thinks is defective. It was made by a company he claims has serious quality control problems. And yet he wants that "rubbish company" to send him another "terrible product" to put right back into his car.

I still believe that the battery WAS defective.

If this battery was in perfect working order, the only negative thing the OP should have experienced due to misuse is a dead battery, not a fire.

Contrary to many comments above, the LIFEPO batteries are the safest of all of the Lithium batteries, and do not typically exhibit thermal runaway from overdischarge to the point of bursting into flames.

Again, if OVERCHARGED, they can be a handful, but using it in an improper application like this should not have resulted in flames.

Should the OP be entitled to a replacement under warranty - no.
Just like how we do not expect a shortblock replacement under warranty on a FI car.
If not used within the guidelines of the manufacturer, then you take your chances. These are not Craftsman wrenches with "no questions asked".

[steveoexige]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

So you set your car on fire with a lightweight battery that you were using incorrectly, yet you're still running a full interior. Not buying the weight reduction excuse. This smells too much like somebody chasing a fad.

Yep I track my car and race it in the Toyota Sprint Series with a full interior. In fact the class I'm in actually stipulates a full interior is a requirement otherwise I go up into the pro category. Seeing as you spend more time commenting on car forums than driving why don't you look it up via your digital pal Google.

Originally Posted by extrashaky

For some of them, it does. You're trying (unsuccessfully) to equate regulatory restrictions with safety restrictions. There's a difference between a product being labeled for off-road use because of regulatory restrictions and a clear indication on the product that it should not be used in an application that exceeds its safety tolerances.

Yes, I agree and no it still shouldn't catch fire under road use.

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Especially when you're running a full interior and blasting your stereo like no serious racer does.

haha What now, cant I be into racing and my music ?! I'd love to know what you think a "serious racer" constitutes. You have visions of Fangio with an open face helmet, smoke stained cheeks and and white overalls and I'd hazard that the closest you've come to a race track is via your high end gaming PC in your basement with your headset on and little steering wheel controller in your hand.

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Wow. With a terrible reputation like that, I can see why you did your research and ran right out and put one in your car anyway. I always look for mods that will catch my car on fire.

You can always find a negative comment or bad review about all manufacturers products. Some people on the forums are just plain stupid and have too much time on their hands, spouting rubbish no matter what (yes these people really do exist). As is always the case I dont read to much into forum reviews and tend to find out things for myself. In this case I'd have settled for my car not starting - a battery fire was never on the cards.

Originally Posted by extrashaky

LOL-tastic! This guy sets his car on fire with a battery he thinks is defective. It was made by a company he claims has serious quality control problems. And yet he wants that "rubbish company" to send him another "terrible product" to put right back into his car.

Nope, again you're making yourself look like a prepubescent teenager with a car fixation. I said that I thought this was a faulty product and a one-off. I'd happily have had a replacement however the way the manufacturer dealt with me was way off what I would expect.

From reading your reply again I can't understand any of your points. You've just ignored my comments and explanations and replied with nothing new or useful to anyone reading my thread.

You did make me laugh especially at the thought of you playing Gran Turismo in your basement, only taking time off to troll forums and give everyone the benefit of your "racing experience". I only respect comments from those with the wherewithal to actually forward the platform by improving it with their hard earned. Hanging a smiley face air freshner off your rear view mirror and fitting chrome valve caps to your wheels means you don't qualify

[continuecrushing]

when did Biskonty* start making batteries?




*Rhymes with...



However, I'd be curious to know how many people on here are running this battery. Hell, I was thinking of picking this thing up.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by steveoexige

Yep I track my car and race it in the Toyota Sprint Series with a full interior. In fact the class I'm in actually stipulates a full interior is a requirement otherwise I go up into the pro category.

Okay, I'll concede the point about the interior. But the weight savings is still less than 1% of the weight of the car. It's not a significant factor, which makes it more likely it's just chasing a fad.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

I said that I thought this was a faulty product and a one-off.

Originally Posted by steveoexige

Ballistic are a rubbish company with a terrible product.

So it's a one-off until they won't give you another one, then it's a terrible product all around, then it's a one-off again when someone points out that wanting a terrible product in your car doesn't make any sense. Meanwhile it's a terrible product because other people have had fires, but then it's not a terrible product because you can't trust the internet reviews where people have had fires. But we should trust your internet review that it's a rubbish product, which you want to put back into your car.

You sir are quite confused.

[Decay107]

I run the same battery (16 Cell HD EVO2) and have for over a year with no issues, so I believe that this is a clear case of a defective battery. I also felt a noticeable difference in front end feel after removing 25lbs of dead weight from the giant OEM cinderblock.