Battery Options?

[TurboLexus]

Well, my NSX doesn't seem to want to hold a charge for very long after winter storage, time for a new battery. I'm aware that the Zanardi battery is apparently no longer avail from Kragen, Acura, or anywhere else. I would've like to have saved the 8-10 lbs, my next option is an Odyssey PC945T (car is not a daily driver), but AFAIK Dali is the only co. that makes an NSX-specific mount for it, and suffice to say I don't do business with Mark anymore. Just curious what my other options are, my fallback is an oem replacement from Costco, Ken had stated they are made by Johnson Controls and are priced nicely.
Thx in advance guys.

Jon

 

[Da Hapa]

I just went through the same dilemna.

Believe it or not my car (at 53,000 miles and nearly 9-years) was on the original battery. I couldn't believe it either when I bought the car a few years back and I kept expecting it to croak.

I almost did the dry cell battery but since I don't track the car, I felt that was overkill. I passed on the lightweight options also because I've read/seen a few stories here on prime that spooked me on those.

I ended up just doing the oem route. I can always stand to lose 20lbs off my fat Hawaiian but anyway!

One thing I did do, and think that any of us that don't drive the cars every day should do... is buy a battery charger.

Autowave hooked me up so that I simply pop the hood, plug it in and I'm good to go! Much less stress on the electrical system, and while I doubt I'll get 9 years out of this battery... it should help me in the long run since I can go weeks between driving my NSX.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

a small battery tender from you local walmart, a red top optima from Costco.

That's all you needed.

The spill proof of the dry cell is definately good for track driving. However,

I had a conventional battery failed on my daily driver, which while it held charges, the side bubbles and the acid spill out. Ended up ate throught my car's paint and rust part of the frame.
I had spent 2 full nights swearing and sanding the affected area, thank god it's not on my nsx.

Other day, my wife's 03 TL-S Honda OEM battery was dead, when I take the battery out, I smelled the all too familiar acidic smell... sure enough, even though I don't see any spill from the battery, the battery tray is all wet with those battery acid. It's a 4 year old battery so I don't bother to claim it, you guess it... Red top optima in her car rightawy.

I probably just have bad luck, but the piece of mind of the extra $50-80 spent is worth it.

For some reason, the nsx is notorusly leaking current, faster than any car I had seen. No battery will survive through a winter if you don't unhook the terminals.

 

[RPM217]

I used to have to jump start my NSX every few weeks during the winter, hooked it up to a battery tender this year, and I've used it a few times and all I do is unhook the tender it fires up beautifully, can't recommed it enough for those that are seasonally challenged, get a tender!!!!

 

[Scin]

I've got the PC680, and I only had it go dead once when I let the NSX sit for two weeks. It seems like it can sit for a week and be ok though. I bought a battery tender to solve the issue (after dinging my door pushing the car back to jump it with my truck).

I do have the Dali mount though. Perhaps you can get one from someone on prime?

 

[NSX-Tuner]

I've been running with the Odyssey PC1200 which is still lighter and small than the OEM battery and has more cranking power and capacity. I needed this size because of the aftermarket alarms/devices that drain the battery when car is in storage for more than 2 wks. I can go about 3-4 wks without using a battery tender.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

I've been running with the Odyssey PC1200 which is still lighter and small than the OEM battery and has more cranking power and capacity. I needed this size because of the aftermarket alarms/devices that drain the battery when car is in storage for more than 2 wks. I can go about 3-4 wks without using a battery tender.

hmmm, would you think it's because of your car relatively newer than ours, or something Honda did to change "the problem"??

2 weeks is the max. time I ever had without battery tender...

 

[Synthesis]

i'll never put an optima in any of my cars again

 

[ExCfive]

i'll never put an optima in any of my cars again

Well.....go on and qualify that. What happened???

 

[Hal_396]

i'll never put an optima in any of my cars again

Can you explain? I have two of those and haven't had any issues. Never heard of any problems either.

 

[Synthesis]

i bought a yellow top for my civic September 2005 or so.
May 06 I went to Japan for 3 mos. Came back - battery was completely dead. (But the pos battery in my NSX fired it up first shot.)
After charging, it was ok as far as I could tell. Then about a couple mos later, I came back from work and stopped at the mailboxes (I live in an apt complex). I shut off the car, got my mail, got back in the car, and it was dead (after just driving the car). Narrowed it down to the battery. Luckily the store took it back (it was just over the 1 year warranty....and I got cash, instead of another optima). I went to sears and bought a die hard with 3x the warranty for 1/2 the price.

anyway.... i'm sure they don't all act the same way, otherwise they probably wouldn't sell so well (unless the "cool" design sells it- kinda like macs)

i remember reading here somewhere that the quaility of optima's batteries can vary quite a bit - maybe i got a dud..... and maybe they should throw some SPC on that bish.

 

[BATMANs]

I ran 3 Optima batteries in my FD. Each one lasting less than a year.

I didn't have charge holding issues.

The issue is that they can't take a stiff suspension and the internals break.

Now, both the truck and FD has Kirkland Costco Batteries.

3 year and ZERO problems.

No one takes care of their customers like Costco.

 

[nsxtasy]

Well, another option is to fashion a hold-down bracket yourself, from materials you can buy at the hardware store. This really isn't very difficult or complicated, I don't think.

Regarding the smaller batteries, I recently replaced the Odyssey PC925T in my NSX as a preventive measure after eight years, then regretted doing so, as I realized it probably could have lasted another 2-4 years, maybe more.

You'll find the best prices on Odyssey batteries at Portable Power Products. Good customer service over the phone, too.

 

[TurboLexus]

Thx Ken/guys, i'll be going with the Zanardi-size Kirkland No. 11. Now who can tell me what's required to make it fit nice in my oe battery box? I have no problem fabbing an alum brkt, just need to know if I need to make up for depth, height, or both. BTW does anyone know if the Zanardi box and/or hdwre was different to make up for the 51R battery? Tried to look it up online to see if the PN's were different, they don't list it for some reason (discontinued?).

Edit - My research shows that the 51R didn't just come in the Zanardi and ITR, but also regular Integras as well as RSX's. The PN is 31500-SR1-100M 'BATTERY (51R/500AMP85).' For those that don't want the same brand battery as their toilet paper .

 

[Hugh]

I ran 3 Optima batteries in my FD. Each one lasting less than a year.

I didn't have charge holding issues.

The issue is that they can't take a stiff suspension and the internals break.

Maybe your Optimas were assembled on a late Friday afternoon. I've had a Red Top in Charlotte for 3 years and over 100,000 miles and it's doing just fine. I drive everyday on Tein Coilovers and I drive her hard so your theory seems flawed to me.

 

[MiamiMermaid]

I used to have to jump start my NSX every few weeks during the winter, hooked it up to a battery tender this year, and I've used it a few times and all I do is unhook the tender it fires up beautifully, can't recommed it enough for those that are seasonally challenged, get a tender!!!!

Agree*

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Maybe your Optimas were assembled on a late Friday afternoon. I've had a Red Top in Charlotte for 3 years and over 100,000 miles and it's doing just fine. I drive everyday on Tein Coilovers and I drive her hard so your theory seems flawed to me.

Hugh always have straight forward, aggresive answers that I may or maynot agree at times.

But I agreed with him 100% this time. My car had been on for more than 25 track days on "almost" full stiff Tein RA setting. Even though my other car is not as highly sprung and stiff as the nsx, they all work fine with optima.

Also, all optimas came with 3 years free replacement warranty. I just did that at costco. My freind owned a shop and he acquired a junk accord with an optima battery in it. That thing is almost 2 years old and god knows what happen to it prior? It won't charge up. Took it to Costco without receipt, got a brand new one in 10 mins later.

I agreed with the costco one, but I won't take any kirkland batteries over an optima either.
2 reasons:
1. If your car is stiff enough to break something inside a gel cell battery, I'm very hard pressed that the liquid acid filled battery will take the abuse. Good luck to your FD frame.
2. All 3 of your last optimas were dead within a year, in a way, if you don't mind taking your battery to costco, YOU WILL HAVE A LIFETIME BATTERY!:biggrin:

 

[ef you]

i bought a yellow top for my civic September 2005 or so.

its because you are using a yellowtop. the civic's charging system is not designed for a deep cycle battery. i still cant figure out why optima made a yellowtop in the civic's size. seems to me that a red top would make more sense for those cars. the charging system on a civic simply will not charge a deep cycle fast enough.

its definitely not a vibration issue. optima batteries were specifically made with vibration in mind.

 

[hondaholic]

Well, another option is to fashion a hold-down bracket yourself, from materials you can buy at the hardware store. This really isn't very difficult or complicated, I don't think.

Regarding the smaller batteries, I recently replaced the Odyssey PC925T in my NSX as a preventive measure after eight years, then regretted doing so, as I realized it probably could have lasted another 2-4 years, maybe more.

You'll find the best prices on Odyssey batteries at Portable Power Products. Good customer service over the phone, too.

Is this the factory sized battery?

 

[nsxtasy]

Is this the factory sized battery?

The physical dimensions and weight of the PC925T are smaller than the stock battery.

 

[cetro993]

I used to have to jump start my NSX every few weeks during the winter, hooked it up to a battery tender this year, and I've used it a few times and all I do is unhook the tender it fires up beautifully, can't recommed it enough for those that are seasonally challenged, get a tender!!!!

If you only drive your car on weekends, this is the best way to go. I use to have a problem with dead batteries, but no more :biggrin: