• Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.

Battery recommendations

A

aljones

Registered Member
Joined
6 July 2007
Messages
38
Location
St. Louis Missouri
I have a 1993 Formula Red, I installed a new battery in June 2011, I only drive the NSX every few weeks, more times than not the battery is dead, but once started it runs fine and starts fine. This weekend it wouldn't start and even after jump starting it and letting it run for 30 minutes when I turned it off it wouldn't start again.

What battery is recomended and what else can I do to address this battery drain situation?
 
Get a battery tender if you don't regularily drive the car. Almost any battery will be fine for the NSX that is the recommended size.

I've had good luck with the Costco Kirkland battery in my previous NSX, and plan to replace my current battery with another one due to the low price and the Costco unconditional guarantee.
 
Yup. The problem isn't the kind of battery you got. The NSX can drain most batteries in a few weeks, and if you do that over and over, the battery is going to be toast.

There are various automatic battery chargers on the market ("automatic" meaning that they stop charging once the battery is fully charged). You may want to figure out a wiring solution to make it easy on you, especially if you like to keep your car covered. One way is to get an onboard automatic charger that mounts next to the battery; you park the car, remove the spare, and reach down to plug in the charger. Another way is to get wiring with pigtail connectors (such as ending in the front air dam) so that it's easy to plug/unplug the charger when the car is parked and covered.
 
I've used the float battery tender from Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html at $8 to $13 (depending on the sale). My battery lasted 10 years in the NSX with that. It puts out the right temperature-compensated voltage level, and that's what matters.

Instead of clipping it to the battery terminals, I cut off the clips and installed a connector to charge via one of the unused positions in the fuse box under the hood. That way, the car wiring and battery are protected even if somebody trips over the power cord to the charger, etc.

Note: Your battery typically should last 2-3 weeks with OEM stand-by current drain. If you have aftermarket equipment that draws more current than the OEM equipment with the igniton off (alarms, sound systems, etc), that can drain/kill a battery much faster.
 
kennyc said:
just installed this last weekend after searching prime.

http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SE-1-12S-Automatic-Onboard-Battery/dp/B0000AXTUY

easy install. I also installed a battery cut off switch on the battery while I was in there.
Click to expand...

Battery charger good ,cut off switch not good . The idea is to keep power connected to the car , when you disconnect power the ECM cancels the diagnostic monitors . now the car has has to go thru the process of re setting the monitors , this pertains to 96 and newer ,don't know what year you have.
 
ralph cerbone said:
Battery charger good ,cut off switch not good . The idea is to keep power connected to the car , when you disconnect power the ECM cancels the diagnostic monitors . now the car has has to go thru the process of re setting the monitors , this pertains to 96 and newer ,don't know what year you have.
Click to expand...

91? I think I found my battery drain issue so I probably will not use the cut off switch unless she will be sitting for an extended period of time.
 
PHOEN$X said:
How about posting some pics of your install? I have a DIY thread on the Batter Tender Jr., but I'm sure people would like to see alternative solutions.
Click to expand...

The charger comes with a L bracket - you can see the bracket on amazon's site.

I attached the L bracket to the charger. Put in in the battery tray, put the battery in so it sits on the L bracket (plenty of room in there).
Connect + lead to the battery
Connect the + wire of the charger to the battery cable
Connect the - lead to the battery
Connect the - wire of the charger to the battery cable

Make sure all connections are good then tighten the battery tie down
 
Last edited:
SFNSXguy said:
This may duplicate some of the above... but it's what I've used for many years:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc925series.htm

chargers:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/accessories/aci.htm
Click to expand...
I've used Odyssey batteries - specifically the PC925T - for years. They last at least 8 years, probably more (I replaced mine at that point for preventive reasons, not because there was anything wrong with it).

I've bought them online from Portable Power Systems, who have terrific prices and great customer service.
 
nsxtasy said:
I've used Odyssey batteries - specifically the PC925T - for years. They last at least 8 years, probably more (I replaced mine at that point for preventive reasons, not because there was anything wrong with it).

I've bought them online from Portable Power Systems, who have terrific prices and great customer service.
Click to expand...

Ahh, so that's what Odyssey Batteries are.. For the longest time I was trying to figure that out.. For a while I thought people were putting the Honda Odyssey battery in their NSX, and was asking myself why would you do that?!?... Haha..
 
SFNSXguy said:
This may duplicate some of the above... but it's what I've used for many years:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc925series.htm

chargers:

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/accessories/aci.htm
Click to expand...

i'm getting an odyssey battery next time based on the recommendation of SFNSXguy and others,i just haven't decided which one.

this is the oem size group 35 replacement battery-
http://www.portablepower.com/Odyssey_35-PC1400?filter_name=odyssey&page=4

it weighs 50 lb. and costs about $70 more than the 925.we talked about this privately a while back,and i appreciate your input.for the benefit of the whole forum,do you continue to feel the lighter but less powerful 925 is adequate? i drive the car at least 2-3 times a week,and prefer not to have to use a battery tender. thanks.
 
Last edited:
robbiedawg said:
i'm getting an odyssey battery next time based on the recommendation of SFNSXguy and others,i just haven't decided which one.

this is the oem size group 35 replacement battery-
http://www.portablepower.com/Odyssey_35-PC1400?filter_name=odyssey&page=4

it weighs 50 lb. and costs about $70 more than the 925.we talked about this privately a while back,and i appreciate your input.for the benefit of the whole forum,do you continue to feel the lighter but less powerful 925 is adequate? i drive the car at least 2-3 times a week,and prefer not to have to use a battery tender. thanks.
Click to expand...

A car driven as frequently as you say doesn't need a tender. The 925T will do the job for you, but you may need to fabricate some sort of "adapter" to have the stock battery mount hold the smaller 925T snugly (I made one out of wood).
 
nsxtasy said:
Yup. The problem isn't the kind of battery you got. The NSX can drain most batteries in a few weeks, and if you do that over and over, the battery is going to be toast..
Click to expand...

yeah? I beg to differ... LOL... I've done this to my OEM Panasonic battery at least 50 times. I keep hoping it will die and I can go with some lightweight aftermarket battery. I swear it has 9 lives. Doesn't matter what I do. It just will not die. I've never seen anything like it. It's been deep cycled literally 50 times and it still holds a charge for well over a week without a start.
 
I just replaced a 5 year old Interstate Mega(something) with a Walmart Maxx 35S battery. I just couldn't see paying more than $99. The same brand battery has served me well on other cars. My NSX gets driven 2 days every week barring a business trip or long stretch of bad weather.
 
robbiedawg said:
i'm getting an odyssey battery next time based on the recommendation of SFNSXguy and others,i just haven't decided which one.

this is the oem size group 35 replacement battery-
http://www.portablepower.com/Odyssey_35-PC1400?filter_name=odyssey&page=4

it weighs 50 lb. and costs about $70 more than the 925.we talked about this privately a while back,and i appreciate your input.for the benefit of the whole forum,do you continue to feel the lighter but less powerful 925 is adequate? i drive the car at least 2-3 times a week,and prefer not to have to use a battery tender. thanks.
Click to expand...
The 925 is adequate for your needs. Absolutely no need to get anything larger. And I agree with Harry; you don't need a tender for a car that's always driven 2-3 times a week.
 
I've been looking at this company recently. Evidently the battery will completely shut down when it comes close to dying. There is a reserve button than can be pressed when you're ready and it saves just enough for one last start/crank. Lightweight too.

If anyone has any experience with this company please advise.

http://www.lithionicsbattery.com/

I'm currently using an Odyssey 6xx

Edit to add:
Automobile Engine Start

The NEW low-price engine start battery you've been dreaming about! »

Lithionics Battery combines its modular lithium-ion automated assembly design with advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS) electronics to provide the widest range of automotive and powersports batteries available worldwide. Our NEVER-DIE™ system, internal to the battery case, places an unused vehicle battery into 'sleep mode', with a reserve energy preserved sufficient to provide 2 to 3 restarts after the battery is reactivated. We offer various remote-controlled user interfaces to 'wake' the battery up.

As a result of our products' thermal management engineering, Lithionic's batteries operate at higher temperatures than typical Lithium-Ion batteries. This makes our batteries durable and reliable – a necessity in automotive power. That means that our batteries are both high energy for cranking/starting and stronger for reserve energy power - enabling our batteries to give automobiles stronger engine spark and heightened electronics performance. Our resistance to harmful 'voltage sag' enable auto makers to employ engine start-stop methods without resorting to heavy AGM batteries weighing up to 80 pounds.

Lithionics Battery combines power, cycle life and safety to make our products suitable for a variety of automotive applications.

Contact us today to find out more about Lithionics Battery and see why investors are banking on us to help power the automotive industry.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
TURBO2GO said:
I want a lithium battery...
Click to expand...

I use a Lithium battery in one of my motorcycles, it could easily be used to start any 3-liter V-6 powered car. The battery is roughly 5" wide by 3/4" thick and about 4" tall. It puts out 13.2 volts nominal and can discharge 60 amps continuous or up to 120A in a 10 second burst. It charges at 14.4 volts at 3 amps (max 16.8 volts @ 10 amps. You have to be very very careful to never let the battery voltage drop below 8 volts or it will kill the battery. You could wire a couple of the things together and make a very small and light automobile battery, but it would cost you a small fortune and wouldn't be much better than a battery you could pick up at Wal Mart if you liked.

By the way, for those who don't already know this, you could count the number of actual battery manufacturers in the country on one hand, they just brand them and wholesale them with a thousand different brand names on them. That, and always check the date code on the battery (every battery has one melted into the case) you intend to buy and don't be a bit bashful about digging through the pile - do not buy a battery that has been sitting on the shelf for a long time.

And as long as I'm pontificating here, the biggest killer of batteries is heat, heat and leaving a partially discharged battery. If its low charge it.
 
Yes, and there is little heat where the NSX battery sits. Maybe that's why I can't kill mine. The battery and radiator in mod engine cars are where they belong. In the front. And the engine is where it belongs. In the back.
 
I recently installed the Shorei Battery if you want to look at an alternative.
It is super lightweight only 2.5kgs i thought the box was empty when i first picked it up.
It has been in the car 6 months now and i have not had one issue with it, it has really good cranking power, i normally use my car every 4 or 5 days so it has not gone flat yet in that time, i got the special tender for it as i believe it is the best thing to do, anyway all the previous batteries in the car drained flat without one so expect any battery to die in these cars without a tender or regular drives. (it did go flat the first week after 6-7 days during the cold start to winter as i was testing how long it would go without a charge.)
 

Attachments

  • battery box.jpg
    battery box.jpg
    60.1 KB · Views: 33
  • battery tender box.jpg
    battery tender box.jpg
    65.1 KB · Views: 32

Similar threads

W
Dead Battery
Replies
6
Views
327
Wcaplan
W
TyraNSX
New Braille battery
Replies
6
Views
797
TyraNSX
TyraNSX
Fabunoz
Car only works when jumpstart?
Replies
9
Views
607
Old Guy
Old Guy
A
‘95 NSX-T won’t start. Battery good. No Cranks. 2 plugs behind passenger glove box?
Replies
19
Views
855
Old Guy
Old Guy
N
ABS code 44 and TCS code 44 after dead battery?
Replies
1
Views
346
neonshaun
N
Back
Top