Thread: Using the 12V 18AH Batteries in a car
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Unread 11-02-2013, 10:31
Racer26 Racer26 is offline
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Using the 12V 18AH Batteries in a car
I'm having problems with my car, its 12V battery is not holding a charge well at all. I've had to boost it 4 times in the last 72 hours.

Ordinarily I would say that our robot batteries are not well suited to automotive use, however my car is no ordinary car.

I drive a 2001 Honda Insight. Its a 3 cyl- 995cc Gas-Electric Hybrid. 99% of the time, it uses its 144V IMA battery pack to start the engine. The 12V battery is simply there to energize the computers. Once the engine is running, the car uses its on-board DC-DC converter to keep the 12V system operational (there is no alternator).

If the 12V battery is dead when you go to start the car, the computers won't power up to initiate the IMA start.

Climate-wise, where I live, we frequently see overnight lows in the -15 to -25C range. If it is extremely cold out (-30C or lower I believe) the car will try to start using a 12V starter and the 12V battery.

Would a robot battery be sufficient under such conditions? They're quite a bit cheaper than typical low-end car batteries, which IMO are overkill for the application.