Battery Relocation

[CMF_Nissanmania]

I'm getting a bit of grief trying to convince someone to take on the job of relocating my battery under the passenger seat.

The battery supplier says the Odessy battery that would fit under the seat isn't going to be big enough to do the job. Is this true in real world experience? What size/part number battery has been succesfully used?

The auto electrician's concerns are that:
1. The weight saving is minimal once you factor in the extra weight of the cables
2. The cost vs the benefit is unfavourable. Fuseable links etc need to be relocated/rewired etc
3. The safety of a length of unfused battery cable running through the car.

I suppose I could ignore the battery supplier and try using the battery that would fit under the passenger seat and go and find an electrician who is willing to take on the job.

Just wanted feedback from Cisco and others that have taken on this task on how much it cost, how difficult it was and if their battery has survived sustained use.

 

[cisco]

Hmm you are actually adding weight by doing this. But you are dramatically improving weight distribution. Its fine to have an extra 0.5Kg of heavy gauge cable extra, because you are moving a 10-20Kg brick from directly over the top of a wheel, into the middle of your car.

I can say its a REALLY noticable difference in handling and feel of the car improvement just from doing this. I was sceptical at first also, and the owner of B-Crews was telling me in Japan how its like one of the best quick wins you can cash in on for handling improvements.

My car was getting too top heavy and feeling terrible from having all the turbo gear in the front as well as the ABS and the battery.

The ABS after all my fussing, doesn't actually weight that much. About 7Kg total I think. The battery is much heavier. After moving it, the car is transformed now and no longer feels top heavy. SERIOUSLY.

My battery is fine. Its one of those little odyssey, have a look at the photo of it to get the model etc in the blue monster's page (http://www.micra.com.au/blue-monster.php)

I would highly recommend this modification.

The thick, long battery cable is highly insulated and you can further shield it with whatever you want if you are paranoid about it shorting out etc. My car got engineered and fully passed through the government inspection pits with this done. Its fine. Just critical to ensure that you secure the existing terminals 100% properly in the engine bay. And insulate them very well etc. Mine uses a piece of radiator hose with a big slit cut into it to do this job. But that's only my kind of temporary solution which works perfectly, but isn't too tidy to look at. So I'm going to head to an auto electrician aswell to have him tidy up the cabling for it very soon.

Its really not all that much hassle to do. Buy the cable, take it to a battery place and get them to crimp massive terminal eye hole fittings on each end of the cable. That is pretty cheap, they will probably make up entire custom cables for you actually. Use the thickest gauge wire you can get. You don't want any risk of overloading that long wire.. Use a massive thick earth from the battery and bolt it underneath the lower seatbelt rail thing, it bolts directly into the chassis (Blue Monster photos should kinda show where my earth cable is leading to get an idea).

My battery is fine. The Odysseys can safely be mounted on their side, and they don't vent any gas out at all. So its 100% legal and safe. my battery mostly had issues from when I wasn't driving the car enough, it would go flat after a couple of weeks and I needed to jump start it again. Now that I'm driving the car regularly, its fine. Starts every time with plenty of grunt in it.

Also, I can jump start the car from inside the bonnet because I can still access the terminal by removing the radiator hose insulator thing.. So that makes it a bit easier rather than having to reach under the seat etc.

 

[CMF_Nissanmania]

Thanks mate. It makes the job sound alot more straight forward by just connecting to the existing battery cables. That way I could go back to the stock setup if I wasn't happy.

 

[CMF_Polar]

i can confirm that this size battery has not let me down in my k11.

 

[CMF_Polar]

its a red top 25. its tiny race battery. easily lift it in ine hand grab. weighs 5kg i think.

 

[CMF_2]

I'm also thinking of doing this ASAP but I had this weird thinking....what if someone, the passenger accidentally drop something like a coin( you know it always happen..)and put their hands under the seat and went for a search.....not sure if there will be any shock?

Might need a fire resistant battery box/rubber cover to cover up the terminals.

 

[CMF_Alex_B]

https://micra.org.uk/cmf/message/7309

http://micra.studior7.com/projecturbomicra/battery/battery.htm

Very noticable handling Improvement. I no longer have that battery, i regret letting it go now, definatly noticed the crappy handling when turning right when i changed back to a normal bettery in the engine bay, compared to turning left

Alex

 

[cisco]

Yeah good point 2. Hey great to hear from you again - you've been quiet mate!

A rubber cover over the terminals sounds like a top idea. I need to do that on mine.

 

[CMF_Toma]

Ive heard there are some noxious gases that are released by battery terminals as they are in use. Found out about it all when i was contemplating getting 2 batteries installed. So be careful with what battery you choose. I would suspect a cheap smaller battery would not be properly shielded for these gases.

 

[cisco]

Odyssey is fine though. Not sure about the others.

Says so on their web site. They have some legal license to be able to be shipped internationally in normal boxes, which apparently normal batteries do not have.

They are completely vent free and sealed. All the action happens on the inside.