Lightweight battery - Shuriken BT20 - anyone running one?

[Warp6]

You can buy these online for roughly 70 dollars. Weighs 14 pounds and provides 850 cranking amps.
It measures 3"D X 7 1/2 W X 6 1/2 H.

I had an Interstate Megatron 1000 CA in the trunk that weighed 48 pounds. It died and Interstate is NOT going to stand behind their 85 month warranty. I'm 38 months into this thing and all they want to allow me on a replacement is $20 toward a $120 battery. I'm done with them.

I'm intrigued on the lightweight AGM batteries and this one is priced very reasonably. This is for a car that is seldom driven, lives on a battery tender and stays indoors most of it's life.

Anyone here running this battery or a small AGM battery similar to this? I'd like your feedback

 

[3.8L V-8 eater]

Would like to know if these are an alternative as well

 

[Grumpy]

haven't tried a small battery like these in a few years. Didn't have any luck with the previous ones. Have a lot of aftermarket stuff on the car ?? stereo .. Fast system.. ??

 

[SS/GN]

We used Braile(sp) and Reactor in the superstocker and the Braile was less weight and has stood up well.
Kevin

 

[fuzzyGN]

I have the small battery from Odyssey in my no frills N/A car. It has done well but doesn't have much reserve. If I leave the fans on for any period of time it will not crank the car. That can be a pain at the track. It is only like 14 or so pounds which is awesome for weight savings.

 

[Nick Micale]

For what it is worth, I have 2 comments about this battery.

First, looking over the specs and comments from users, the battery specs do NOT show or list CCA - Cold Cranking Amps which is very important in very cold and hot climates, both of which degrade battery reserve and output.

This may not be an issue in a climate-controlled garage on a GN that is an occasional cruiser, but then why would you care about a few pounds less on a street driver?

Second, in a race car, what is most important is reliability and consistency. With all the electrical items on a turbo car, steady, constant voltage is a must to be competitive when going rounds.

When I was running NHRA class competition, added weight was needed, so I installed 2 batteries in the trunk. This was one of the best mods I have done since there never has been an electric power issue during a long day of racing even in hot weather, and dual fans suck lots of power for cooling in the pits.

Simple logic, think of the battery as a reservoir, as long as there is sufficient supply and ample reserve, all is fine.

So the point is, I would not trust one of these in my street cars, maybe multiples of them at least in the race car, or until more people have good experience with them to show their worth?

 

[Warp6]

Thanks Nick. Those are all very valid points. I was thinking if could shed 35 pounds then why not. I do realize the the differnce in the CA vs CCA but didn't know exactly how it would relate to me, specifically since my car is seldom driven and always garaged.
Again, you're right, why worry about weight in a seldom driven car? I was thinking I could kill two birds here. Get a new battery and shed a little weight. The "new battery" is priority one, wieght savings was just a bonus.
I'll probably end up going with a slightly smaller Delco Professional.
I have the standard electrical drains most guys here have - dual fans, trans cooler fan, dual fuel pumps. No big stereo.
Thanks to all, keep the opinions and experiences coming - good or bad.

 

[Pronto]

Those seem to be for auxillary power with mega audio systems, not a replacement for a regular starting system battery.

 

[~JM~]

I have swapped all my motorcycles & most of my vehicles to AGM type batteries. I like the no spill & hardly any off gassing of these batts as compared to a standard lead/acid type. I have seen no performance difference either good or bad.

~JM~

 

[A2000RICH]

You can buy these online for roughly 70 dollars. Weighs 14 pounds and provides 850 cranking amps.
It measures 3"D X 7 1/2 W X 6 1/2 H.

I had an Interstate Megatron 1000 CA in the trunk that weighed 48 pounds. It died and Interstate is NOT going to stand behind their 85 month warranty. I'm 38 months into this thing and all they want to allow me on a replacement is $20 toward a $120 battery. I'm done with them.

I'm intrigued on the lightweight AGM batteries and this one is priced very reasonably. This is for a car that is seldom driven, lives on a battery tender and stays indoors most of it's life.

Anyone here running this battery or a small AGM battery similar to this? I'd like your feedback

one thing is certain---------there is no perfect battery-------if there were we would no doubt all be driving electric cars-------the recent issues with the GM Volt would not be news if there were something even close to an ideal battery--------when it really comes down to it most folks can't even define what the perfect battery is-------for starters (no pun intended) the perfect battery is the smallest battery that will reliably start your car--------always remember that once the car is started the battery is a LOAD just like any other electrical accessory in the car and the source of all the electrical power immediately becomes the alternator---------in a properly designed electrical system when the car is started the battery contributes nothing and is just a source of electrical drain and extra weight along for the ride---------what does it actually take to start a turbo Regal??---------at 70 degrees with an OEM starter the drain is about 170 amps for the starter + about 25 for fuel pumps and ignition or about 200 amps---------its about 20 amps less for the mini gear starters------this is easily achieved with a rather small battery---------However----- and this is a very big however---------a very important thing to remember here is that as conditions change the requirements can change drastically--------a cold engine with thick oil can require as much as 30% more current and at the same time lowering the capacity of the battery ----------even if we allow for a doubling of capacity these days a 400 amp capable battery is no big deal (most battery designers consider that the greatest load a battery should see is no more than 25 to 35% its maxium capacity but with performance cars we sometimes tend to ignore good practices)-------- we have to remember many factors that i will call "electrical management"-------sitting with eletrical accessories running such as stereos, headlights or cooling fans can easily diminish the capability of your battery to be able to start your car---------one thing overlooked by the electric car liberals is that every time a battery is cycled the service time gets slightly shorter---------imagine if your gasoline EPA ratings looked like this---------first tankful 20 city 30 highway-------second tankful 19 city 29 hwy-------third tankful 18 city 28 hwy---- etc..--------i sort of got off on a sore spot tangent for me but you get the picture--------when picking a battery we must remember if the engine is not running your battery is effectively getting smaller but the size and weight stays the same and electrical load imposed on the running engine is getting larger when it is finally started---------i can say from lots of experience that if you are going to use one of the smaller batteries in your car you must manage your engine off drain time more wisely--------that means don't use headlight delay timers, don't run cooling fans without a small backup generator etc---------for nearly 20 years I have used the same small battery in the stock location of my GNX and not had a problem but if you go to my garage right now you will see that it has a mini trickle charger on it at all times it is not in use-------GEL and AGM batteries are great but if you drain them deeply at a slow rate they will be permanently damaged by your cars charging system (capacity diminished) and will never recover--------your cars charging system is designed for flooded cell batteries and is very wrong for GEL types and somewhat wrong for AGM types------if you do not baby them they will disappoint you----------someday there is hope for the Li Ion but i cannot offer much better advice than wait or at least choose carefully-------a Li Ion battery the size of a pack of cigarettes can easily start your car but your chaarger is not even close to being designed to recharge it--------but soon it may offer hope---------they are really quirkey--------if discharged to less than about 30% the chemistry gets slightly altered and cell matching becomes difficult creating a condition that can easily lead to thermal runaway and even fire.....................RC

 

[BILL HAINES]

THANKS RICHARD.. FUNNY, J. CANUT AND I JUST HAD A DISCUSSION A FEW HRS AGO. I INSTALLED THE INTERSTATE BATTERY THIS PAST FALL(4 MO) AG0..IT WAS FULLY CHARGED AND DISCONNECTED.. YESTERDAY WAS BEAUTIFUL HERE IN WESTERN PA, SO I FIGURE I'LL LAY DOWN SOME BLACK MARKS IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE(NEIGHBORS WOULD REPORT TO TAMMY IS WAS JOHN)ANYWAYS MY BATTERY IS DEAD....SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, I'LL NEED TO GET A SMALL TRICKLE CHARGER,

 

[Warp6]

Richard, thanks for your reply. I've been looking forward to your input. I remember the battery in your X from a long, long time ago. It was cutting edge in '95! My memories of that is the real reason for this post, it got me thinking. I may try one and see how it works out.
Any idea what the CCA rating is on the battery I described? It's rated at 850 cranking amps, so I "think" it will be adequate.
One thing's for sure, I've spent much more than $70 and been disappointed!

I've heard about Li Ion batteries catching fire in the trunks of people's cars who had been running RC planes. I think the technology is coming but for now I think AGM is the best I can do.

Thanks Rich, Nick and all the others.