Lightweight Starting Battery for E-TEC 90-HP

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Author Topic:   Lightweight Starting Battery for E-TEC 90-HP

bloller posted 12-25-2013 11:14 AM ET (US)
I would like to move my heavy starting battery to the console but the cost of cable and connectors is somewhat high--not to mention the labor involved. Has anyone used or recommends using a lightweight 15-lbs 17-Ah AGM battery, common in jet skis and motorcycles, such as the Ddyssey PC680 or PC625. They say they can provide plenty of cranking Amperes in short bursts, and my E-TEC starts with just a bump of the key. I do not run any electronics except rare occasions for nav lights or depth sounder but only when motor is running
Tom Hemphill posted 12-25-2013 06:56 PM ET (US)
I recommend fulfilling your engine manufacturer's requirements: a battery rated for 640 CCA. The Odyssey models you mentioned seem to fall short.
I have a 90-HP E-TEC and once had a no-start situation using a under-rated battery. I now have a single Group 24 marine starting battery from NAPA rated for 800 CCA. I believe it weighs 45 pounds.
Lil Whaler Lover posted 12-26-2013 01:17 PM ET (US)
The personal watercraft batteries get the high output for their physical size by building them with extremely thin plates to get more plate area. This gives them a higher output. It also leads to much quicker failure due to plate breakage. You could try using one but you better plan on having an extra one with you at all times or carrying a jump back with you.
To put it a little more simply, do not even consider doing this. When I was with a Sea-Doo dealer, we had to replace well over half of the batteries each year due to internal breakage of the plates.
jimh posted 12-27-2013 03:39 PM ET (US)
I noticed that there are now a few Lithium-Ion batteries being marketed as marine batteries. Batteries of this type are generally lighter than lead-acid batteries, but they are also more expensive. For example, to get a marine battery made with Lithium-Ion chemistry and capable of producing 500-CCA you have to spend about $700. Yes, it is said to be 70-percent lighter than a lead-acid battery, but, boy oh boy, are you paying for that weight loss.
http://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/lithium-marine-batteries.php
There is a very good short lecture, professionally filmed, edited, and presented, about "How a lead acid battery works" by "engineerguy" (also known as Bill Hammack, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and available on youtube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A532X6JZL20
that explains why the lead-acid battery, although considered very old technology, is still one of the best ways to store electrical energy.

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Author	Topic: Lightweight Starting Battery for E-TEC 90-HP
bloller	posted 12-25-2013 11:14 AM ET (US) I would like to move my heavy starting battery to the console but the cost of cable and connectors is somewhat high--not to mention the labor involved. Has anyone used or recommends using a lightweight 15-lbs 17-Ah AGM battery, common in jet skis and motorcycles, such as the Ddyssey PC680 or PC625. They say they can provide plenty of cranking Amperes in short bursts, and my E-TEC starts with just a bump of the key. I do not run any electronics except rare occasions for nav lights or depth sounder but only when motor is running
Tom Hemphill	posted 12-25-2013 06:56 PM ET (US) I recommend fulfilling your engine manufacturer's requirements: a battery rated for 640 CCA. The Odyssey models you mentioned seem to fall short. I have a 90-HP E-TEC and once had a no-start situation using a under-rated battery. I now have a single Group 24 marine starting battery from NAPA rated for 800 CCA. I believe it weighs 45 pounds.
Lil Whaler Lover	posted 12-26-2013 01:17 PM ET (US) The personal watercraft batteries get the high output for their physical size by building them with extremely thin plates to get more plate area. This gives them a higher output. It also leads to much quicker failure due to plate breakage. You could try using one but you better plan on having an extra one with you at all times or carrying a jump back with you. To put it a little more simply, do not even consider doing this. When I was with a Sea-Doo dealer, we had to replace well over half of the batteries each year due to internal breakage of the plates.
jimh	posted 12-27-2013 03:39 PM ET (US) I noticed that there are now a few Lithium-Ion batteries being marketed as marine batteries. Batteries of this type are generally lighter than lead-acid batteries, but they are also more expensive. For example, to get a marine battery made with Lithium-Ion chemistry and capable of producing 500-CCA you have to spend about $700. Yes, it is said to be 70-percent lighter than a lead-acid battery, but, boy oh boy, are you paying for that weight loss. http://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/lithium-marine-batteries.php There is a very good short lecture, professionally filmed, edited, and presented, about "How a lead acid battery works" by "engineerguy" (also known as Bill Hammack, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and available on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A532X6JZL20 that explains why the lead-acid battery, although considered very old technology, is still one of the best ways to store electrical energy.