Starting Or Deep Cycle Battery?

jyl · jyl's Garage

Suppose you have a car that is not driven for significant periods, not meaning long term storage but let's say the car sits idle for three weeks to three months at a time. Long enough for the battery to sometimes go flat. Would it make sense to install a deep cycle battery, so that repeatedly going flat doesn't mean buying a new battery? Can deep cycle batteries be used as starting batteries with no problems?

DasBoot · 03-21-2009, 06:42 PM

Yes, but they take longer to charge. So, firing up the car for a few minutes every week ain't gonna do it. Why not get a battery-tender?

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Optima red-top paired with a C-Tech charger.

Neilk · 03-24-2009, 09:14 AM

I think I killed my second Optima in 2 years by not driving the car enough. I think will buy the C-Tech charger if that really does the trick.

Is the trickle charger the only way to keep an Optima battery alive if you don't drive your car enough?

Tishabet · 03-24-2009, 09:29 AM

I use a battery tender (the "smart" kind that does not overcharge) on my Buick, which gets parked from October to April... works great.

David · David's Garage

Battery tender. I have them for the 930 and both bikes. On the 930 the little plug hangs out the front spoiler for easy connnection.

masraum · 03-24-2009, 09:37 AM

Yeah, wouldn't one of those smart trickle chargers be a better answer?

jyl · jyl's Garage

A trickle charger would clearly be the best thing to do, but my garage is miniscule, will hold a 911 and a thimble but not both. Sometimes the 911 ends up parked on the street for a week, which stretches to two, and three, and . . . shouldn't happen but it does. I am experimenting with a solar trickle charger now.

Mo_Gearhead · 03-24-2009, 02:33 PM

I certainly do not know how the internals (guts) differ on a standard battery vs deep cycle. But the ONLY application I was aware of for a 'deep cycle' battery is for trolling motors and lighting in boats?

My though has always been they are designed for low amperage draw over LONG periods of time, (slow draw-down).

In fact most fishing boats have deep cycle batteries for just such applications, and a standard battery for starting the engine ...don't they?

I don't think they are designed (internals) for large, instant current draws.

...but I may be wrong.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

A trickle charger would clearly be the best thing to do, but my garage is miniscule, will hold a 911 and a thimble but not both. Sometimes the 911 ends up parked on the street for a week, which stretches to two, and three, and . . . shouldn't happen but it does. I am experimenting with a solar trickle charger now.

Dont you own an extension cord?

KFC911 · 03-24-2009, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

I certainly do not know how the internals (guts) differ on a standard battery vs deep cycle. But the ONLY application I was aware of for a 'deep cycle' battery is for trolling motors and lighting in boats?...
.

I've been using the Optima Blue tops on my bass boat for a long time. I've got a humongous blue top as my primary trolling battery, and a very old (but still good) smaller blue top as a second trolling battery (for 24V turbo trolling). When my boat cranking battery died a few years ago (I'd always used "regular" batterys for that one), I purchased a smaller Optima Blue top "dual purpose" deep cycle and cranking battery and it seems like it might be perfect for a 911. I might be wrong, but I always thought trolling batteries could be depleted (I know I have many times), but it was important to charge them back at the end of the day (I always have). I now keep Battery Tenders on them so I never let them discharge and sit for long periods of time.