Lithium ion Battery...please read

[max rolph]

OK Friends... DO NOT... DO NOT get a lithium battery for the 4 stroke sled... i had just got one for my stage 6 set up being that it had 600 CCA and seamed to make sled run even better as there was a constant 13-14 volts making everything run top notch...in temps around zero deg. Well we went to northern quebec this week for 5 day ride and it was minus 30... it did start in the morning in trailer... but during ride as it was soo cold, minus 50 with wind chill .. my assumption is the battery shut down and then sled basically was running on stator and votage reg.. i made it 100 miles and got a P0562 code on dash... low voltage, stopped and then had to boost to go again, ran another 80 miles and got to a dealer and had them install a brand new Stock Cat battery, they only got to quick charge it for @ 1hour, then rode another 75 miles and code P0562 came back on. made it to next hotel and put in heated garege storage at hotel,.. checked dash and was only seeing 10volts ... bought a charger and plugged in for full charge, next morning everything started great.. still only 10 volts on dash soo i assume that the stator had to wrk over time and pooched out when battery shut dwn . got 10 miles out of ValDor and the fuel pump pooched .... so i take it these sleds do not take kindly to low voltages... CAUSE AND EFFECT.

 

[KnappAttack]

You know, I know you bought the NOCO battery which I thought looked really good, however the batteries with the protection and cell balancing do shutdown in the cold for their protection. Most of the EarthX, except for the one made for sleds (ETZ14C), and that NOCO you had have that balancing and shutdown protection built in.

My Shorai Lightweight battery does not have this built in and I don't expect this to happen. I got 8 years from my old Shorai lightweight, all in the cold weather on snowmobiles, including a couple years with it on the Winder, so I feel confident that the lightweight batteries like the Shorai, or the EarthX ETZ14C without shutdown protection will work fine in the cold weather and not shutdown.

Have you contacted NOCO to see if there's something they can do for you? It sucks that you had issues like that with that battery, but because of the problem you had, they may want to caution against using it in snowmobiles or cold weather on their website.

 

[earthling]

Could it be that your stator or regulator was already pooched or on its way? Balance circuits will try to protect the battery from charging if it is really cold out but in your case after presumably sitting all night the battery was good enough to start the sled which would have been the highest demand all day on the battery, and the sled should have been generating enough power to keep running on its own (you run off of the stator/regulator, not the battery), it sounds like the stator was already dying. Which meant that the sled was relying on the battery. I would imagine that once the sled was running it was no longer -30 in your engine bay and windchill only matters if the battery is in the wind (and it is really a rating for cold it feels, not an absolute temperature).

 

[Doc Harley]

I think all lithium ion batteries suffer in extreme cold temps.
Most batteries that I've researched explain that fact.
I found lithium ion to be extremely unreliable in a work environment, during Frosty temps

 

[sideshowBob]

As KnappAttack stated all the EarthX Lithium Ion batteries have a low voltage lockout that kicks in around 9 volts. You either have to disconnect and reconnect them or use a battery charger with a reset feature to charge them again. I have used the EarthX ETX 36C that has this lockout protection in my Apex for over 5 years and have never had any issues.
In my SW I use the EarthX ETZ 14C that is designed for sleds and has no lockout protection again with no issues.

 

[THEPASMAN]

-36* C will test the limits on anything. Your a die hard for riding in that temp for sure

 

[Motorhead]

-36* C will test the limits on anything. Your a die hard for riding in that temp for sure

X2

 

[yamamarc]

I know hellflyer has been running one for a few seasons. I believe he wired a heated seat on a switch directly to the battery and flicks the switch on for a bit before starting to "wake up the battery". From what he says it's been flawless

 

[yamamarc]

As KnappAttack stated all the EarthX Lithium Ion batteries have a low voltage lockout that kicks in around 9 volts. You either have to disconnect and reconnect them or use a battery charger with a reset feature to charge them again. I have used the EarthX ETX 36C that has this lockout protection in my Apex for over 5 years and have never had any issues.
In my SW I use the EarthX ETZ 14C that is designed for sleds and has no lockout protection again with no issues.

Good to know!
If the works well in your area I think it passes the reliability test..lol
It gets dam cold there...haha

 

[Doc Harley]

It's just my opinion.....the battery will work it just can't recharge itself as efficiently as it should. Too bad the battery is not in the engine compartment, needs a thermo blanket to keep it warm.
Again, the colder it is, the more apparent this becomes.

 

[hellflyer]

I know hellflyer has been running one for a few seasons. I believe he wired a heated seat on a switch directly to the battery and flicks the switch on for a bit before starting to "wake up the battery". From what he says it's been flawless

What Marc said!

 

[earthling]

It's just my opinion.....the battery will work it just can't recharge itself as efficiently as it should. Too bad the battery is not in the engine compartment, needs a thermo blanket to keep it warm.
Again, the colder it is, the more apparent this becomes.

I didn't realize the battery in the winder was not in the engine bay (ignorance for the win!). Even then, any draw on the battery is likely to heat the battery back up to safe operating temperatures.

 

[Richard Hodgins]

I have never seen lithium batteries work well in the cold. They ALL do this. Its just not worth the minimal weight saving you get from it. I saddle bag too, and always have gas, gear and stuff on the back. I couldnt care less that a batteries weighs a few pounds less. I need reliability and the lithium doesnt have it....

 

[KnappAttack]

I have never seen lithium batteries work well in the cold. They ALL do this. Its just not worth the minimal weight saving you get from it. I saddle bag too, and always have gas, gear and stuff on the back. I couldnt care less that a batteries weighs a few pounds less. I need reliability and the lithium doesnt have it....

No, they don't ALL do this Richard. Some work and some don't work, so it's important to do the research and read as much as you can on them.

Lots of us have had great success and enjoy a 12 lb or so weight savings along with a longer lasting battery. My old Shorai started the easy spinning 998 perfectly fine in the cold, my new one will do even better as it has a larger rating, and I also suspect the proper EarthX does as well. Obviously you didn't read some of the comments above or just chose to ignore them.

Not all of us use the back of the sled like a pack mule, some would prefer a lighter overall weight on the rear end, and not lug around a bunch of worthless unneeded weight, so we run lightweight batteries. Not only is the machine lighter to ride and throw around on the trial, the suspension is less taxed.

 

[Doc Harley]

I'll t

I didn't realize the battery in the winder was not in the engine bay (ignorance for the win!). Even then, any draw on the battery is likely to heat the battery back up to safe operating temperatures.

Right on....I'll take my chances on a $100. Battery & a jump pack. The jump pack will work on everything I own.