Shorai COLD Starting in -13 Videos included!

[kinger]

Hello everyone. I was given to test a Shorai LFX 18A1-BS12battery by nytrozula a year or so ago and never had the time or conditions to test it out. I wanted to validate for myself if the Lithium batteries could be used at least on my sled. This past weekend most of us were in the polar votex and I got the opportunity to rig up the battery to my dead PC545. I took some videos and will let them do the talking. While its general recognized the batteries are not well suited for the cold mornings our sleds endure I will say I am mildly impressed by the unit for even turning over the 4Cyl and SC with these temps! I started at 10:16 and went to about 10:46 before calling it a no start.

Either way though it appears we need to stick to lead acid or AGM for those cold starts. Mine never started on its own, had to put a AGM charger on it to get it to whirl over fast enough and long enough to start. Here are some videos which I haven't seen before so it gives you a flavor for what to expect with this battery technology.

First Vid/First Crank:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3x0w0zq38hiv94o/2016-12-18 10.14.41.mov?dl=0

3rd crank longer hoping to warm battery:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5usgajx1mjnecxc/2016-12-18 10.20.13.mov?dl=0

4th crank after waiting a few minutes:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6w3ymjfxl4q2bll/2016-12-18 10.22.42.mov?dl=0

5th crank after waiting a few minutes. Sorry not sure why the video was upside down!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sncswuxghf08rjo/2016-12-18 10.27.54.mov?dl=0

6th crank :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ucjqbbhypsh4gz/2016-12-18 10.31.02.mov?dl=0

7th and FINAL crank:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/skt5q8u00zt2cr3/2016-12-18 10.37.54.mov?dl=0

The battery never gave up, it would whirl it about the same every time it just wasn't enough to get it to fire. If that would have been a AGM or LA battery it would have been dead by crank 3 or 4.

 

[Mtnviper]

The key to using a Lithium battery in a sled is to use a bigger one. Guy's tend to look a the CCA and compare it to a stock battery which is fine for warmer temps. For colder temps you'll need to compensate for the cold by going with a lithium battery rated at a much higher Ah and CCA rating.
For example I use a LFX27L3-BS12 which has a 27 Ah 405 CCA rating, compared to 18Ah 310 CCA for the stock Yussa. It is about 10 pounds lighter then the lead battery and I've used the same battery in two different sleds for about 4 years now.

That said, it doesn't get nearly as cold out here in WA state as it does for you guys in the mid-west! For temps consistently -10F and below I probably would still use a lead/acid battery.

 

[kinger]

It warmed up here and I went out and the sled whirled over faster than ever and fired right up. Temp in the trailer was 34 degrees. I like the technology. Your right maybe a much larger one would be the ticket. If it could maintain the cranking in the above videos for say 20-30 seconds the sled would have fired.

 

[mysledblows]

I have had the same earth x battery in our apex for 4-5 years now and it has always started the sled. Couple years ago we were starting sleds at about -25 in the trailer and she rolled right over after the first short try to put a little heat in the battery. I have the 36 series but I don't remember which letter

 

[musselman]

I had the same experience using a ballistic battery, in -20c it would not even turn over but the AGM started no problem.

 

[vanstone]

I have a Ballistic also that is a 405 I think. It is in a none supercharged Apex. It has started it at -20 just by turning the gauges on for 30 seconds or so three times.