[Sandro N]

Every day for the last year I've been getting a warning light that says EL. TRACTION SUPPORT in the dash display and ABS ETS lights on the sides, usually when applying the brakes. It's not only annoying but also disengages the cruise control.

I'd searched this forum and others many times looking for the reason why but have'nt come up with anything much.

Just my luck the other day I replaced the factory battery with a deep cycle battery and added a 1 farad capacitor to stop the interior lights from fading while the music was on. And wouldn't you know it that warning light has'nt been back since. Somebody scream Halleluya!!![]

 

[harb]

That's great. It must've been a great relief for you to not see those warnings/lights anymore. I know I will be annoyed! For a year?!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, what type of replacement deep cycle battery did you get? Was the capacitor required also for the factory battery?

 

[mjhawkins2346]

Hmmmm, normally I would not recommend a deep cycle battery be used as a starting battery. The duty cycle on a deep cycle is designed to support a long steady light to medium drain to near depletion with a follow on long recharge at a light to medium rate.

Deep cycle batteries have thicker, but fewer plates in them to support this use. The plate material is slightly different too - with antimony added to survive complete discharges. It sounds like the battery is big enough, so it should work, but the high instant load of starting a car is hard on these batteries.

When powering a boat for "house batteries"( the most typical use of a deep cycle) to run appliances, etc, the deep cycle is not used on the motor starting side of the electrical system except in an emergency when the starting batteries are depleted.

It sounds like either a new battery or the capacitor is keeping your voltage up until the system is shut down.

It would be interesting to know your system voltage, under use and at rest for before and after this change. I'm guessing you're about .25 volt higher....

 

[Sandro N]

I bought the optima yellow top battery. Its made by Interstate batteries, The yellow top is a specially designed deep cycle battery with superior starting. I have worked in a stereo shop for many years now, and these batteries go into all of the cars with the big stereo systems. I needed a new battery anyway so I figured why not spend the extra money. The only reason I added the capacitor was because the heavy toll on my alternator was taking power from the rest of the car. Together the cap and battery helped tramendously.

 

[Sandro N]

mjhawkins2346 - 1/20/2005 9:56 AM

Hmmmm, normally I would not recommend a deep cycle battery be used as a starting battery. The duty cycle on a deep cycle is designed to support a long steady light to medium drain to near depletion with a follow on long recharge at a light to medium rate.

Deep cycle batteries have thicker, but fewer plates in them to support this use. The plate material is slightly different too - with antimony added to survive complete discharges. It sounds like the battery is big enough, so it should work, but the high instant load of starting a car is hard on these batteries.

When powering a boat for "house batteries"( the most typical use of a deep cycle) to run appliances, etc, the deep cycle is not used on the motor starting side of the electrical system except in an emergency when the starting batteries are depleted.

It sounds like either a new battery or the capacitor is keeping your voltage up until the system is shut down.

It would be interesting to know your system voltage, under use and at rest for before and after this change. I'm guessing you're about .25 volt higher....

Its hard to say what my system voltage is but the cap usually reads in the high 13's with the music off, but as soon as the music starts to play it drops to the 12's.

 

[mjhawkins2346]

Optima Yellow Top Batteries are an excellent choice as a starting battery. Since they use a spiral wound cell instead of the regular flat plates of a flooded cell, they are an excellent ( though pricey) choice.

They are sensitive to overcharging though.

Optima Batteries are made by Johnson Controls out of Denver. It was first invented by Gates Rubber in the Denver area in the mid 70's. Interstate Batteries are an excellent but more conventional flooded cell. They are made by Interstate Battery Company in Dallas Texas.