New BIGGER battery

[Sea Ranch]

My Plus 2S also has a factory black positive cable, from battery to starter solenoid.

And I like that remote controlled battery lead cut switch. I've always puzzled over the best location for a switch, in order to be not easily seen, but easily accessible. Where do you get such a switch?

Randy

[mbell]

I got it from Summit Racing in the US:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sms-333126/overview/

Also available from UK suppliers (search the internet for battery brain).

Got mine bolted to the positive terminal over the edge of the battery. Will need to tweak the adjustment when I make/fit a boot floor.

[KevJ+2]

It was for reasons of accessibility that I put my isolator behind the dash above the handbrake. It is also discretely hidden. I think it's where you would want to isolate quickly (whilst driving) rather than diving into the boot (trunk) to do this. In terms of it isolating the positive supply, this only leaves the short uninterrupted main cable to the battery which I doubt would cause any short.
For ultimate safety, I suppose you could also have the earth disconnected but IMHO unless you leave your battery terminals exposed, I don't see why you'd bother.
Kev.

[jimj]

Not possessing the carpentry skills of Mr. Spyzee, I mounted my cut-off switch like this. Easy to fix, easy to reverse. Should the car catch fire I wasn`t planning in hanging around sat in it, and in an accident perhaps a passer-by could turn it off. The down side is that it might confuse number plate recognition cameras, and we wouldn`t want that.
Jim

[jk952]

Thanks guys, good info on batteries, I am in need of one so will go for a pc 680 based on the collective input here, I was concerned too small.
Also.. Stugilmore, good suggestion on the ground location, also saves me drilling an extra hole and removing powder coat on the new chassis when I get to fitting it, and greater contact area.. (starting later this month) .
Billwill thanks- you confirmed what I did, disconnect on the ground side.
Jim, on my Elan I mounted the switch beside the battery( on pass. side behind the seat on the s2) so I can reach it easily while seated and minimized cable run/ joints.
Jack

[jk952]

I found there is also Deka batteries, AGM (absorbed glass mat) made in USA, the 400 cca unit weighs about 19 lb. Pricing seemed better than brand 'x' (I am in Canada).
Jack

[stugilmour]

I got it from Summit Racing in the US:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sms-333126/overview/

Also available from UK suppliers (search the internet for battery brain).

Got mine bolted to the positive terminal over the edge of the battery. Will need to tweak the adjustment when I make/fit a boot floor.

Randy, I also installed one of these. Very happy with it. What I really like is being able to easily disconnect the battery for service work without disassembling the boot floor. I use the knob type manual disconnect on the Esprit, which works well as the battery is exposed in the trunk, but not so handy for the Plus 2. My radio remembers the station presets, so no issues with turning off all the power for long term storage.

I think I will be out to the car today and will try for a picture for you, although the battery is out of the car right now. As mentioned, it has to go on the positive side of the battery to power the latching relay. The other nice feature is there is a button on the unit that will run the thing if the key fob batteries are low. For my install the unit extends above the floor boards against the trunk wall.

Summit should be OK as a supplier. I just bought an item from them, and for some reason US Postal Service didn't come up as a shipping option. I had asked for USPS in my comments, and they refunded me $13 for shipping! I ordered my Battery Brain locally a few years ago and it took forever to arrive; there were real issues in the supply chain and it is like the company lost their Battery Brain domain name over here. Summit shows the item in stock so you should be OK. As Mark mentioned, the UK site has the product details; there are several models.

HTH

Stu

[Sea Ranch]

Ah, I see. Thanks for that post, Stu. Nice to know you've tried it and it works.

I feel the same about battery access in Plus 2. Can't think, so far, of the right place for a mechanical switch, given the battery's location.

Okay, I will check this out. Thanks, pal!

Hope your driving season was good!

Randy

[mbell]

I'd recommend it. It should be possible to get it fitted below the boot floor with out too much trouble. I think rotating mine 90 degrees would probably be enough to bring it level with the battery.

Being able to disconnect the battery at the press of a remote button is very nice and re-assuring. It makes a audible click when (dis)connecting so you know it has happened. I disconnect it every time I leave the car.

I made quite a few orders with Summit and never had a problem with them, including returning the odd item.

[pauljones]

Well guys I'm completely undecided..do I get the pc680. ?75 + ?10pp..or the pc925 ?120 + ?10pp.

Also I have been told ill need a ctek charging device to keep it in order. But that'll wait.

what's the verdict? ? It will also need to start a zetec when it gets fitted.

Paul

[pauljones]

Well..

Now I'm back from spending most of this year away in Canada I've made the choice.

Rally design sell the pc950 at a reasonable cost. I'll get 50mm2 red and black cables and wire earth DIRECT to battery from the bolt on bell house. I may get a new starter solonoid or even a new high torque starter.

Work starts just after Xmas

[Rob P]

Just for an update paul, since installing the Odyssey PC925 I had one occasion where the car sat for over three weeks without the engine turning and the battery still connected, when starting the car it cranked as if it had only been stood for a day and started easily.

Just one question on this subject which came to me after review the Photos again on here. I have two cables from the Earth side of the Battery, one going to the solenoid and one to a connector on the boot floor, is this normal as one of the pictures only seemed to have one connection to each terminal

[William2]

I have just fitted a Type 075 Yuasa battery to my S4. 60AH and 550CCA rating + a 4year guarantee for ?51 off Ebay. It does fit if you modify the brackets and I used 2 layers of 1/4" high density foam sheet stuck to the GRP tray area. Small trade is that the battery is heavier than 038 standard fit. Also cheaper than Odyssey option.

[billwill]

Just for an update paul, since installing the Odyssey PC925 I had one occasion where the car sat for over three weeks without the engine turning and the battery still connected, when starting the car it cranked as if it had only been stood for a day and started easily.

Just one question on this subject which came to me after review the Photos again on here. I have two cables from the Earth side of the Battery, one going to the solenoid and one to a connector on the boot floor, is this normal as one of the pictures only seemed to have one connection to each terminal

? where does it connect to the solenoid ?

[pauljones]

Does the earth to solonoid also match up with the one to/ from alternator?