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Deep Cycle for starting

sandawgk5

sandawgk5

3/4 ton status
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Posts
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Location
Kitsap County PACNORWEST
I have read on here and other places that it is not a good idea to use a deep cycle battery for starting your engine. How true is this? I have never heard of this until recently.

I am in the process of relocating my battery and figured I would go dual at the same time. I have a winch therefore I want a deep cycle and with duals it seems you want the batteries to be the same.

I am looking at the orbital marine batteries as they are AGM like optimas but they have more reserve capacity and equal Cranking amps and they are slightly cheaper with a better warranty. Does anyone have input on these batteries?

And one final question. I will be building boxes much like Rene has on his and will be placing them in the same location so about how much cable will I need? I intend to run an isolator ( I know not "new" technology but this is a quick thing as I leave in 2 weeks for 1 month) and run grounds to the frame and from frame to engine block.

I know there is a lot of dual battery info out there and frankly it really makes my head hurt. As stated above I am going to the east coast for 1 month and my wife will need to move my truck so I need to get this done. Why relocate right before I leave you ask? Well someone stole my battery from the tray in the engine compartment while it was parked in front of my house. I dont have inners so I guess it was just too inviting for them. I do not want to dump $180 on a battery just to let some other ****ing crackhead take it.

Dik
 
I've used deep cycle batteries for years as starting batteries and they seem to outlast a conventional battery in my stuff. I've heard (though I can't confirm) that deep cycle batteries have a lighter duty grid, bus and terminals than a conventional battery which may cause a problem when winching with a single battery. I would think that if this is true 2 batteries should be have sufficient durability.

I like the orbital batteries they seem to hold up a lot better than those other "O" brand batteries.

Why the isolator? If the batteries are matched just hook them up and be done. Isolators just seem to cause grief and fires and dead batteries. If you want to isolate the batteries run down to the RV store and get a solenoid and have the solenoid on a dash mounted switch or even on the key switch. Unfortunately a lot of people have made dual batteries a lot more complicated than they really need to be, there are millions of diesel pickups with dual batteries and they have no isolators whatsoever and they work just fine.
 
sandawgk5 said:
I have read on here and other places that it is not a good idea to use a deep cycle battery for starting your engine. How true is this? I have never heard of this until recently.

I am in the process of relocating my battery and figured I would go dual at the same time. I have a winch therefore I want a deep cycle and with duals it seems you want the batteries to be the same.

I am looking at the orbital marine batteries as they are AGM like optimas but they have more reserve capacity and equal Cranking amps and they are slightly cheaper with a better warranty. Does anyone have input on these batteries?

And one final question. I will be building boxes much like Rene has on his and will be placing them in the same location so about how much cable will I need? I intend to run an isolator ( I know not "new" technology but this is a quick thing as I leave in 2 weeks for 1 month) and run grounds to the frame and from frame to engine block.

I know there is a lot of dual battery info out there and frankly it really makes my head hurt. As stated above I am going to the east coast for 1 month and my wife will need to move my truck so I need to get this done. Why relocate right before I leave you ask? Well someone stole my battery from the tray in the engine compartment while it was parked in front of my house. I dont have inners so I guess it was just too inviting for them. I do not want to dump $180 on a battery just to let some other ****ing crackhead take it.

Dik
Click to expand...

It's all myth... I'm sure some of the brainwashed CCA brethren will disagree... Thank you advertising... :rolleyes:

You may get an extra 100 amps or so on initial crank, but what does that matter if the CCA of the deep cycle is more than enough in it's own right?

I'll tell ya where it matters, kill a "starting" battery once, and it'll never be the same.... deep cycles have duty cycles in the hundreds, not to mention about 10x the reserve capacity, allowing for many more "attempts" at getting a vehicle started......

Thats all battery companies want you looking at "CCA", thus cell structure designed for that only...

Not to mention, EVERY single boat runs deep cycle (or similar cell tech) and many have a much harder starting life than any car...
 
oh, and DO NOT use your frame as a ground! run a dedicated line up to the block...
 
So do I ground the 2 batteries together and then run a single ground up to the block? I am trying to get an idea of how much cable I am going to need as I plan to make my own cables.

I will also use the strain relief connectors like you have on your box just to help seal the boxes from outside a-little.

Our old truck when I was a kid had two batteries but they were just wired into a selector switch in the engine compartment like the one on your box no isolater or ACR. Is this a bad idea? If so is the problem 1 bad battery can drag the other one down?

Thanks

Ira
 
yeah, grd one bat to the other, than one up to the block....

a selector switch, or marine switch will break the batteries off from one another.. problem is they both wont charge unless your on "all"... good part is if your running on "1", than it can't hurt "2" and vice versa... good part to wire in now, like $30, 40 and good to do when yopur doing big cabling... you can always change up small stuff later, p switch, acr, isolator, etc...

I've been running around like that for 6 months... haven't gotten to an ACR or parellel switch yet.. generally i just keep it on all, effectively running parallel and charging both, as my batteries where identical when installed and my system has no "draws" or other bad voodoo....
 
dyeager535 said:
Looks like this article backs up Ryoken pretty well. :)

http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/carfaq7.htm#differences

Pretty large battery FAQ.
Click to expand...

I hadn't seen that one... Good find!

They are a big part of my job and as you can obviously tell, I get a little wound up over the misinformation that is propigated about them... I'm not saying a "starting" battery isn't ok, I just want people to be aware of the capabilities of deep cycle and not be overpowered by the almighty CCA numbers.... :wink1:
 
Just curious, why shouldn't I ground the frame? Right now I've got both grounded to each other then to the frame AND the block.
 
well, my post was a little misleading... yes, your frame should be grounded to the motor and in the system.... BUT it is not a good conductor for a main grd for the rest of the system..

in other words, if you had a Chevelle and ran a trunk mounted battery, it is not advisable to run the grd right to the frame, have that conduct all the way to the front of the car, then have the rest of your system tied in up front..

It wont always cause a prob, but may very likey...
 
about 10x the reserve capacity, allowing for many more "attempts" at getting a vehicle started......
Click to expand...

i HATE it when my k5 has been sitting in the winter cold or summer heat for a week or two, i go to start it up, and i only have a few tries before i have to jump it.

Thats all battery companies want you looking at "CCA", thus cell structure designed for that only...
Click to expand...

yeah, it's like car commercials. i don't care how much hp the thing has, especially if i have to rev it to 7k rpms to get it. torque is what gets me going. but, horsepower sells cars :rolleyes:
 
If such was the case, Fram would be the best filters on earth, handsdown.. :rolleyes:

We've gotten into some big battery discussions here before and most have heard my diatribes... I blame the battery companies, "starting" batteries are far cheaper to produce than a quality deep cycle...
 
Well I guess I am gonna make 2 boxes and run 2 orbital marine deep cycles to a selector switch and add the isolator/ACR or what ever I decide on at a latter date.

I really just need to get it driveable so the wife can move it around while I am gone.

Hell for that matter I might just put 1 in and do the other when I get back.

Dik
 
sandawgk5 said:
I have read on here and other places that it is not a good idea to use a deep cycle battery for starting your engine. How true is this? I have never heard of this until recently.

Dik
Click to expand...

Do you remember how many times I was cranking mine that day in the swamp? The yellow top has never given up in either day to day, occasional driving, or cranking 150 times in one day.
 
Who the hell sells Exide batteries. I cannot seem to find anyone online that has them other than out in Chicago or the east coast. I really do not want to pay shipping on 80# cross country.

I have decided on the Orbital Marine Deep Cycle. 700CCA @ 0 925 @ 32, 50AH and 100 min RC.

Ryoken I should be able to use the same schematic as mini-mull and I can add the remote starter solenoid and ACR at a latter date correct?

I am open to other suggestions as well.

Dik
 
sure..... the acr just goes between pos posts on the battery, or right off the back of a marine switch is ideal between the #1 and #2 post... so right where that switch will be works great..

remote start, usually that'll be best right after the marine switch. common out to slave solenoid, then down to starter.. So however you wanna route cabling and eventually place those items...
 
Sandawg, you going to try and make it down to our URE trip in Oct? There are a few of us running dual battery setups, all different.

I just did a simple Noco battery isolator with a positive bus bar. Isolator was around $40 off ebay. I still have my 94A alt running everything, but have a 140A that will be going in soon. I have had no probs yet, and most of the time was used making the cables. They are all 2ga. Main batt is running all the stock electrical components, and aux battery is running my 8274, rock lights, and soon to be tach, CB, stereo, more lights, and on board air. I don't figure I'll be running more than 2 or 3 low draw components at the same time, and will shut them off if using the winch or air.

I used about 8 feet of cable altogether running from main batt to isolator from stock location and aux battery to isolator from driver side OEM battery tray. Left some extra to cut out for circuit breaker on the aux battery.

If you don't get it all done in time, the isolator will still run the main battery on the number 1 terminal and alt to the alternator terminal without the aux battery hooked up. Had to try it just in case.

If you haven't been there already, all of my stuff is posted on carolinak5. Same screen name.
 
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