PC680 battery died 6 months - Teminator

[mu22stang]

I believe many of you have used or currently use the Odyssey PC680 in you Mustangs. I installed my PC680 and a Start N' Charge aftermarket alternator on March 3rd of 2010. On my way to work today my voltage reading was below 11V. Car started fine and I've seen no signs as of late to indicate its impending doom.

I suspect the battery mainly because of the ability of the car to continue despite the low voltage reading at the beginning of my 15 min drive. With such low capacity, I think the battery would have definitely died had it been an alternator failure.

Can anyone give me input on the lifetime for their PC680 or similar small capacity battery? Other than OBDII plug-in gauges (Aeroforce) and a wideband the electrical system is stock, including a stock stereo.

 

[mu22stang]

Just found this from Odyssey's website...

Battery Testing
1. The voltage of the battery needs to be measured.
2. If the voltage is less than 12.65 the battery needs to be charged with at least a six amp automotive style charger. A trickle charge will not work and could possibly ruin the battery if it is discharged. This needs to be done outside of the vehicle.

Odyssey Battery Accessories

I've seen my voltage reading below this many times before the car is cranked. As many Terminator owners know, these cars are plagued with low idle voltage and engine bay heat. It was common for my car to see less than 13V, especially as the car heated up. Even when it was loaded, I haven't seen consistent voltage in the 13's in the last 4 months or so.

 

[mu22stang]

I feel like a newb...

The battery isn't "dead" as a quick trip to O'Reilly's told me. But it needs to be charged. In your experience, how often do you need to charge these smaller capacity batteries?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

It is really going to depend on use. Do you drive the car every day? I know a few guys who have used them ( Odyssey 680) for years in cars they didnt drive all the time. I have another friend that daily drives with a 945.

 

[mu22stang]

It's my daily driver.

 

[gcassidy]

I'm coming up on 3 years on my Odyssey. I keep it in the car from March to Nov, and have it on a Battery Tender Plus in the winter with a full size batt in the car. I try to drive the car at least once a week, but it's gone weeks without driving sometimes. I killed the battery twice. Once the car was up on jacks for a month and I forgot to remove the cable. And I once left my ignition on at the track. :bash:
It came back both times after being jumped and driven. But I think it's a little more fragile than when it was new. :shrug:

 

[wheelhopper]

I bought mine at the same time as Greg. I am using it on my second car and it performs flawlessly. The car needs to be started about once a week and taken for a quick spin or I hook up my car charger for about an hour. Its lowest setting is 10 amp. I am not particular as Greg on battery maintenance, so if your having issues it must be a faulty battery, especially if you drive it every day. Good luck.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

....have it on a Battery Tender Plus in the winter..

+1 for using Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger True Gel Cell Model when you don't plan to drive the car for awhile. Excellent trickle charger for $50 thats provided me good service for many years.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NCOKQK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00068XCQU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0BJYHH2XFN2HQ0J36RMK"]Battery Tender Plus[/ame]

 

[mu22stang]

+1 for using Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger True Gel Cell Model when you don't plan to drive the car for awhile. Excellent trickle charger for $50 thats provided me good service for many years.

Battery Tender Plus

According to Oddyssey's website and the link I posted, you aren't supposed to use a trickle charger. :shrug:

I was anticipating using a standard battery during the colder months, but now I believe I'm going to use a standard battery for most of the year. I'll change it out for HPDE weekends. I'm still not sure if it was an initial battery failure that lead to an alternator failure or the other way around. I had the battery charged for 24 hrs, but the voltage reading still showed below 12V after reinstallation. Man, I hate changing the alternator on these.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger True Gel Cell Model says it uses unique Gel Cell battery adjusted software, which allows for a slightly lower charge voltage and higher store voltage to protect sensitive true Gel Cell batteries. I would call Battery Tender Plus Customer Service 877-456-7901. I agree, I wouldn't use a "regular" trickle charger on this type of battery.

 

[mu22stang]

So, after some more research here's what I've found:

-The PC680 is good for daily driving IF your drive distance is sufficient enough to allow the alternator to recuperate the discharged energy caused from starting the vehicle. My typical drive of 10 mins (to/from work) apparently wasn't.

-As stated previously, Terminators are somewhat known for low idle voltage. This doesn't help the first one.

-Small draws from 'constant ON' sources such as the ECM, PATS and even my wideband can take their toll.

-It can take up to 3 or 4 days to recharge these little guys once they've sufficiently discharged. Hopefully this will explain why my 24 hr charge stint at O'Reilly didn't do the trick.

I bought a new OEM battery today. Hopefully a quick load test won't tell me I killed my alternator. I'll be picking up a battery charger as well.

 

[mu22stang]

It was the alternator and I replaced with a Ford reman. Here are some points I picked up.

-A small capacity battery can be suitable for daily driven use. However, a sufficient and consistent travel time needed to recuperate the electricity used to start the car may be necessary. 10 min drives to work with very little time above 2000 rpm didn't cut it for me. Took a total of 6 months on a brand new battery and alternator to figure that out. Check the voltage on a regular basis and charge accordingly.

-When the gauges sweep after you key ON and haven't recently unplugged the battery, the battery voltage and condition need to be checked. In other words, pay attention to blatant - and in my case, continual - warning signs a little bit more than I did.

-The voltage reading that sets off the battery shaped warning indicator on the cluster is for the alternator. I saw this light blink a total of 1 second. By then, it was too late.

-Reliability trumps performance.

-Dead batteries kill alternators. I know, I know... absurd.