Lithium starting batteries

[Rln]

I recently purchased a 2022 Mercury 60/40 jet and I am now thinking about purchasing this battery
https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-12v-60ah-dual-purpose-car-starter-deep-cycle-lifepo4-battery-1000cca/

I am worried that I may somehow void the warranty if something goes wrong with the engine’s electrical system and it’s blamed on the battery.
Anyone have any experience using a lithium starting/cranking battery!

 

[poorthang]

i wouldnt put one of those in my boat. i dont want to swim after the fire. not to mention it is only 60 AH and requires a proprietary charger. something wrong with $80 agm, or even acid filled that last 6-7 years?

 

[LDUBS]

Look under the "Electrical" forum for a thread named "Pondering Trolling Motor Battery Selection " . It contains a very good discussion of the process CRS (the OP) went through for his battery selection. Though, if memory serves, his were dedicated TM batteries. Still might be worth seeing.

Additionally, I see that those batteries come with a charger at no extra cost. According to Minn Kota, my smart charger is able to charge the lithium batteries. But I wonder if it would give a 100% charge. I would probably go with the free charger included.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

I don't think Li batteries are to be used for starter battery. The alternator will not charge it correctly. Use them for TM or dedicated electronics.

 

[LDUBS]

I don't think Li batteries are to be used for starter battery. The alternator will not charge it correctly. Use them for TM or dedicated electronics.

I wondered the same thing. I was looking at the website and they say their batt's can be charged from an outboard. I wonder if it would charge fully. I always put my starter batt on a charger at the end of the day anyway. BTW, unless I missed it, they don' t list the specific one the OP referenced as part of their marine line-up.

 

[GYPSY400]

I wouldn't bother wasting my money.. a conventional or agm will do the job just fine.

Sent from my SM-A526W using Tapatalk

 

[LDUBS]

i wouldnt put one of those in my boat. i dont want to swim after the fire. not to mention it is only 60 AH and requires a proprietary charger. something wrong with $80 agm, or even acid filled that last 6-7 years?

I don't think these are the ones that catch on fire. From what I've read, it is the kind of batts in vap/e-cigs that cause the fire problem. Different from the 12V lithium-ion batts. I'm going to admit I'm recently graduated from "google u" when it comes to my knowledge of this subject.

 

[KMixson]

I might would wait a couple of years before putting a lithium-ion battery in a boat to see what other boaters go through with them after a while. Let someone else test them. I could not trust it as of right now. When lithium-ion batteries burn, they burn hot, like a blowtorch. I would worry about it burning a hole in the boat if it caught fire. I have dealt with lithium-ion batteries in my RC model airplane days and would charge them while they were in a ceramic crock-pot to help contain the fire if it happened. I also had li-po charging bags to help contain fire if it happened. As for charging them, the charging system I had could charge ni-cd (Nickel Cadmium), li-po (Lithium Polymer), li-ion (Lithium Ion) and pb (Lead Acid) batteries. If you tried to charge a different type of battery on the wrong setting, it would alert you and refuse to charge it. Each type had its own little differences that the charger could verify before charging it. So, you may want to know if your charging system is capable of charging that type of battery you want safely.

 

[Rln]

i wouldnt put one of those in my boat. i dont want to swim after the fire. not to mention it is only 60 AH and requires a proprietary charger. something wrong with $80 agm, or even acid filled that last 6-7 years?

Boat is very weight sensitive and I want to pull out as much weight as I can. Save 35lbs or so by switching out the battery. May now seem like much but it does change the performance.

 

[CRS]

You can contact the manufacturer if they have any reason not to use LiPo4 batteries. I know that the current in my Dokota Lithiums is constant 13.1 volts +/- .1 according to my Solex 10. Look up LiPo4 fire hazard and you will find they are safe. The dedicated charger is included with the battery from Dakota Lithium so no problem with finding a compatible charger. For the record I do not have any connection with Dakota Lithium other than that of a very satisfied customer. They have always treated me fairly and have been generous when any delivery is delayed. I have bought double the batteries listed because of my house burned and my first set was destroyed. The fire was caused by a surge protector "protecting" my computer. #-o

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

While I am still running lead acid batteries, I find this interesting. The weight savings and longevity are attractive for sure. I am no expert but I think there is a gizmo battery management device that goes between your battery and motor that both protects and manages charging as well as protects the motor from surges.
An alternative to keep weight from the rear is to move the battery up front. I do this and use a set of booster cables as a donor for the battery wires to run back to the engine. Good quality cables come up on sale at harbor freight or princess auto here in Canada.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[airshot]

I have had years of experience with Lipo type batteries and they are awesome.....when used correctly !!!! Never assume with a Lipo battery, alway know for a fact that they will work with your application!! The problem is...someone thinks they will be OK, then BOOM guess it didnt.... lipos cant be miss used as the consequences can be a dissaster. I saw a guy accidently hook one up to the wrong charger, suddenly a little smoke,cthen burn white hot thru a table top and cratered a concrete floor about an inch deep all within 30 seconds or less !!! However if you make absolutely sure you do things correctly they are awesome. Another thing to consider is they are cold sensative, their power drops off rapidly when temps drop down near freezing or below. With lipos you need an " escape plan" in case a mistake is made. They actually make enclosures, cases, bags etc to hold your lipo in case ofvan error. In a boat, I would definetly consider a safety case as there is no place to escape to. If used under proper circumstances people love them, but any error in use or charging can be a real dissaster. Consider the expense/ risk before you decide.

 

[onthewater102]

Very cool that they make a LiFePO4 battery that can be used as a starting battery. That's a huge leap forward for the technology as it applies to being used in our smaller boats. Presently I have lithium batteries for my trolling motor, but they do not put out sufficient current to safely start the outboard.

 

[Jnicolls]

Lithium batteries do not have cold cranking amps. They discharge at an even rate so they cannot start gas engines. Should work fine for electric trolling motors though.

 

[DearJon]

Dakota Lithium recently released a dual purpose deep cycle / starting battery with 1000 CCA and 135 AH.
I have a War Eagle 2170 Blackhawk that I fish mainly inshore with. There's lots of skinny water in Tampa Bay (especially at low tide), so I'm really concerned with draft. I was running 3 x Optima Blue Top D31s; one for cranking and electronics and the other two wired in series for a 24v trolling motor. At 65 lbs. each, thats almost 200 lbs. sitting in the back of the boat. Anyways, the DLs (picture attached) weigh 27 lbs. a piece. Besides the weight savings, I moved my two trolling batteries to the bow for better weight distribution. I'll post before and after pics, speed, and draft numbers in a separate thread once I've finished the conversion.

 

[GTS225]

Some of you may do as you please. Me, I can't help but remember an entire fleet of commercial aircraft deadlined due to lithium batteries causing smoke, if not outright fires in the planes. Sure, it may have been straight lithium, rather than Li-Po, or even the newest itteration of LifePo4, but it's still a metal base that can burn at rather high temps. I'll concede that straight lithium batteries are comparitavely unstable, but I'll stick to AGM lead-acid portable power supplies, thank you.
This is part of the "green" agenda that is being pushed at all of us, and we're supposed to think it's going to save the planet. That's a belief of uneducated folks that have no clue about what it takes to get the lithium out of the ground and processed into something that can be used for a battery.

OK......off my soapbox.....Roger

 

[InSaneFisherMan]

My manual for DF9.9 states lead acid battery for starting battery.

Even though lifepo4 batteries may be the future, I would rater purchase a lead acid starter battery every 5-6 years than replace a rectifier or parts on the motor.

Bigger motors may have a more robust charging system, but small motors, don't even charge, they just maintain a battery.

 

[DearJon]

GTS225 All valid points, but the weight savings was my primary objective, not saving the planet (although I do love this big, blue marble).

 

[airshot]

Hopefully you got an approval from your OB mfgr as to whether their charging system is compatible with a lipo battery ??? With there popularity, there must be some upgrades/adapters to make using these safe by now. Keep us posted on how these work for you!!

 

[KMixson]

Hopefully you got an approval from your OB mfgr as to whether their charging system is compatible with a lipo battery ??? With there popularity, there must be some upgrades/adapters to make using these safe by now. Keep us posted on how these work for you!!

You are correct. Charging systems are not created equal. One type system may not be compatible with another type system. It can cause fires. I am talking blowtorch hot fires. You have to be very, very careful with lithium type batteries. Lead acid type batteries are not trouble free but I feel they are safer to some degree. I had one explode on me years ago and I am leery of working around them to this day.