r0cky1nyc

unfortunatly optima has had some problems with their d35 yellow top series which happens to be the one us tc owners need. So i had to look elsewhere. Tsunami batteries were the ones i chose. I just wanted to let you all know that the tsunami elite series battery will do the same as the optima. And the best part is it fits perfectly in the place of the stock battery. The battery is the V10740DT and is one of tsunami's best lines of batteries.

i am in no way affiliated with tsunami. I just had a hard time finding a good car audio battery that took the place of the optima yellow top both in power and in the way it fits.

Zebman

Does the red top have the same problems?

Neothin

kinetik makes kicka$$ audio-oriented batteries. the only reason i rock a yellow top is for the side posts. kinteik has a side post battery int he works, but i oculdnt wait that long.

bbsciontc

Is the Tsunami Deep Cycle?

r0cky1nyc

i think the problem only pertained to the yellow top i dont think the red top was affected

r0cky1nyc

neothin y do u need side posts
u dont like using the top posts for the tc??

rocketgyrl

I advise people thinking of Optima to consider other options. The Red SHOULD be the "stereo system" battery. Yellow has a slower charging and discharging rate, and therefore would offer WORSE performance than an OEM battery. The blue battery they offer is the slowest charge/discharge, and is generally considered the "marine battery".

The more rapid charing/discharing cycles the battery undergoes the more stress upon the gel-cells, and the risk of failure goes up - unless the battery is designed for it. This is why I feel Optima's market guys got it backwards. The average daily commute + stereo demands is very demanding. The energy must come from somewhere, and be replaced as fast to avoid voltage drops, and system failure/shutdown. When the engine is on, and any RPM above idle, the alternator is supplying ~14.4 VDC, providing energy for the car and charging the battery. Once the engine is at idle, the battery must maintain the electrical demands of the car (headlights are a big one), and for the bigger demands placed by the audio system (bass notes especially).

To summarize, you want a battery that can charge and discharge very quickly for high performance stereo systems.

I've had three Optima yellow's, and ALL have failed without warning...left me hanging in the middle of the night too many times. I'm not the only person within the stereo competition scene that dislikes Optima...

I offer these more reliable alternatives:

http://scosche.com/efx.aspx?CategoryID=51

http://www.svrbatteries.com/

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/

Add one (or more) of these for your ultra high power systems:

http://www.batcap.net/

Before you go swapping your battery, I feel you should ask WHY? If it's for more performance, based on your stereo's demands, first upgrade the "big 3". This will also improve overall engine performance! The OEM battery is enough for most systems...

Neothin

hehe copy paste from another thread

and rocky... i have alot of wires in the engine bay due to the big 3 upgrade i did plus wires going to my interior and such. i needed the sideposts for the battery to not look cluttered.

Tcguy85

kinetik

Zebman

I need to know where to put the Big 3 wires! I have extra 4awg ready for just the thing, but no idea where to put.

rocketgyrl

To expand upon the battery thing...

There's only TWO main battery manufacturers - Exide and Johnson Controls. They're the OEM supplier for nearly all the "regular" batteries (NOT most of the batteries listed above). If your Scion battery dies, and you don't have a "need" for a snazzy battery like Kinetik, Scosche, SVR, etc., I suggest asking for the OEM of the battery you're shopping for, and go with one that's made by Exide. A good 24 hour solution would be to get to Walmart - they sell Exide made batteries...

Just my $0.02

rocketgyrl

Here's the "Big 3 Upgrade" - that EVERY Scion owner should do:

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...TID=73496&PN=1

Neothin

alternator -> positive
block -> chassis
chassis-> negative

r0cky1nyc

the stock 06 scion tc battery was from panasonic

satoman44

whats a good battery to run with the car off? like what will allow me to listen to my stereo for a long time without me having to worry about draining it and not being able to get my car to start?

michaelmayhem

sorry if i sound stupid but whats the purpose of the "Big 3 Upgrade"?

rocketgyrl

To answer the question of "what's the best battery". You'll need to define: how loud you expect the stereo to play (how many watts), and for how long...15 minutes? 30? An hour?

The "Big 3 Upgrade" is replacing the small wires car manufacturers use for larger ones and thus better performance. When Matt and I upgraded the tC's wires, we were shocked (pardon the pun) at how much smoother the engine ran, and it no doubt helped the stereo. The goal of the upgrade is to lower resistance by increasing the wire size between critical components - alternator, battery, chassis, etc.

At shows, we put a power supply (battery charger) on the car to allow us to play the system for 8+ hours. It's constantly supplying something like 75 amps. High powered systems can draw more than 75 amps on musical peaks, and thus draws the additional current from the battery. The power supply - like your alternator - charges the battery when the current draw is below "X" amps (75 in my example).

Here's the problem with "deep cycle" designs: They don't like to release energy (discharge), nor take (charge). They've got a VERY high "ESR" (Equivalent Series Resistance) - HIGHER than the stock battery. Capacitors have very low ESR ratings, but can't support sustained current draw. I hesitate to suggest that capacitors are "required" for high powered stereo systems, but if you've upgraded your "big 3", and want to further filter your power to your amplifiers, they are the ideal solution. Capacitors do nothing for sustained system play time. They can also be a burden on the electrical system if not properly implemented, and most of the time aren't needed.

Daily driving, where a huge demand is placed on the battery to start the car, power the headlights, high power stereo system, additional lights, etc., requires a battery that can keep up with charging and discharging quickly to avoid voltage drop, and overall system failure. To avoid a voltage drop, the battery must be fast enough to discharge and supply current, and charge equally as fast when the demand goes down and the alternator has a chance to restore that energy to the battery.

I hope that helps...

Neothin

so... a deep cycle, like my yellowtop, and a faster discharging battery like a kinetik in the trunk somewhere would be an ideal setup? rock the otpima to support all the regular car functions + semi help with the audio demands, and then the faster discharging kinetik picking up the brunt of the audio system demands?

rocketgyrl

You're on the right track. Common - among competition stereo cars - multiple battery setups would be a batcap (even faster than kinetik) in the rear for the stereo, and then a more normal battery up front - the Yellow would be the deepest cycle I'd use. Again, this is all a bit overboard for most systems.

There's LOTS of variables to this too. Things like: how long is the daily commute? Thus giving the alternator ample time to charge the battery. On average, how much current draw is on the electrical system? (system playing, lights on, etc.) How many amps does the alternator provide?

I've asked Matt to give you an idea of where's the threshold for additional batteries, upgraded alternators, etc. He said with the big 3 done, and the rest of the car stock, using appropriate gauge wires, etc., over 2000 watts would be a good time to consider upgraded battery(ies), and/or alternator.

Zebman

I know what connects, but I don't know where the block connection and chassis connection are, nor what pole on the alternator is positive. On top of all that, I don't know if I need special sized ring terminals for any of these connections.

I believe the chassis connection is under/near the battery tray, correct?