Anyone using both lead acid and lithium (battle born) through d250s b2b charger?

[Tiktaalik]

I'm about to put a dual battery system in my 1986 Mercedes 300GD. I have a CTEK D250SE that I plan to use to manage the house and starter battery. I also have a 175W solar panel that I plan to use with this system. Until recently I was going to go with two Odyssey PC-1500 (Size 34) batteries but as of recently I've been contemplating LiFePO4 batteries instead. Is this feasible and a good idea?

I have a lot of questions about the feasibility of using a LiFePO4 battery as a starter battery as well as in a dual battery configuration. The best location for these two batteries in my vehicle is in the engine compartment. Will the heat of the engine compartment cause issues with LiFePO4 batteries? I recently installed a new Bosch AL-80-X 55 Amp Alternator. Will I need a new smart alternator, such as the Balmar, if I choose to go with LiFePO4 batteries? If I do run a dual set up, I need both batteries to be the same correct? Is it possible to go with a lead acid and a LiFePO4 battery? The CTEK D250SE has selectable lithium and lead-acid modes but I doubt it is possible to run both simultaneously.

I would love to hear what @battlebornliion has to say about this and anyone who as attempted this attempted this configuration and/or is more electronically gifted than I am. Thanks!

 

[continuecrushing]

I'm about to put a dual battery system in my 1986 Mercedes 300GD. I have a CTEK D250SE that I plan to use to manage the house and starter battery. I also have a 175W solar panel that I plan to use with this system. Until recently I was going to go with two Odyssey PC-1500 (Size 34) batteries but as of recently I've been contemplating LiFePO4 batteries instead. Is this feasible and a good idea?

I have a lot of questions about the feasibility of using a LiFePO4 battery as a starter battery as well as in a dual battery configuration. The best location for these two batteries in my vehicle is in the engine compartment. Will the heat of the engine compartment cause issues with LiFePO4 batteries? I recently installed a new Bosch AL-80-X 55 Amp Alternator. Will I need a new smart alternator, such as the Balmar, if I choose to go with LiFePO4 batteries? If I do run a dual set up, I need both batteries to be the same correct? Is it possible to go with a lead acid and a LiFePO4 battery? The CTEK D250SE has selectable lithium and lead-acid modes but I doubt it is possible to run both simultaneously.

I would love to hear what @battlebornliion has to say about this and anyone who as attempted this attempted this configuration and/or is more electronically gifted than I am. Thanks!

I've been running an Antigravity lithium battery as my starter for about 8 months now, along with a ctek d250sa and 100ah agm. So far the lithium battery has not shown any issues with heat, and we've been seeing 110f temps the past few months. This is the first summer though, so I wasn't really expecting to see any issues yet. If I were going to run two lithium batteries, I'd probably just set them up in parallel and skip all the b2b stuff. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in though haha. My issue with using a b2b is that right now the ctek stuff (what I use) doesn't have a mode or setting for using lithium as the primary battery, only as the aux. So the voltage levels it swaps back and forth with between primary/aux don't line up with what they "should be" anyway.

 

[RandyP]

Read the battery manufacturers info on the battery. You will find that LiFePO4 are not starting batteries and should not be paced under the hood (temp too high there).

 

[Tiktaalik]

Not entirely accurate. Read previous post. Antigravity Batteries and DCS both make under the hood starter batteries. The DCS battery (from Australia) is rated -13F - 185F. I suspect more manufacturers will jump onboard eventually as the work out the kinks.

Read the battery manufacturers info on the battery. You will find that LiFePO4 are not starting batteries and should not be paced under the hood (temp too high there).