Thread: Replacing cranking and yellow top battery with Lithium's?

I’ll find a link and post for you...it’s a review on the DCS, think it’s an under bonnet install as well.

I screen shot this From the video



Other than that I recon I know which way this thread will go.

I just switched from AGM to Lithium for our AUX, it’d be a nice brainer to upgrade your van batteries.

Originally Posted by W&KO

I’ll find a link and post for you...it’s a review on the DCS, think it’s an under bonnet install as well.


Other than that I recon I know which way this thread will go.

I just switched from AGM to Lithium for our AUX, it’d be a nice brainer to upgrade your van batteries.

Does this mean get out the popcorn? I'm just trying to get facts.

I thought about replacing both cranking and auxiliary batteries with DCS lithium’s. But to be economical due to their price, you need them to last at least 3 times longer than lead acid/AGM. There isn’t any data on whether they will last 10+ years under bonnet, which is one of the harshest environments for batteries. Ended up putting a lead acid as a cranking battery and 2x 100A/h DCS lithium’s behind the second row of seats. Can’t fault them as auxiliary batteries.

Originally Posted by Briar

Does this mean get out the popcorn? I'm just trying to get facts.

Well let’s hope the facts don’t get in the way of a good story...hang we need the old saying reversed

There probably hasn’t been to many punter who have actually tried and tested a lithium under the in real conditions

Anyways....watch this video it give a view from somebody that has actually run one under the bonnet.

This LiFePo4 Starter Battery Changed How I Travel! Lithium Under Bonnet Setup - 12 Month Review - YouTube

Hi Brian and first off, there is no such thing as an Australian made lithium battery.

They bring in a battery and put their sticker on it, not exactly what I would call Australian made.

Next, this crap that lithium batteries are “drop-in” replacements for lead acid batteries is nothing more than advertising hype, being used by a lot of lithium battery sellers.

Now you could use one of my DT90 or USI-160 isolators and set then to Storage Mode, and they would do the same job as their VSR.

But a small insignificant detail the seller neglects to point out is that at 12.7v, the cut-out voltage of their VSR ( and my DT90 or USI-160 isolators when set to Storage Mode ) means BOTH BATTERIES will have less that 5% capacity left in them when the isolator turns off.

This is because lithium batteries have a constant discharge voltage of around 13.1v to 13.3v, right up until the final stage of their discharge at around 95% of their capacity.

At this point the voltage drops rapidly and so by the time the isolator turns off, you would be very lucky to have much more that one or two amperes left in the cranking battery.

With a lithium battery that low, the current needed to start a motor would pull the voltage down even further, and I would not give you much chance of starting a motor on a cold morning in that situation.

There is another potentially expensive problem when lithium batteries are used as cranking batteries.

When a battery, be it lead acid or lithium, is connect to an alternator, it suppresses the high voltage spikes all alternators create while running.

These spikes can be as high as 60v, and that sort of voltage spike will easily damage or destroy your vehicles electronics.

When a lead acid battery fails, it is still connected to the cranking battery and will continue to act as a massive voltage spike suppressor.

When lithium batteries fail, they go OPEN CIRCUIT, and no longer offer any form of voltage spike suppression.

The perceived advantages of using a lithium battery as a cranking battery seem quite feasible. You save weight, space and would supposedly give a longer lifespan.

BUT with these perceived advantages, yet not one single vehicle manufacturer is using them, and even hybrid vehicles, which are powered by lithium batteries, have a bad acid battery as the cranking battery for starting the motors used to charge the lithium batteries while on the move.


This is a case of “buyer beware”

Hi again Brian, something I have not been able to get any info on, either here or from Europe, is how will your Disco’s BMS ( battery Management System ) react to having a higher voltage cranking battery fitted?

At this stage, there is no way to alter or even turn off the Land Rover BMS, and it reacts to the voltage level and current passing through the cranking battery’s negative cable.

The vehicles where these systems are being promoted, like Toyotas ( which do not have a BMS ) and Nissans ( where the smart alternator can be disabled ), this would not be an issue.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi again Brian, something I have not been able to get any info on, either here or from Europe, is how will your Disco’s BMS ( battery Management System ) react to having a higher voltage cranking battery fitted?

At this stage, there is no way to alter or even turn off the Land Rover BMS, and it reacts to the voltage level and current passing through the cranking battery’s negative cable.

The vehicles where these systems are being promoted, like Toyotas ( which do not have a BMS ) and Nissans ( where the smart alternator can be disabled ), this would not be an issue.

Hi Tim

When you say hi "Brian" are you meaning me??

My handle here is "Briar" as that's the name of my property. My actual name is Trevor, so just unsure whether you meant me to respond.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi again Brian, something I have not been able to get any info on, either here or from Europe, is how will your Disco’s BMS ( battery Management System ) react to having a higher voltage cranking battery fitted?

At this stage, there is no way to alter or even turn off the Land Rover BMS, and it reacts to the voltage level and current passing through the cranking battery’s negative cable.

The vehicles where these systems are being promoted, like Toyotas ( which do not have a BMS ) and Nissans ( where the smart alternator can be disabled ), this would not be an issue.

I appreciate your advice. I may have to keep D4 with the same batteries. Not an issue. My caravan I'll end up going Lithium but may have to add a DC to DC charger inbetween which I currently don't need with the vans AGM's.