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Odyssey Extreme owners, anything needed prior to install?

2010H3TAlpha

Well-Known Member
Messages
563
Location
Issaquah, WA
My truck had a rough start this morning, and it's still on the original battery from 7+ years ago, so I took this as a sign to buy a new battery ASAP. I picked up an Odyssey Extreme 25 for $235 shipped from Amazon which should fit the stock box w/o the lid. Less $$$ than the 75/86 but 15% more CCA and reserve capacity (same specs as the popular alternative size 34). I'm stoked! I had a dual Odyssey battery setup in another car of mine about 14 years ago and loved them. I may add a PC680 for a backup starter battery, but probably not until I get a winch.

My question is, do I need to do anything fancy for my electrical system to support this battery? I know they are sensitive to voltage inconsistencies outside of 14.0-14.7v. My truck only has 46k miles and the alternator seems to test well with a constant 14.4v. Anything else to consider?

Thanks!
 

Vdawg1115

Well-Known Member
Messages
368
Location
Oakland, CA
Everything fit right in for me. Only thing is you can't use the battery cover and that tube thing. I guess the cover can be modified to accept the side posts also. I did away with mine since I have my winch mounted to the side posts.
 

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,436
Location
Way up north, UT
I've been watching my charging levels since I got my Ultragauge, it pretty much stays in the 14 volt range, but I've noticed while it's cold and my truck has been sitting that it can get up past 15 volts initially. I think that is more because my battery is starting to get too old and worn, so it loses it's charge more and the system is charging it up. I'm sure that if it was a fresh battery it'd still be in the 14 volt range. This is with a traditional flooded cell by the way, not an Odyssey.

I had an Optima Yellow top in my Dodge Neon for years, and before that it was in a Jeep Liberty, and then a Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Never had any problems with it, it was still going strong when I sold the Neon, and that was after draining it several times due to my lights getting left on because the buzzer had stopped working in the gauge cluster in the Neon. I wish now I had kept it and swapped it into the Hummer, but oh well.
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
2,000
Location
In hiding.....
My truck had a rough start this morning, and it's still on the original battery from 7+ years ago, so I took this as a sign to buy a new battery ASAP. I picked up an Odyssey Extreme 25 for $235 shipped from Amazon which should fit the stock box w/o the lid. Less $$$ than the 75/86 but 15% more CCA and reserve capacity (same specs as the popular alternative size 34). I'm stoked! I had a dual Odyssey battery setup in another car of mine about 14 years ago and loved them. I may add a PC680 for a backup starter battery, but probably not until I get a winch.

My question is, do I need to do anything fancy for my electrical system to support this battery? I know they are sensitive to voltage inconsistencies outside of 14.0-14.7v. My truck only has 46k miles and the alternator seems to test well with a constant 14.4v. Anything else to consider?

Thanks!

How sensitive? H3s do have the power management system that can, at times, cut the charging voltage to as low as 13 volts. Not quite as regulated as newer GM vehicles, but it still cuts charging voltage down to lower levels when not needed. (Also used to prevent generator from kicking up immediately upon a heavy load to.)
 

Romeo

Well-Known Member
Messages
166
Location
New York City
No mods needed, should drop right in but I don't think you can use the battery cover.

IMG_2382.JPG


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

2010H3TAlpha

Well-Known Member
Messages
563
Location
Issaquah, WA
How sensitive? H3s do have the power management system that can, at times, cut the charging voltage to as low as 13 volts. Not quite as regulated as newer GM vehicles, but it still cuts charging voltage down to lower levels when not needed. (Also used to prevent generator from kicking up immediately upon a heavy load to.)

This is my biggest concern and Odyssey says it is pretty important to stay in this range. A bad alternator in my old Grand Cherokee killed a nice AC Delco AGM bettery in less than a year, so I am especially worried about protecting my battery investment. Can the H3/H3T voltage regulation be easily updated?
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
2,000
Location
In hiding.....
It's part of the programs in the vehicle's engine controls. Maybe some of the aftermarket programs remove it; not sure. Not even sure if it will hurt your battery. Just letting you know it is there. There are two of the modes that might reduce voltage...

The generator battery control module will enter Fuel Economy Mode when all of the following conditions are true:


• Estimated ambient air temperature is equal to or greater than 0°C (32°F).


• The calculated battery current is less than +15 amperes and greater than -8 amperes.


• The battery state of charge is greater than or equal to 80 percent.


• The rear defogger is turned OFF.


The targeted generator output voltage is 13 volts.

There is also a voltage reduction mode that can lower it to 12.9 volts.

So basically, constant highway driving in nice weather may drop the volts to 13 volts. With the requirements to drop the voltage, there is no need for the generator to output higher voltages since the battery does not need it; nor the rest of the vehicle's electrical system.

One reason why if a person is towing a trailer and wants to charge trailer batteries, or more importantly keep a DC fridge running, they might want to turn on the headlamps. Headlamps cancel out any low charge modes and boosts the gen output to around 14.5. (I proved this out on my '13 Silverado PU.)
 

2010H3TAlpha

Well-Known Member
Messages
563
Location
Issaquah, WA
It's part of the programs in the vehicle's engine controls. Maybe some of the aftermarket programs remove it; not sure. Not even sure if it will hurt your battery. Just letting you know it is there. There are two of the modes that might reduce voltage...

The generator battery control module will enter Fuel Economy Mode when all of the following conditions are true:


• Estimated ambient air temperature is equal to or greater than 0°C (32°F).


• The calculated battery current is less than +15 amperes and greater than -8 amperes.


• The battery state of charge is greater than or equal to 80 percent.


• The rear defogger is turned OFF.


The targeted generator output voltage is 13 volts.

There is also a voltage reduction mode that can lower it to 12.9 volts.

So basically, constant highway driving in nice weather may drop the volts to 13 volts. With the requirements to drop the voltage, there is no need for the generator to output higher voltages since the battery does not need it; nor the rest of the vehicle's electrical system.

One reason why if a person is towing a trailer and wants to charge trailer batteries, or more importantly keep a DC fridge running, they might want to turn on the headlamps. Headlamps cancel out any low charge modes and boosts the gen output to around 14.5. (I proved this out on my '13 Silverado PU.)

Wonderful, thank you for this info. This applies to the Alpha too? I am going to email PCM of NC to see if they have disabled it before. Now when you say running the headlights will override economy mode, I leave mine in Auto so they are on whenever I drive. So then I will never enter economy mode, right?

Thanks! Btw, where in Idaho are you? I grew up in Moscow, such a great state for outdoor activities.
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
2,000
Location
In hiding.....
Yes applies to both engines. No auto does not change the programming to headlights On. Again, if not doing a lot of highway steady driving it probably won't affect the battery. But you could write the manufacture to find out; they must be aware of these types of programs. I believe other manufacturers have done the same.
Need to actual turn the switch to headlamps. (On GM PU trucks, if there is a tow haul mode button, this also causes the gen to output around 14.5 volts at all times. But H3 did not have this option.)

North of Pocatello, but NOT in Fort Hall:giggle:.
 

2010H3TAlpha

Well-Known Member
Messages
563
Location
Issaquah, WA
Yeah I am jealous of your closer proximity to Utah, Yellowstone, the list goes on!

Confirmed that my truck went into economy mode multiple times today, contacting PCM of NC to explore options.
 

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,436
Location
Way up north, UT
I think you're misunderstanding what Odyssey has told you. You do not need to override the economy mode, as the higher charging voltages are only necessary when the battery has been deeply discharged. This wouldn't include regular starting and usage, but more like extended winching times where you actually drain the battery down in one go. In that type of scenario, where you actually drained the battery, you shouldn't rely on your alternator anyway and should be using an actual high amperage battery charger (the literature states charging at a 40 amp minimum at 14.7 volts).

"To fully charge a 31-PC2150 and 31-800 battery that is routinely discharged deeply,a minimum of 40 amps are required with charger voltage within the range of 14.1V
to 14.7V. It is imperative not to exceed 15.0V as this will cause the pressure valves
to open and out-gas hydrogen, oxygen and water from inside the battery. This will
shorten the life of the battery and cause premature failure. Some portable chargers
exceed 15.0V, especially two-wheel garage chargers, so charging voltages should
be verified by measuring the charging voltage during the time when the charging
amperage is reducing from full output. The deep cycle charging voltage must be
within 14.1V minimum to 14.7V maximum."



Regular use the reduce voltage provided during economy mode is going to be fine since the maintenance charge voltage should be around 13.5-13.8 volts.

The factory setup is going to handle keeping an AGM battery like the Odyssey charged OK. Not perfectly, but OK. Really this is true even with flooded cell batteries, you need to put it on a charger to really properly charge it all the way. If you're that worried about it then what you'd really need to do is have someone reprogram the charging patterns to suit the charging voltages and state of charge levels to match AGM's vs flooded cell.

But the differences between the two are very slight. Flooded 12v battery is fully charged at 12.73 volts open circuit, while an AGM is 12.84 volts at 77 F. Just over a tenth of a volt, which isn't enough that I'd worry about it personally. And the float voltages are only slightly higher for AGM vs flooded, by about 0.3 volts (13.8v for AGM vs 13.5v for flooded), while the charging voltage is lower for AGM by about 0.3 volts (14.7v for AGM vs 15v for flooded). The differences are small enough that even if it does reduce the life of the AGM, it won't be by very much since there are far more variables at play in a vehicle's power system that will have a greater affect on the life of the battery. And actually the limit of 15v is really if the temperature is moderate, if it's below freezing then it can get up that high safely since really it's the heating issues that are the problem rather than the actual voltage level (meaning you can charge them at higher and higher voltages the colder the ambient temperature and temperature of the battery are).

I don't feel it's worth the trouble and expense to reprogram the computer, and Odyssey and Optima wouldn't be selling their batteries to anyone that buy them if the typical vehicle charging system was going to ruin them or cause their life to be drastically reduced. Just buy the battery, and if you've had to do any winching or running loads off it without the engine running, then when you get home put it on a charger that is setup to properly charge AGM batteries to restore it's state of charge to a properly full amount.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,677
Location
Scottsdale
I can't speak to Odyssey, but I can speak to AC Delco AGM. I got a good deal on that battery a couple of years ago because it was already a couple of years old. I had to cut the battery tray and leave the battery cover off. Traditional lead acid batteries die about every two years in the high heat and this AGM has been rock solid. Quick starts and holds a charge, where the lead acid died in seven days if not operated. I'll be upgrading to AGM in the Camaro when that battery dies and is out of warranty.
 
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