Porkipine

iTrader: (1)

not to thread jack but has anyone consider about the Odyssey Drycell Batteries?
My friend has it and likes it. I'm debating between the Braille and Odyssey right now.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

I went with the best price to cca ratio

the braille 21lbs battery packs a punch, and the price of the equal odessey was slightly heavier, priced higher, mount cost more and weighed more....

also the braille battery is the shiznit period

jchcmax

I tried relocating the sensor but I felt that the car drank more gas. Call me miser, but I'd rather have more MPG than a little more power with this option. So I just kept it at the stock location. If I were at the track, then absolutely re-locate.

Casper, I dont remember Cardomain comment but good to know you remembered!! It's been awhile.

CasperTL04

yeah, I was looking at the page.........It's still up and I check it like once every 6 months......and I noticed the same SN. Then in your sig mention 96 GSR so I figured it must be the same person. I had a 96 GSR too but non-supercharged!! That car was actually more fun than the TL. Sad to say.

BLACKURA_NY

iTrader: (6)

damn thats a tiny ass little battery

looks like when you sit in those enormous chairs at amusement parks to take pictures.... tiny little battery on a big metal plate

how much are these bad boys anyways?

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

jegs.com

Sizes appropriate for the TL...

No Weight Version
11.5lbs... $150 - http://www.jegs.com/i/Braille%20Auto...14115/10002/-1
15lbs...... $160 - http://www.jegs.com/i/Braille%20Auto/147/B2015/10002/-1
17lbs...... $166 - http://www.jegs.com/i/Braille%20Auto...2317R/10002/-1
21lbs...... $180 - http://www.jegs.com/i/Braille%20Auto/147/B3121/10002/-1

Carbon Fiber Version is +$80
mount kit I used....$20 (lightweight frb 6" j hooks for mounting battery sideways)
other mount kit available....$15 (rubber)
Aluminum Mount kits (not sure if fit the tl) - $50

BLACKURA_NY

iTrader: (6)

damn. thats expensive.... whats the weight on the stock battery? probably save more weight this route, then with my CF hood

i might go optima with my new stereo install.. thats gonna f*ing weigh my car down like 50+ lbs

jchcmax

Those prices are ok, got mine at EDO Performance for cheaper. Customer service is very friendly and knowledgeable. They deal with alot of turbo applications.

http://shop.edoperformance.com/brail...es-p-9148.html

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

if edo ships free, then yes... but if they dont jegs can't be touched, I got charged like $9 for the battery, the mount and a case of rp... the box was no laughin matter


cf hood + box in the trunk kinda defeats the point... eh! different strokes for different folks... guess you need ur tones

CasperTL04

OK, so we can use any of those weights? or just the 21 lbs?

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

it all depends on the weather you live in... because if you live in an area that gets bellow freezing you want the most CCA... ie... the 21 lbs battery has the most... for most people the 15lbs is the ideal way to go

Inaccurate

Sure. I use the smallest 11.5 lb size.

I purchased the battery directly from the mfg, www.brailleauto.com. The price was $179. The oem battery (and plastic liner) weighs 39 lbs. The Braille weighs 11.5 lbs. The difference is 27.5 lbs saved.



Although that battery is little, it has BIG balls !
It will spin the starter Faster than the oem battery. The car fires up just the same as having the oem battery. All lights and gauges light up normally.

I have had mine for 16 months. No problems at all with it. However, I do respect it's limitations. If I know that the car will not be driven for over two days (just my arbitrary limit), I put a trickle charger on the little battery. Also, if I am working inside the car for a long time with the doors open, causing the dome light to stay on, I will put the trickle charger on it. I consider this inconvenience as a small price to pay for the weight savings.

I am in Houston and Winter down here is not too cold. We do get a few mornings with temps of 30 degrees. The little 11.5 lb batt did great on those 30 degree mornings.

I do recommend this small Braille (B14115) to anyone that is willing to live within it's small reserve capacity (not too many days without driving the car, not listening to radio with engine off, no aftermarket accessories such as car alarms that drain the battery with the engine off, etc)

The little battery is a CHAMP thus far !

CasperTL04

thanks for the writeup!

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Hey, sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but I was wondering if anyone who's owned these Braille's could comment on their longevity. By longevity I mean both how long the battery has lasted as well as how many days have you been able to go without the battery loosing much of it's charge. I'm considering pulling the trigger on one but don't want to end up with a battery that lasts only a couple years and dies after a few days of not driving the car. Thanks!

blkaspec

I killed mine in about 6 months....now back to my OEM.

Hi speed

iTrader: (3)

Mine died at about the 6 m

Hi speed

iTrader: (3)

Mine died at the 6 month mark also. I would say don't waste your $$$. The weight savings don't justify the cost. Mine would die after about two days of sitting and the weight loss is too little to make any real change in performance.

Inaccurate

I have used a 11.5 Lbs Braille (B14115) battery for the past 4 years.

I had my first 11.5 Lbs Braille (B14115) for exactly 2-1/2 years. In that period of time, I had no problems at all with it. It never left me stranded. However, I do always respect it's limitations. If I know that the car will not be driven for over two days, I put a trickle charger on the little battery. Also, if I am working inside the car for a long time (more than 5 minutes) with the doors open, causing the dome light to stay on, I will put the trickle charger on it. I consider this inconvenience as a small price to pay for the weight savings.

When I install anything electrical into my car (knock monitor, various gauges, etc), I make certain that the device gets power from a keyed source. The keyed source makes sure that the device will not draw any power from the small battery while the car sits over the weekend.

I do recommend this small Braille (B14115) to anyone that is willing to live within it's small reserve capacity. This means not too many days without driving the car, not listening to radio with engine off, no aftermarket accessories such as car alarms that drain the battery with the engine off, etc.

On October 2009, I replaced my first 11.5 Lbs Braille (B14115) with another identical one (B14115). For a few months prior to the replacement, I was noticing the battery not spinning the starter as fast as it normally did. Knowing that the battery was over 2 years old, I took this as an "early notice" to get it replaced.

As a personal rule that was learned the hard way, I always replace auto batteries (any type) at least once every 2 years. I replace the battery (DieHard Gold) in my wife's car once every 12 months as preventative maintenance. In the Houston heat, batteries typically don't last much longer than 2 years. So, for the little Braille to last for 2-1/2 years is superb performance.

I am currently on my second small Braille (B14115). It is now 1-1/2 years old. It is still going strong. I never had a problem with it.


If you plan to own the small 11.5-Lb Braille (B14115), you should have a charger handy in your garage. This would be used for times when you would not drive the car for more than two days, such as holiday weekends and vacations. And, you would need the charger for times when you have the door open for more than five minutes while you might be working inside the car.

The Braille site makes hints that their charger is “special” and hinting that the Braille battery needs their “special” charger.

I don’t believe that the Braille battery needs a special charger. The car will be charging it like any other battery. So, why would I need anything different than a normal battery charger?

For the past 4 years, I have used a “Schumacher Speed Charge Model 600A” that I purchased from Walmart (see pic below). I have used it a lot. Works great and highly recommend this charger to anyone purchasing a Braille battery.

Please note that this Schumacher charger offers three charging modes or amperages. I have always used the 2-Amp charging rate when charging or trickle charging my small Braille battery. It functions as a trickle charger too.

I would assume any high quality charger would work ok. However, just be sure that the charger is able to charge at a 2-Amp rate. I would not recommend using a quick or fast charging rate, which outputs higher than 2 amps, on the small Braille battery.

The Schumacher’s web site is http://www.batterychargers.com

Walmart sells the charger (Schumacher Model 600A) for approx $30.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=13005743

Doing a Google, I see that the Schumacher charger can be purchased online too from many sites, including Amazon.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the input. I'd probably go with the larger 21lb, but it seems there are several reviews that the battery doesn't last as long (some from other forums as well). It sounds like you've maintained the battery well Innaccurate, maybe that's the reason yours lasted longer. Not sure. Anyway, I think I may be leaning something more like an Optima. Not as much of a weight savings, but the battery chemistry is more "friendly" for endurance than the Braille it seems. I'll do some more homework and make a decision based on that.

FCVadi

iTrader: (3)

I am wondering if the car alarm draws more power than needed when the engine is off... why most folks stated they lose the battery around 6 months

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I've read a ton on this subject which unfortunately hasn't ever really answered my question. Something is causing battery drain but I don't know what for sure. And it seems to be sort of random. My OEM, a new Redtop Optima and the B14115 Braille I recently purchased (yes, I pulled the trigger despite the responses on this thread) have all suffered from the TL's vampire-like battery sucking if left for more than a few days. My fix? One of these:



It has a handy little plug you can install on your battery to quickly hook up the charger when you know you'll have a couple of days without driving. I've configured it so I don't even need to open the hood. I discretely hid the plug behind the front bumper and can just plug it in when needed. That's solved my problems so far. And in the rare cases where I'll be parked somewhere other than home for a few days (ie. the airport long term parking during business trips), I carry one of these in the trunk:


(this isn't the exact one I use, but one similar. They're all about the same).

It really is random though. Sometimes the car will drain the battery and other times it won't. It tends to happen more in cold seasons naturally.