Blowndakrt

Thanks for the input guys. I think I got it figured out. I looked for some 1" thick hardwoods, and they all had too much flex in them as well. But after staring at the area for a few hours, I think I can make a brace that will come off my battery hold down. I also found some small plastic pieces that are almost like velcro, but have a ball on the ends of the little fingers rather than hook and loop. Not sure what they are called. I found them in our misc parts bins at the shop. They stick together pretty well and it takes some effort to pull them part. I am going to give this idea a try and see how it works. Thanks Shawn

Its not that I wan't a 1" gap. My false floor can only be 1" thick. All my glass side panels, amp rack cover, are rear cover would have to be modified if I go thicker than 1" on the false floor. Shawn

I don't have the depth to use 2 by 4's. The floor can only be 1" thick. Even if I build a frame out of 1 by's, I will need something sturdy to cover it with. If I deck it with 1 by's, its gonna weigh a ton and will make removal and installation a 2 man job. LOL. Shawn

Hey guys, I have encountered a small issue with my false floor. I am trying to figure out how to make it stronger so it doesn't bow when you put some weight on it. I don't need it to hold an engine block or anything, but would like it to hold a few suitcases, shopping bags etc. I am using 3/4" MDF and orginally planned to use a piece of 1/4" as well. My orginal plan was to build a metal frame out of 1/2 square tubing, router the frame work out of the 3/4" and then use the piece of 1/4" to cover up the frame work. But the issue is the span of the false floor. Its 48" wide and even with the square tubing, there is more flex than just with the MDF by itself. I can't really go thicker than 1" or I will have to redo all my fiberglass trim panels for the sides, amp rack cover, and rear cover. The floor is supported on small blocks at each corner. I couldn't do very large supports because of space constraints with my air bag lines etc. I thought about using something in the center to brace it up, but worry about rattles if I do not secure it down in the center. I am trying to keep the floor area smooth to be able to wrap it in vinyl or leather. I have also thought about instead of using the 1/4", to use 1/2 or 3/4, then just router out for the mounts so it still only sits 1" above the support blocks. But my worry there is that will put me really close to the heads of my compressors as well as my batteries. I wan't to keep some room down there to help disipate heat. I have some small fans that are pulling air out from under the false floor and exit out the side vents in the trunk area. Someone recommended to use fiberglass on the MDF instead of using the 1/4". Will 1/4" of glass bonded to the MDF add enough strength? Any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks Shawn

Hey Everybody. I spoke to Kinetik today. Very helpful company. I was really surprised with the time given and helfulness of that company. I did some more testing today before I called to be able to give them more accurate numbers and up to date info as to my current situation. Got a lot of info on things I will want to change with my current setup to prevent this from happening in the future. He also told me about different way to make some connections to help prevent additional issues that might arrise. They will be getting exchanged. So that is a huge relief on my stress level. I will also be ordering a Kinetik charger for the batteries to help ensure I have the proper method and a full charge from this point on. He took the time to explain alot of info and why things happen. Being a battery noob, it really helped explain why I had certain issues and really gave me a much firmer background on battery technology. We did determine that a higher ouput alternator or dual alternator setup should be in my very near future. So I am gonna be searching for information on that. I asked him if he would like me to load test them and he said that unless the batteries were resting above 10 v, the load test would show nothing of any value. He said for the most accurate load test to take place, the batteries should be at full charge. So for everyone that gave input and advice, Thank You. I am sure I will run into other issues with other things and it seems like this place has quite a few knowledgeable people in alot of different areas. So I plan to stick around and keep reading. I don't compete in any form with my car. I don't do SPL contests or shows, but I will try to update and show pics of my car as things get done. They are a constant work in progress. But I guess I don't have to tell you guys that. LOL. Thanks Shawn

Don't they need to be charged first?? I wasn't aware you could load test a battery if it was under 10.2 volts. I was always told for the load test to be done properly, the battery needed to be charged to at least 10.2 volts. I am in the process of charging them now. I only have one charger so doing them one at a time. They are on a 2 amp trickle charge, so it might take a while to get them up to a charge. Once they are charged I will load test them. Shawn

Well that does not sound fund to test. Haha. Is the usual test to find a drain still connecting a volt meter to the negative terminal and then start pulling fuses? I have heard lots of different ways to look for electrical draws. Is there a somewhat easy but effective means for testing this sort of thing? Shawn

Well right now, the only thing hooked up in the car is the factory computer, factory clock, my aftermarket headunit, headrest monitors, aftermarket alarm(unarmed) and my compressors. I have the wire off the pressure switch so they can't turn on, the radio and headrest monitors are all off as well. The truck would be the factory radio, factory computer,the Accel DFI, and the aftermarket alarm(unarmed). Do electronics pull that much juice when they are turned off? Not saying the Optima is a better battery. I know it is not. Just found it funny that it has sat for 2 years hookedup and still has juice, and the 3 Kintetiks sat for 5 months and are that drained down. LOL. Shawn

Was there possibly any draw on the batteries over that time? It's possible that you've run them completely completely flat. If you're reading lower than 10.8v you probably have bad/short cells in there, personally I wouldn't be within 10ft of batteries reading like that Lucky they're sealed, if they go bad on the charger they'll probably just whistle and bubble a bit but IMO keep a fire extinguisher nearby, haha. I would assume there was a draw from just the normal car draw for clocks, computers etc. I found it weird that less than a month ago, it started up just fine, but it was probably pretty low and had just enough to start it the last time. And I realize that what little bit I actually let it run, was not going to recharge the batteries completely. I borrow my buddies charger to see if that does anything. I set it for a 2 amp, no maintanence deep cycle battery. I will be checking it every hour or so to see if its getting hot. If it starts to get hot or boil, it will tell me they are toast. Just figured it was worth a shot to try all the free stuff first. I have talked to others that said they have brought batteries back from the dead, so it won't hurt to try. I would contact Kinetik and find out. Usually if you leave your vehicle sit for extended periods of time it is recommended to have a maintainer on them or disconnect the batteries. I plan to call them on Monday and see what sort of options I have. If I can get them replaced under warranty or even an after warranty discount, I might go that route. If I am stuck replacing them at normal price, I will probably just switch brands. Which will suck because I will have to redo my battery brackets and possibly redo my entire spare tire area as well. I find it a little funny that my truck battery has been sitting for over 2 years in the truck, and still had a decent charge. And thats a cheap Optima. LOL. Shawn

Well I am pretty sure they only have a 1 year warranty. So if I am remembering correctly, I believe I am a few months past that. I got them from a shop that I used to be part owner of. It went out of business, so I took some of the stuff that had not sold. I don't remember when we actually ordered them in for store stock. I am pretty sure the charger is not a 3 stage. It just has multiple settings for time and voltage to charge. For the 12v side, it only has Maintainer, 10 amps, 40 amps, and then the 200 amp car start. I will do some checking today to see what is available out there. My buddy said he has a 2amp trickle charger, so I might give that a try as well. What are some usual retail prices for the chargers you guys are recommending? That way I might be able to narrow down what I am looking for if the price is not on par. I am looking for something that is talks about a microprocessor or intelligent charger correct? Remember, I am a noob when it comes to batteries. I was part owner of a stereo shop for 3 years, but the battery knowledge I have consisted of swapping out stock batteries for the Kinetiks and installing HO alternators. I do have a load tester, but figured if I can't get the batteries to even maintain a 12 v charge, its pointless to test them for load handling right now. Thanks Shawn

Wow, Thanks for the fast response guys. To answer some questions others have posted, They sat in storage for about 5 months. The Terminals looks clean, no pitting, no buildup of anything whatsoever. When I pulled the wires off the batteries, the posts were still as shiny as they were when they were new. But I am no battery expert, so not sure what I would be looking for. My storage building does not have power, so a battery tender is out. I should have disconnected them, but thought that going over twice a month, starting it, letting it run for 15 minutes or so would have helped. I would let the car warm up and then rev the car up to about 2K rpms and hold it for a few minutes, then back to idle, and repeat 2 or 3 times during that 15 minutes. But the last this last month when I went over, they were dead. My battery charger has a "Maintainer" setting. Would this be the same as putting it on a 1 or 2 amp charger? Or do I need to get a smaller charger? Any recommendations as far as how little of a charge I am looking at using? Thanks again guys. Shawn

Hey everyone, I just joined up. I came across this site when I was searching for info on my battery issue. I am running 3 HC2000 in my Chrysler 300C. When I went to take it out of winter storage today, it wouldn't start. Pulled the batteries and tested each one individually. They each showed low voltage. 4volts and under. So I lug them home and hook them up to my charger. Charged one of them and got it up to 11.4v. Unhooked the charger and let it sit for a half hour. In that half hour it dropped down to 10.85v. The other 2 showed similiar drops but can't remember the exact amount. Am I charging them properly? Someone local suggested to charge then at a lower amperage to build a better charge. I am not that familar with other methods of battery charging. I have always hooked up a charger and charged my batteries. Has anyone ever had issues with their Kinetik batteries? I have been running these for a little over a year, so just out of warranty. Typical. Haha. Any input would be appreciated. If you need more info, let me know. I am sure I am leaving stuff out but not thinking real clearly right now. Really frustrated that the money spent on the batteries might have been wasted. Thanks Shawn