I have the hawker 680, and i hate it. worst thing i ever bought. The car wont ever start if its less than 30 degrees out. I cant leave anything on with the car off for any amount of time.

Ill be switching back to a regular batter asap.

 

Anyone know where I can get a metal battery box? I remeber I saw one on J t imports site a whiel ago and it was from feed but it was like 200 dollars?

 

try www.batterymart.com

 

The stock Miata battery (which is in the trunk) does indeed need to be vented. There is a venting tube going to the exterior of the car to remove any gasses produced. So it would probably not be a good choice for a relocation project.

However, a company called Westco produces a sealed battery that is a stock-sized Miata replacement and it does not need to be vented. It is rated at 475 CCAs, which is over twice the PC680's capacity, so should have adequate reserves for an FD. It can obviously sit in the rear bins without cutting and, better still, only costs about $85 shipped.

 

just get a optima and be done with it. u can always cut a bigger hole. hahaha

 

Really? Why?

 

i took that back in my other post, it's just a hassel with no benefits.

 

well it got a small benefit, clean up the engine bay

 

it's not really a benefit, I just don't like having to work around it. Also if I get a higher flowing BOV I'll need the extra space for it to fit.

 

Are there any other mini batteries other than the 680 that'll fit with a large SMIC? It seems like a lot of people don't like the 680, and as my vehicle is only a weekend car, I'll need something with more juice. I have a CWR smic and cai waiting to be installed, and I just need to do something about my battery. Either relocate or get a mini battery, but I'm hesitant to relocate. ???

 

Whats the dimentions on that battery?

 

took quick measurents.. approx: 6"L 8"W 7"H.

chris

 

there's nothing wrong with the 680. it does its job perfectly, meaning it's small, u can mount it anywhere, and holds a little charge for a short period of time. a batt that size is not meant for stereo's or holding a charge for a long time. my reason for buying this batt is mostly because of size and i dont mind plugging in a charger when i let the car sit for a long period, usually anything longer than a few weeks. i think this batt is great for my needs.

 

I though you were supposed to use sealed type batteries inside the car. Some one correct me if I'm wrong so I can save a few buck by buying a optima.

 

Keep updating this. I want to see how it goes.

 

Quick data point on the 680 - I had to leave the car outside last night, lows in the upper 20s F, and the car started up fine this morning with temps still below freezing. So perhaps longevity has not been verified, but the 680 does seem to provide sufficient power for a very cold start, at least at this early stage of its life.

 

Is there any advantage to using a terminal? or can I just use a bolt to connect the fuse box to the battery directly? I'm trying to figure out how i want to connect the fuse box to the battery. The easiest way would be to just bolt it directly to the battery instead of using a terminal.

 

OR...get two 6volt Optima's and put one in each compartment.

 

I Recently Had Pettit Install There Relocation Kit While I Was Down There Having Some Tuning Done And Turned Out Great. One Of The Most Unique Things That I Like From Under The Hood, Or Wait Not Under The Dood...

 

I had a 680 also and had issues. I ended up buying an Optima 51r and located in driver's side bin.

AVOID A FIRE: DON'T FORGET TO FUSE THE POSITIVE WIRE CLOSE TO THE BATTERY(<18")

 

I know you posted this several months ago but here is my opinion.

You should use a terminal. Then you can splice in a quick-disconnect switch in between the terminal and the fuse box.

 

im using an 8 gauge wire to go from my engine bay to the battery in the trunk. you think that size wire is inappropriate? it was originally for an amplifier.

 

Absolutely.

I'm running 2-gauge cable just from the bin behind the driver's seat to the power distribution/fuse block. You should at least use 4-gauge cable for a run that long, and if you're mounting the battery in the trunk, you should probably use 2-gauge.

 

Well, considering 8 guage is only really for about 60 amps max for a short run, yes.. it is VERY insufficient.

Ideal would be 2 guage, minimum 4 guage for a short run. 1 guage for that last bit of overkill. I have even seen the use of larger cable.

One thing to keep in mind here: the longer the run for power, the larger the guage wire required to safely carry a certain amperage.

So, basically, 8 guage is a bad idea. That was probably ran for a 40 amp amplifier.

 

Here's how I did it. Refer to pics.

The battery is an Odyssey PC935 and it is securely located in the driver's side bin with a bracket & hold down I made from 20ga stainless. Cable is 4 ga HD welding cable (real stuff that you can run over with a fork lift; not the pretty, plastic covered amplifier type cable). Note the circuit breaker and a large fuse for accessories fed directly from the battery.

A couple of installation notes:

Ground is secured under the seat belt anchor bolt to the right of the bin. (This is convenient and a very good ground location since it is welded in.)

The positive cable is routed under the car in a protective sleeve and resiliently clamped to the underbody (on the inside of the frame but NOT in with the fuel lines). The positive lead is connected directly to the stud on the starter. The existing [stock] battery cable now serves to feed the fuse box. In this manner, the length of the positive cable is reduced and installation is cleaner and easier. (I don't know why everyone runs the cable up to the distribution box first--it only makes the cable to the starter about 6 to 8 feet longer than it needs to be.) The stock battery terminal was removed from the main fuse box and the box was located with a bracket in about the stock location.

I have had no issues with the Odyssey battery at all. It seems comparable to a standard battery in capacity and produces exactly the same voltage at the main fuse box under cranking load (E = 10.3V @ I = 162A after 10 seconds cranking) as installed. I have not experienced any problems starting or losing charge after sitting for weeks. Note that the 935 has about 50% more capacity that the PC680 and is the largest size that will fit in a stock bin without cutting.