Fitting a second battery in the Xantia engine bay

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Napoleon
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Fitting a second battery in the Xantia engine bay

Post by Napoleon »

Anyone done this?

Here's the space I would like to use if possible. It's the area behind the front right headlight.

I want to fit a split charge relay and charge this second battery for auxillary items - kettle, water pump for camping etc.

So, any idea if I can get a battery to fit that space? Then again, it'd need a battery holder/clamp. Anyone done this?

I'll then be running cable to the boot for a cigar lighter as the plug-in point.

Fanks.
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Post by Peter.N. »

I would have thought it would have been easier to fit the extra battery in the boot, it would save having to make up a cradle for it.
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Post by KP »

Yeah the boot would be easier to set it all up in and you can recess it a little just infront of the rear light units.
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Post by Napoleon »

The thing is, and it's a minor point, I know, if I have a battery in there and twin tank the car for using svo/wvo/bio, and have a container of fresh water for tea-coffee-washing off muddy boots, it's going to impinge on the space available for shopping trips to Fortnum and Mason for fois gras and champange (ok, Sainsbury's).
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Post by Xaccers »

Why twin tank?
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Post by Napoleon »

Only somehting I read... that it's best to have two tanks to be certain of getting the engine warm before introducting the svo.

I know some say no need for TT, and perhaps that's the prevailing view?

I'm on the vegoil.com forum, and I know most responses there are to not twin tank.

The less work the better, as far as I'm concerned!
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Post by CitroJim »

Tim,

The general view is no need to go to the trouble of a TT setup on a Xantia. the Bosch pump would be happy pumping treacle if it could drag it through the fuel filter :D

There are some physically small batteries availabe and some Japanese cars were/are fitted with them as standard. My son's 200SX drift racer has a really diddy little battery in it as his intercooler piping seriously encroaches on space formerly occupied by the battery. I'm sure one of these will fit in the space you have.

However, these batteries, in common with all car batteries, are not really suitable for the use you have planned. What you really need is a "deep cycle" leisure battery. Have a look in a caravan/camping dealers for a suitably small one. These batteries are designed to give a relatively low current for a long time. car batteries are the opposite and are designed to give high currents for a short time and are not good in leisure applications. Our pukka caravan battery will run the 'van electrics for weeks on end but a similar size car battery will last barely a week.
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Post by Xaccers »

With SVO, just pour it in.
With WVO, filter, boil, stir, add eye of newt, filter some more, spin, whistle three times, cross your fingers, then pour it in ;)

Ok I jest, I've never risked using WVO, if you refine it properly it should be great, if you don't then you may do long term damage through the water and acids still in the oil.
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Well the Xantia has a lot of items in the engine bay, so to fit something else in there would be an achievement! :wink:
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Post by addo »

To be serious, I'd look at a pair of thinner, small batteries of the spiral cell type or similar, and lay them down on the rear floor passenger side. This should help towards weight distribution.

Is the plan to run 12V appliances or use an inverter?
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Post by Napoleon »

Getting off-topic really, but, Xac, I already filter wvo for use in a stationary engine for house-heating purposes, and it seems ok there (bosch ip as well, as it happens).

I was planning on using wvo for the car as well, but I must say I prefer to use svo to begin with, certainly.

My wvo filtration setup at present... you can see various solids forming in the filter casings - they are clear perspex, and makes me realise what's actually going into the engine(s). That said, that is oil only filtered to 5 micron, NOT dewatered to speak of.

---------------------------------------------

If I see a space under the bonnet, I immediately want to put something in it! Seriously, though, I think a small leisure battery could be very handy.

I have this setup in my works van, and when I had the same setup in a Navara I had, when we were out in a muddy fiedl or wahtever, it was great to be able to get back to the car and use the water pump to clean off wellies.

I have dreams of making our own tea/coffee in the back of the car, and generally being self-sufficient when going on hols.
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Post by Napoleon »

addo wrote:To be serious, I'd look at a pair of thinner, small batteries of the spiral cell type or similar, and lay them down on the rear floor passenger side. This should help towards weight distribution.

Is the plan to run 12V appliances or use an inverter?
12v appliances.

Water pump (potable water I expect so need a nice clean tank, perhaps an idea from a caravan/boating forum).

Kettle.

Not much more than that, really.
Tim
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Post by andmcit »

Is there any virtue in utilising the space on the driver's side inner wing that's
the equivalent to the opposite battery tray area. Perfect for a tiny Jap battery
as mentioned previously. There won't be anything there if yours is a '95 TD
like my SX's. The ABS lives under the LHM reservoir after all!

Andrew
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