Alarm battery upgrade on 360 - killing the red dash LED :-)

Good job Greg!

The only comment I would provide is that the alarm module battery voltage should be 7.2 volts, not 9 volts. I don't know if this could cause any problems, but it may be something to consider. 9 volts may not have any adverse impact, but I don't know if I would want to take that chance long term. If you check back on this thread, I believe I posted the link and part# where you can order a 7.2 volt battery that pretty closely matches the amp specs for the original battery used in the alarm module. It's in a 9 volt configuration, but is rechargeable and rated at 7.2 volts. Since it's only a $10 part, I would strongly consider using the proper voltage just to be on the safe side.

You are "probably" okay using the 9 volt, but for the cost why risk it?

Ray

 

Check message #14 on this thread. The part# and source for the 7.2 volt battery I am using is listed there.

Better safe than sorry, even though I doubt it would matter all that much.

Ray

 

Greg,

Here is a link for you:

http://www.batteryprice.com/n-6ptbattery72v120mahnicd.aspx

I also made a quick call to the folks at Batteryprice.com and they confirmed that they have 30 in stock. Use discount code: ABS10 for a 10% discount when ordering on-line. That should bring the price down from the listed $16.55 price they are showing on their website. I had the sales rep actually check the stock in the warehouse and he said they do have 30 in stock available for sale (at the time of this posting). They also said they have other sources for that battery besides Sanyo if needed, although since they have the Sanyo version in stock, I didn't inquire about any other brands.

I also put a call into Sanyo batteries asking if they have changed the part # and/or if they still produce this battery. If I hear anything back from Sanyo, I'll follow up here.

When I did this upgrade, I purchased a spare battery from Mouser just in case the first one went belly up. I wasn't sure how many recharge cycles the battery would see or how long it would last. But as updated on this thread, it's been a couple of years or more and the first battery is still going strong. I would offer to send you my spare battery, but since I'm trying to sell the car, I wanted to pass it along to the next owner.

Anyway, hope that helps.

Ray

 

It's not the volts that kill ya, it's the amps With low enough amps, you can run 20,000 volts down that wire and it won't even break a sweat.

Anyway, 22 gauge is plenty. 22 gauge is rated to carry nearly 1 amp (.92 amps to be exact). This battery is rated at 110 mAh. Re-charging takes place at between 11 milliamps and 22 milliamps. The wire is rated to carry 920 milliamps. So you are fine by a factor of nearly 50 to 100 depending on how fast the car recharges the battery when it needs it.

Attached is the datasheet for the battery in question.

Ray
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if you are dealing with high amps, then yes, it's always better to have a little extra insurance (within reason) so that the electrons flowing in the wire don't heat things up. But when you are dealing with very low current down in the 1000ths of an amp (i.e. milliamps), then it's not usually a major factor.

Ray

 

That one will work. However, the NiMH batteries don't withstand as many charge cycles as the NiCD as I recall. I think that battery you listed above is actually the first one that I was originally going to use. I think it will work okay, but I think the NiCD is a slightly better option based on what I researched previously. The main reason I went with the NiCD was because it tends to hvae a longer life cycle and discharges less than some of the other types of batteries. Since this battery is involved with the alarm system, I wanted a battery which wouldn't suddenly go dead if the car was sitting for a couple of weeks.

In real world terms, probably either will work fine. The NiCD may just give you a slight edge on the # of times it can be charged and how well it holds a charge.

Ray

 

I think he means the battery in the alarm module.

There is no easy way to check the alarm module battery. When it goes, the LED on the dash will stay lit while you are driving the car. That's the first tip off that your alarm module battery has bitten the dust. It's usually a good idea to get in there sooner than later, since as the battery goes, it can burn the printed circuit board. At least if you catch it early, you can do the external 7.2 volt battery modification. If you wait too long and the battery acid eats into the board, then you are looking at a total replacement of the module.

Ray

 

True, the ease of changing the battery almost makes the cycle life a moot point.

Ray

 

The car charges the battery for you. When everything is working properly, you shouldn't have to touch the battery after installation (at least not until you deplete the cycle life and it is no longer able to hold a charge - however long that takes (probably 5+ years)). My battery has been working fine for over 2 years with zero problems or attention since I installed it.

Normally, the LED on the dash blinks to indicate the system is armed. When you disarm it and start the car, the LED will go out. When the battery dies in the module, then you will notice that the red LED stays lit while you drive the car (it will be on constantly - solid red) to indicate a fault in the alarm system.

Ray

 

Yeah, in the real world I think either are fine. The NiCD may have a slight edge, but I doubt it's much.

Ray

 

Thanks

Ray