Installing lithiums for Leisure batteries on 2005 California

[Doug Curran]

Has anyone information whether it is possible to install Lithium batteries in place of AGMs for the leisure positions on a Cali?

 

[wildslammer22]

Has anyone information whether it is possible to install Lithium batteries in place of AGMs for the leisure positions on a Cali?

I’ve just done it in my T6. You will need a DC-DC charger to replace the split charge relay. On my T6 the AGM profile of the EHU charger is fine with most LiFePO4 batteries. The shunt for the multi-function display still works although the Li batteries will have different voltage so you will lose a bit of accuracy but it’s still a useable guide. Also on EHU the trickle charge to starter battery still functions.

I installed 2 Xplorer Polar Max 100ah batteries which has effectively over doubled my useable capacity at less than half the weight. The Polar Max will charge and discharge down to -20°c. which might be important if you’re in Canada! Non heated Li batteries will only safely charge down to 0°c. I had a bit of a juggle to get the battery to fit in the rear, I’d recommend looking at the Titan batteries which are more expensive, slightly higher spec but have a 100ah model that is exactly the same size as the existing AGM batteries making install much easier. You will likely have different options available to you locally. I used a Victron 50a smart DC-DC charger which is both small enough to fit under the front seat with the battery and sheds heat very efficiently.

Budget wise (including additional cabling) batteries and charger it’s between £1-1,500 in UK, I’m guessing similar in USD. It’s doable if you are a competent at DIY with a good understanding of auto electrics if not you will probably need to budget for 6-8 hours labour for install by a competent auto electrician. The trickiest bit is wiring the DC-DC charger to the battery/alternator.

Hope that helps.

 

[terryph]

I’ve just done it in my T6. You will need a DC-DC charger to replace the split charge relay. On my T6 the AGM profile of the EHU charger is fine with most LiFePO4 batteries. The shunt for the multi-function display still works although the Li batteries will have different voltage so you will lose a bit of accuracy but it’s still a useable guide. Also on EHU the trickle charge to starter battery still functions.

I installed 2 Xplorer Polar Max 100ah batteries which has effectively over doubled my useable capacity at less than half the weight. The Polar Max will charge and discharge down to -20°c. which might be important if you’re in Canada! Non heated Li batteries will only safely charge down to 0°c. I had a bit of a juggle to get the battery to fit in the rear, I’d recommend looking at the Titan batteries which are more expensive, slightly higher spec but have a 100ah model that is exactly the same size as the existing AGM batteries making install much easier. You will likely have different options available to you locally. I used a Victron 50a smart DC-DC charger which is both small enough to fit under the front seat with the battery and sheds heat very efficiently.

Budget wise (including additional cabling) batteries and charger it’s between £1-1,500 in UK, I’m guessing similar in USD. It’s doable if you are a competent at DIY with a good understanding of auto electrics if not you will probably need to budget for 6-8 hours labour for install by a competent auto electrician. The trickiest bit is wiring the DC-DC charger to the alternator.

Hope that helps.

How did you connect the DC-DC charger and still have trickle charge to the starter battery on EHU?
A circuit diagram would be very useful to any of us that want to do the same.

 

[wildslammer22]

How did you connect the DC-DC charger and still have trickle charge to the starter battery on EHU?
A circuit diagram would be very useful to any of us that want to do the same.

I didn’t do the install alone I enlisted the help of an expert! I tightened some bolts, made the tea and did a lot of swearing manoeuvring the new battery in the rear cabinet - VW basically left no wriggle room with the hatch even though there is 20mm or more length and a bit more height space for the battery in the cabinet.

Essentially we utilised all the existing cabling and connections from the EHU charger and connecting the two batteries to retain all the original functionality I listed above. This also greatly simplified the install. The only new cabling we ran was 25mm2 (the existing 16mm isn’t big enough for the 50a DC-DC) along the existing split charge relay cable route. This then runs under the scuttle panel behind the wiper linkage (had to remove the wipers and the plastic scuttle tray) and into the engine bay to the starter battery.