Can I use a Car Battery on a E-Start Sled?

[gigakessler]

1998 arctic cat panther with a bad battery. Its been sitting for a few years so before I go out and buy a new battery I want to start the sled up to see how its running. Can I use a 550CCA car battery? Im worried it has too much amperage for the sled?

 

[G]

If the bat is not installed in a running vehicle you should be fine.

 

[jr37]

I know it's not recommended, but we jumped a Ski-Doo last year off of my GMC truck. I think it has a 650 cca battery.

 

[zimmbob]

I understand the amps, but a 12volt is a 12volt, isn't it? still runs a 12 volt system. just because the battery is smaller... it's not like you are trying to run 120 volts through there. I start my lawn mower with my car all the time (the alternator doesn't work...), why would a sled be any different?

 

[frnash]

I don't see a problem here at all.
Automotive batteries don't force 'lectrons into your starter; your starter DRAWS current (amps) from the battery. Thus there are only the following issues to be concerned about:
1. Is the battery voltage the same as the starter is expecting to see?
2. Does the battery have the capacity to deliver at least as much starting current ("cold cranking amps") as the starter will draw, or more? (More is good.)
3. Is the starter working properly, and not shorted out? (A short in the starter would draw much more current than your battery can supply, not good for your battery!)
Okay on all three points? Then go for it! Just be sure to connect the "+" and "-" leads correctly, don't get 'em crossed.

[Although I initially went off to Michigan Tech 52 years ago to become a "'lectrical injuneer", I wound up a mathemagician instead, so any "real" 'lectrical injuneer(s)" please feel free to confirm or refute this assertion!]

 

[mjkaliszak]

frnash... your logic is sound, at least the ( + , - ) stuff (LOL). I jump my toys thru the year with car batteries. No problems. assertshun confurmed !!!!

 

[gogebic_sledder]

Last year we jump started my friends 600 sdi off of a pick -up. It worked perfectly, the sdi uses a battery to run the injectors. The truck was running when we did this.

 

[snoluver1]

Professor Nash nailed it again! Your starter will only draw the current it needs. Just be sure you don't make a "whoops" with the polarity, cause the car battery with do a lot more damage than the little guy it comes with.

 

[elf]

As a interesting side note, one yeasr we used my wifes GTX to jump start the truck! So I guess it can go both ways!

 

[frnash]

As a interesting side note, one yeasr we used my wifes GTX to jump start the truck! So I guess it can go both ways!

The only risk I see there is that starting the truck with a smaller (fewer cold cranking amps capacity) battery could really put an excessive load on the battery, and suck the life out of it. If the truck just had a weak battery (a low, not full charge, not quite enough to crank the starter) and you did this in moderate weather conditions, not so bad, just a little boost for the weak battery. In severe (cold) weather conditions with a totally dead truck battery, it could really do a number on the smaller battery, decreasing its life at least.

 

[harvest1121]

What I would do was usually just have the car off and try to jump it like that. That would not work on the Harley. But it has worked on Jet Skis just having them hooked up without starting the car.

 

[anonomoose]

More amps is good...since it will draw the battery down the least. This early sled used the battery mostly as a filter for smoothing out the sometimes jittery charging systems....and to just hit the starter and get the machine running whereby most often the ignition did not need the battery to keep the sled running.

However....the newer sleds are far different. If you have EFI, in every manual that I have seen, they specifically tell you NOT to jump the battery with a running car/truck, because you may cause problems with the computer brain that controls everything on the sled. Now if the car/truck is not running at the time you jump it the voltage will be the same as that of the sled battery. Once the initial load is put on the battery, the battery should NOT have more than 12.5 volts more or less and not 14-16 volts that is normal when the car/truck engine is running and charging.

So to save a fat repair bill remember to simply jump the sled WITHOUT the motor running on the vehicle and you should be fine. Both batteries have the same voltage...with the smaller sled battery having a lower amp hour rating.

The starter should never draw MORE than it was designed to draw from the battery UNLESS it is defective. I would not run the sled without the battery in the sled because some systems require a battery that is functioning to simply run. Many of the new sleds need a full 12 volts so that the ignitions will work correctly and a weakened battery that draws the voltage down significantly when there is a draw from the starter motor might not fire and therefore won't start. Most new sleds won't pull start if the battery is not charged, and the only time a pull start would work is if the starter quits but the battery has at least 12 volts.