You would think that car manufactures would install these in the factory. The Battery Brain is a simple but good idea.
“HOW BATTERY BRAINâ„¢ WORKS
Battery Brain prevents a dead battery by using patented technology to continually monitor a battery’s charge strength and isolate it from any possible energy drainage, ensuring enough charge is preserved to start the engine.
The Battery Brain unit can be mounted in various configurations on the positive terminal of the vehicle battery. It monitors the voltage in the battery and if this drops below the prescribed level needed to start the vehicle (e.g. 12.1V), a brief timed sequence measures whether this is a temporary drop that recovers quickly.
If not, Battery Brain disconnects the battery from the vehicle’s electrical system to preserve the charge. The battery will then typically recover (e.g. to around 12.6V) but it will at very least retain enough charge to start the engine.”
Via: OhGizmo
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So let me get this straight. My battery gets low, so the battery brain disconnects the battery to preserve enough charge to start the car again. I have to open the hood to reset it (on the manual version). My hood release is inside my car, but I have electric locks, which don’t work now that the battery has been disconnected. Am I missing something?
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This is exactly like a feature in the Diehard security battery. I made them replace it when it kept shutting off the power while I was on the highway.
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Most cars now are equipped with a timer that disconnects (sometimes progressively) nearly every function from the battery after a period of time (~40 minutes for my Ford truck), making this device redundant. In the bad old days, even a malfunctioning glove box light could kill your battery, but no more.
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I have never seen a car that can’t open with a key even with a dead battery.
Neither have I seen a car thats hood latch that can only be opened with electric power…
So Ed unless you lost your key and have a dead battery I don’t see the problem.
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ok, but what about those alarm systems that have theyr own battery and they only use it to make incredible noise when main battery is disconected?? basicaly alarm system is going to think that somebody is trying to to mess with your car..
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I think the battery brain comes with a fused bypass cable,or can be purchased as an extra, one end goes directly to the battery side of the unit, the other end clips into the fuse holder of the item that needs constant power (ECU, radio, clock, maybe), and the fuse that was removed is placed into the special holder fitted into the bypass cable itself.
My worry in using the Battery Brain is, if it fails for no reason or if theres any negative electrical impacts starting, or during the running of the car, and really like to know if anyone with a 2001 VW Polo has used it with any problems?
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us your stpid key to get in your car are you lazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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us your stupid key to open up your doors
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Some cars have alarms if opened by key, but I guess when the electric components have been disconnected, car alarm won’t sound if key is used to open then door!
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I purchased a couple of battery brains for my efi cars last year. Over that time my battery brain has saved and failed
me in that respect. It was a couple of days ago that deeply concerned me. It was early morning 5:30am and there was
fog outside. I was a a stop light, and my car shut off. I mean none of my lights worked (hazard light especially)
and visibility was maybe 50 ft. I could hear the approaching vehicles, but luckily the street lights were bright
for the other drivers to see me in time. I had to quickly push my vehicle out of the way in to the center divider.
Open my hood and manually reset my battery brain. Yes, my remote would not respond and the little red light suggested
that my battery inside is still operational. I don’t have a stereo of radio hooked up, my alarm is disconnected, no
after market fog lights for a drain. I know that there may be a ground somewhere. But still my car is idling and the
alternator is functional to send a charge to my battery. So, why did my battery brain shut off? It was a not a good
place to be at the time.
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These would be even better if they functioned properly. Imagine what a conveniance that would be. I bought one from Batttery Brains in Canada. My credit card records show it was funded that day. Several weeks later it arrived. I installed in in our antique car and after replacing the dead battery in the new remote fob, it appeared to work.
Once driving, the device would periodically shut the power down. It is not that big of deal to simply pull off to the roadside in a powerless antique, press the fob and then get going again with complete anticipation that it will happen again when you least expect it. No sir. After a few attempts to contact this company, I knew service was not a concern of theirs. I let my young Jack Russell Terrier have his way with it. No more Battery Brains for me.
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Well my radio has a 4 digit code you have to enter when it was disconnected from the power, so you cannot steal it since you don’t know the code. However if my battery gets disconnected I’d have to enter that code. After all, it’s not _that_ hard to get your car started with a dead battery. There are jumpwires you can plug into that little power socket inside your car nowadays. So you don’t even have to open the hood.
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Eric 2-08, let me get this straight, engine running, Battery Positive is disconnected by “Battery Brain”.?.?.?.?.? Um, I dont think so… When running your battery can be disconnected because the alternator is supplying ALL power to the vehicle, either your alternator is faulty or you have your Battery Brain Connected to the negative side of your battery….
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Folks,,
I got the new edition of battery brain. They have now two additinoal wires, one that connects to accessories and one that connects to the
engine wire. So that way it won’t shut off the battery while the engine switch is in the “On” or “run” position. The accessories wire should be
connected to your accessories (including keyless) so that can supply power to the very needed accessories.
It has also got a remote where you can remotely turn off and turn on power completely if needed.