Why change to a 16-volt battery if the 12-volt battery has served you well enough? Good question and I felt the same way at first. After considering the benefits I decided the 16-volt will give me more reliability and repeatability and a lot more reserve capacity for later rounds.
INSTALLATION QUESTIONS:
Q: Will I need a voltage reducer for delay boxes, gauges, etc?
A: No. I called Auto Meter, Stewart Warner and Digital Delay and their response was basically that they see no problem with 16-volt systems but they all recommend turning the battery power off when the battery is being charged.
Q: Will the 16-volt system require heavier gauge wiring and battery cables?
A: No. I used exactly the same wiring in my dragster I had for the 12-volt system. The only thing I changed was the circuit breaker on my remote charging posts. The 16-volt charger can put out 25 amps and my previous battery charger maxed out at 15, so I changed from a 20-amp circuit breaker to a 40-amp.
Q: What if my 16-volt charger breaks down, can I use a 12-volt charger?
A: Yes and no….If you have the V-Battery you can switch the positive post cables from the 16-volt post to the 12-volt post and continue racing. The other 16-volt batteries do not offer this option.
 This top view shows the 12-volt post that is not used at this time. In certain situations it could be used to run certain voltage-sensitive items. |
 Auto Meter makes a compact battery maintainer that will work with either 12-volt or 16-volt batteries by simply changing the switch on the side to the correct battery you are using it on. 1-amp output and microprocessor controlled, it is a great way to keep your battery ready for weekend action by leaving it plugged in all week. |
As I mentioned earlier I did not get responses to my emails and faxes I sent to PowerMaster, Turbo-Start, Odyssey or Optima. I did hear back from The Rock battery
company and the V-Battery company. The following specs were either provided by themanufacturer or taken off their website. The follow-up article to this one will go further into explanation of what makes batteries “better” for drag racers. The following specs are for the 16-volt batteries. Click here for specs.
There are the specs for you to look over and consider. Is the 16-volt system for you? Can it improve your consistency? We will soon know. Results will be forthcoming as soon as I return from the Moroso 5-Day event the middle of the month. Watch for the update in “Project 4-Link” before Thanksgiving. Until then, I hope you get to go racing somewhere warm and to racers who live in the summer climate, you LUCKY GUYS! 
SOURCE BOX
| Rock Batteries 613 Airport Rd. Rockingham, NC 28379 910-895-5511/fax 910-895-5222 www.rockbatteries.com |
The V Battery 208 North C Edgar, NE 68935 402-408-5873/fax 402-224-3333 www.theVbattery.com |
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