Battery??

[nitro26]

Anybody running a lithium for cranking ? I got a mercury 250 4 stroke . I read you can then I read you can not !??!
If yes what do you got?

[jtrac]

Go to the Mercury 4 Stroke/Verado forum here and there is a sticky that shows the Mercury requirements for using a lithium starting battery. The Relion 100ah starting battery is one that is approved but of course Relion is owned by Brunswick which also happens to own Mercury. I just put a Tracker starting battery in my new Triton which is a rebranded Relion. There are others like Power House, Ionic and Impulse that say they meet the requirements. I think Mercury just changed their policy toward lithiums maybe in December.

I also changed my trolling motor batteries to 3 Ionic 50ah. I like the fact they are bluetooth capable and with their app I can keep track of them on my phone. The Tracker and from what I can tell, the Relion, do not have bluetooth.

[DavL]

When I bought my 2022 Z21 xl (delivered Aug 2021) I had many questions about the lithium option that was factory installed and offered. I was assured by the dealer that the Tracker lithium brand was approved as part of the package for cranking and trolling. I have had no issues to date and very pleased with the performance and benefits of lithium over AGM or lead/acid. Agree with jtrac above - make sure you stay with approved brands of lithium for your year and model of motor. Based on research I made, my understanding of the issue with lithium batteries is that unlike lead/acid they will quit delivery of power immediately. Similar to your cell phone when it just dies. Under certain conditions this sudden and abrupt loss of power may cause damage to electrical components on the motor. I have the 100ah Tracker batteries in my boat and do my best to make sure that they are well maintained.

[nitro26]

Thx for the info , the capability to track with phone app would be nice !
Along the same lines…
Anyone using 1 36 volt lithium instead of the 3 separate batteries?
Pros and cons ??

[DavL]

I have 3 - 12 volt lithium. I like this option in the event one fails cost less to replace and I can run the ghost at 24v if needed. Just more options.

[paultangherlini]

i have the one boat network i have 5 solix 12-inch graphs two at the console and three at the bow running my mega live with target lock and mega 360 and the transducer from my Ultrex i use two 125 ionic run in parrel for motor and electronics and three 100-amp batteries for the trolling motor. i called the factory mercury two years ago no issues using lithium with there motor, and they will cover it under warranty. so far after two years it's the ultimate set up a little expensive but worth every penny no issues ever.

[APS]

biggest con is fire hazard. A buddy just had his boat, garage, jeep, side by side, she shed, and part of house destroyed from his lithium tm battery catching on fire. I've never run out of battery during a day with lead cells on tm and agm on cranking. Personally I wouldn't have one in my boat. Your mileage may vary

[Mcjenson]

I’ve had an ionic 125 for two years in mine. It’s a great battery, with all my electronics if I had agms I’d need a 5th battery for sure.

[Topwater All Day]

I've been running the Impulse Lithium cranking battery and single 24v trolling motor battery since last August. It's really been an impressive setup and I have yet to draw either battery down below 60% after a day of fishing. I would highly suggest giving Bill @ Impulse a call and discuss your set up and needs and he will make sure you get just what you need. There are a lot of guys that want way more power than needed and that's great, but gets real expensive. I'm confident I could go 2 days without charging if needed, but guys that are saying they could go 4-5 days because they have added way more battery power than they need. But if you have the money I guess...

As for the danger from fires, 99.9% of the issues now are from using the wrong charger or the installation wasn't done correctly. The lithium's that are being sold now are way safer and better than any other battery. You run the risk with any charging system if it's not rated for the batteries or installed correctly.

[APS]

Fire was started by a lithium pro tm battery he bought last summer. Had their charger also. One battery, one charger...kinda hard to install that incorrectly. They're like pitbulls, they're fine till they're not and it's almost impossible to extinguish a lithium fire.

[Topwater All Day]

Fire was started by a lithium pro tm battery he bought last summer. Had their charger also. One battery, one charger...kinda hard to install that incorrectly. They're like pitbulls, they're fine till they're not and it's almost impossible to extinguish a lithium fire.

I'm truly sorry for your buddy's loss, that really sucks. And to lose all that is tough for sure. Have they determined what the actual cause was? Did the charger itself fail and overcharge the battery?

[APS]

they couldn't determine if it was the charger or battery. The aluminum lid on that side was burnt bad and the other side where his cranking battery wasn't. He lost every lure, rod, tackle, everything. Needless to say, he says he'll never go lithium again. Hell, I fish TN river current all day with 4 graphs, stereo, mega 360 and livewells and never have a problem with juice. New batteries every 3 years and peace of mind. At the end of the day I don't care if they're at 30% or 85%, they'll be greenlighted by next morning.

[BMCD]

You can start a fire with a lead acid battery too. Almost had my boat get burned up cause a batt went bad and the charger just kept trying to charge at max volts. the smell in the garage was a strong sulfur smell.