16 Volt Battery Questions and Answers

Talking to another Drag Pak owner yesterday, reminded me of one change that we had made to our car, but had not really explained. That change was our change to a 16 Volt battery, system.

Here are some questions that could be asked, and some have been asked, and my responses to why we did what we did:

Why did you replace the 12 Volt system?

We had an occasional issue where the car simply seemed as if it did not have enough juice to turn over the engine. This cost us a couple of races, so we thought 16 Volts might help.

In addition, we have been told that at high rpm, we might flame out, or lose spark due to not enough voltage with a 12 volt system. We never experienced this issue, but it was always in the back of my mind as a possibility. And heaven knows, we didn't need any additional problems..

What did you need to change besides the battery?

We changed the battery and the alternator, and obviously got a new battery charger. Total cost, about $600. You might be able to do it cheaper. We were in a hurry and didn't really shop for price.

What other issues concerned you about the change?

The ECU, (engine computer, starter motor, gauges, lights, electric windows, and anything else electric was a concern. Everything electrical was a concern.

OK then, what about all of those things?

We had 3 different ECU's in the car and they all ran fine with 16 volts. The starter was fine, and spins quicker. No step down circuitry was required for anything, including the lights, gauges, and even the E-Shift computer from Turbo Action. Windows, etc, everything seems to tolerate the 16 Volt system just fine.

Is there any caution you would offer when making this change?

YES! Don't have anything electrical turned on, while you are charging the 16 volt battery. The 16 volt charger actually puts out more than 16 volts, somewhere near 18 volts is the normal charging rate. So, although everything seems to tolerate 16 volts, a surge of 18 volts might not be met with a smile by anything electronic. So make sure your main power is off at the rear bumper, when charging the battery, and it wouldn't hurt to trip the breaker in the trunk while charging, as long as you also remember to reset it before you try to start the car.

Any other things about battery etc?

Yes. This isn't so much advice as it is an awareness comment. Your battery is located in the stock battery location. So, according to NHRA rules, if you run in Stock classes, you don't need a battery box. Most folks will want to put one in because you do have to hold it down,and a box is as good as any way to do it, we installed a battery box. But don't use the lid. Because if you do use one, it is an inconvenience, (taking it off to charge or check, putting it back on, etc.) which, if required by rules would be endured. However, since the box isn't required, neither is the lid. And having a box, doesn't mean you need the lid. So you can leave it off if you want. We do.

So that is pretty much the issue with 16 Volt Battery and charger. A little caution when charging to make sure you don't cook anything, and you are probably good. We use a powermaster 16 volt battery and powermaster 12/16 volt charger.

David