DIY 173ah LiFePO4 under driver's seat w/ no cutting

[Jake59]

Yes I think we can do this, a DIY 173ah LiFePO4 under driver's seat for less than $400.

We start with 4 X CATL 3.2vdc 173ah cells and a JBD (same as Over-Kill) Smart BMS 4S 12V 100A with UART RS485 and BT dongle. This BMS also has a output for heating if desired. With a DIY setup one must first top balance the cells to 3.65 vdc max or one can just get to 3.50-3.60 as long as the cells are the same.

So I have received the cells and BMS and have done the top balance with a EBC-A40L charger test (more on this unit later). Now the fitting, this is a work in progress as I have swivel seats and I was hoping to place the Renogy DC-DC 50 amp charger under the driver's base so maybe I do need to cut anyway but that is not my intention.

Here are links to the US based supplier.
https://batteryfinds.com/product/us-stock-catl-173ah-lifepo4-prismatic-battery-cells-4pcs/
https://batteryfinds.com/product/jbd-lifepo4-smart...art-rs485/

Here is the setup thus far.

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Curent ride: 87 2WD Westy, 2012 Jetta Sportwagon 2.5S

Past Rides: 62 (23 window) Bus, 64 Ghai convertable, 68 single cab, 72 Super Bettle, 78 Bay window Bus, 84 GTI.