Upgrade to an AGM car battery?
Should you upgrade to an AGM battery?
Generally speaking, if your car or truck didn’t come with an AGM battery, there are some very good reasons to switch to an AGM style. However, if your car or truck did come with an AGM or you have a start/stop system, you must replace it with an AGM battery. In fact, installing a standard lead-acid battery in a car or truck that requires an AGM battery can cause the new battery to explode. Yeah, not kidding.
Differences between an SLI and AGM battery
Traditional starting/lighting/ignition (SLI) batteries are designed to provide a quick burst of high amperage energy to crank the engine, even when it’s very cold. Because the plates sit in a liquid electrolyte bath, they are referred to as “flooded lead-acid” batteries. SLI batteries must be mounted in an upright position or the electrolyte will spill out.
Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, on the other hand still have lead plates but they’re not sitting in abath of electrolyte. Instead, the plates are separated by a fiberglass mat that absorbs the electrolyte and wicks it to the plates. Because the electrolyte isn’t pooled, an AGM battery won’t spill if knocked over, and it can be mounted in different positions. It can also be transported without the hazardous material restrictions required by SLI batteries.
Why buy an AGM battery?
AGM batteries have a lower self-discharge rate
All lead-acid batteries self-discharge over time. AGM batteries have a lower self-discharge rate than SLI batteries, so you can leave them longer without starting the vehicle.
AGM batteries have lower internal resistance
The internal plate chemistry and bus bars provide lower internal resistance which translates into more power from a smaller battery. In many cases, an AGM car battery will be smaller and deliver more power than a comparable flooded lead-acid SLI battery
They’re more resistant to sulfation and degradation
All car batteries are susceptible to sulfation, but AGM batteries don’t sulfate as easily as flooded SLI batteries. What causes battery sulfation?
A AGM battery charges charge faster than an SLI battery
An AGM battery can accept a charge up to five times faster than an SLI battery.
They can survive a deep discharge better than an SLI battery
AGM batteries can be discharged up to 80% without damage.
But, AGM batteries shouldn’t be installed in all applications
AGM batteries require a different charging routine than standard flooded lead-acid SLI batteries. Late-model cars and truck relay on the PCM/ECM to command the charging rate and that software is configured based on the battery type that was installed at the factory. If you install an AGM battery, your alternator can overcharge it and shorten its life.
Start/stop applications require an AGM
NEVER install a flooded lead-acid battery in a vehicle with start/stop technology—EVEN IF YOU’VE TURNED OFF THE START/STOP FEATURE!!! The charging system is designed for AGM. A flooded lead-acid battery can explode if installed in a start/stop vehicle.
©, 2019 Rick Muscoplat
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