Jeep Garage  - Jeep Forum banner
61 - 80 of 82 Posts
Did a little reading about car battery's. Seems the biggest thing that shortens the life of a car battery, besides draining it till it goes dead, is overcharging the battery... ...that the temperature of the battery during charging is critical, with lower charging voltages when warmer and higher charging voltages when cooler....

This reflects what I see in new vehicles with Volt Meters.... ...warmer temps produce lower charging voltages and vice-a-versa...

I've taken several long trips and I have yet to see charging voltage drop to the low 13's... ...I have seen it drop to low 13's on occasions, but only for a few moments on short/normal trips.... ...not long trips where the battery has been charging for hours...

I keep finding conflicting advice on charging AGM battery's with a battery charger... ...some stating you can only charge an AGM battery with an electronic controlled charger specifically designed for AGM battery's or has a specific AGM battery mode... and all sorts of advice in between that and just use a regular cheap battery charger.... ...those in between include, just use the trickle charge setting for AGM or putting a resistor or device in series before the charger to reduce the charge voltage of the cheap old charger....
 
Using CTEK chargers eliminates the issues of what charger to use.....
 
Well that would fall under the electronically controlled charger I was talking about..... ...I would assume that just about any of them would have a mode for AGM and/or automatically switch to AGM type of charging....

Which from what little I read, and that might be why the recommendations behind charging are conflicting, that it seems the conditions for charging an AGM battery are pretty close, if not the same, as charging a flooded acid battery... ...it might just be a case of the AGM battery just being more sensitive to overcharging or exceeding the ideal charging conditions than the flooded acid battery.... ..the electronic control makes sure the battery is charged properly and not overcharged....
 
Well that would fall under the electronically controlled charger I was talking about..... ...I would assume that just about any of them would have a mode for AGM and/or automatically switch to AGM type of charging....

Which from what little I read, and that might be why the recommendations behind charging are conflicting, that it seems the conditions for charging an AGM battery are pretty close, if not the same, as charging a flooded acid battery... ...it might just be a case of the AGM battery just being more sensitive to overcharging or exceeding the ideal charging conditions than the flooded acid battery.... ..the electronic control makes sure the battery is charged properly and not overcharged....
Actually, as I understand it, the flooded lead acid batteries can generally have the water replaced over their lives, but the AGM cannot, so the AGM charging is set up to minimize water loss to the greatest extent possible.
 
Actually, as I understand it, the flooded lead acid batteries can generally have the water replaced over their lives, but the AGM cannot, so the AGM charging is set up to minimize water loss to the greatest extent possible.
I don't think you can look at it as replacing the water in the battery, I think it's more of a case of the acid and water is lost in the chemical reactions, the level drops and power is lost to plates only being exposed.... ....I think it's more the water being lost as hydrogen gas and oxidizing the plates, the sulfuric acid remains, either as sulfuric acid or sulfonating the plates... ...i.e. I think losing water from a battery is a sign of deterioration....

I wonder if flooded batteries when they are built just have distilled water added to them? Or a mix of water and sulfuric acid? The anode/cathode is lead and a lead compound that I think has sulfur in it.. ...so you build a discharged battery, and when you charge it, the chemical reaction creates the sulfuric acid...

AGM, the absorbent glass mat holds the electrolyte like a sponge and makes sure it contacts all the plate, as well, better controls the unintended byproducts, like hydrogen gas that has to vent....

So I think its more along the lines of AGM is an improvement because it avoids needing to have water added to it....

[EDIT]
I misunderstood your point.... ...I see what you're saying, and I think you're thinking along the right lines...
Actually, what I've read, the key to long battery life is proper recharging, and adapting the charge for the temperature....
And it's the improper charging of the battery that results in losing water and venting
Auto recharging systems have become smarter, incorporating a temp sensors and adapting voltage to temperature....
The FSM talks about using PWM during charging and sampling battery charge, etc as it charges....

So I suspect the AGM avoids a lot of the problems that shorten battery life, like losing water/electrolyte, but that also means if you charge it improperly, and force that loss of water, you damage it, while the flooded battery you just deteriorate it some....
 
Flooded lead acid batteries are filled with acid.
Are you saying that they are filled with Sulfuric Acid at the Factory? Or are you saying a typical flooded lead acid battery has acid in it?

Cause what creates the electricity is the acid chemically reacting with the lead and lead oxide plates, as it discharges the Sulfuric Acid is consumed leaving the water... ....as you recharge the battery, the current causes electrolysis that forces the chemical reaction in reverse, adding sulfur Ions to the water, creating sulfuric acid....

I don't know, I can see them adding a mix of sulfuric acid and distilled (pure) water at the factory for a the battery to be charged at the factory..... ....or they could have sulfatenated lead they make the plates out of, so they just have to add water and charge....

My guess, since all the examples show pure lead and lead oxide plates flooded with acid, and that is ideal state, they would add acid at the factory...
 
I assume they are because often, particularly with motorsport batteries they are not filled when I buy them. I combine the battery and the provided acid solution together and then fully charge the battery to "activate" it. I am going to guess car and truck batteries turn over faster and would be more difficult for a consumer to fill so they come filled. Motorcycle batteries may have to sit around too long for them to be filled ahead of time.
 
I assume they are because often, particularly with motorsport batteries they are not filled when I buy them. I combine the battery and the provided acid solution together and then fully charge the battery to "activate" it. I am going to guess car and truck batteries turn over faster and would be more difficult for a consumer to fill so they come filled. Motorcycle batteries may have to sit around too long for them to be filled ahead of time.
I have to google how car batteries are made, it would be interesting to find out....

I suspect your right... ....my guess is the easiest and probably best way is to make plates from pure lead and lead oxide (what ever the compound is) and then just add acid to it.... ....I don't think you could make the plates out of sulfonated lead, when the battery was fully charged the plates would disappear, the plates surface chemically reacts to coat it in sulfonated lead... ....you still have a lead core to keep the plate structure... ....so why waste time coating plates with sulfonated lead, to only have to charge them when done, and you wouldn't be saving on acid, cause you'd need to use the acid to coat the plates anyway.... so you just just make the plates of the pure metal, and pour the acid distilled water mixture in it....

You point about some batteries needing to have the acid poured in them and some not, makes a lot of sense..... ....I wouldn't trust your average consumer with a gallon of sulfuric acid mixture, but for some slow selling battery's that sit on the shelf, that its only a pint of acid mixture, you may be in a corner on that......
 
I want to get an Interstate battery for my 2017 GC Summit with 5.7l Hemi. When I go to their website, they only show the 6 cylinder. Does anyone have the part number for the Interstate 5.7L Hemi?
222424
 
I want to get an Interstate battery for my 2017 GC Summit with 5.7l Hemi. When I go to their website, they only show the 6 cylinder. Does anyone have the part number for the Interstate 5.7L Hemi?
AGM batteries last a long time. For your vehicle, it should be the H7

 
AGM batteries last a long time. For your vehicle, it should be the H7

Thanks!
 
If you are a Costco member, that is the cheapest place I've seen Interstate batteries. I prefer the Deka/East Penn batteries myself (usually if a battery says "made in USA", it is a Deka/East Penn battery selling under one of a hundred different labels), but nothing really wrong with the Interstates.
 
Both Costco and Sam's Club sell perfectly acceptable quality AGM batteries at usually the best price you can find them and free installation, which ain't easy on these vehicles. Its really a no brainer to just go there and do it if you have a membership... Don't get caught up in who makes them, all batteries are made a one of two or three main places in the country...
 
  • Like
Reactions: larrywal
Thanks for members mentioning Costco! I am a member. I went to Costco today and was happy to see the Interstate battery cheaper than anywhere else, but was told they do not install them. This surprised me a bit. I can do it myself, but the GC is such a pain to do.
 
Thanks for members mentioning Costco! I am a member. I went to Costco today and was happy to see the Interstate battery cheaper than anywhere else, but was told they do not install them. This surprised me a bit. I can do it myself, but the GC is such a pain to do.
Thanks for members mentioning Costco! I am a member. I went to Costco today and was happy to see the Interstate battery cheaper than anywhere else, but was told they do not install them. This surprised me a bit. I can do it myself, but the GC is such a pain to do.
It's not that bad...as long as you have a long socket 13mm available. Wink, wink...nod, nod...
 
CostCo gives a 100% warranty for 3 years, no proration. The last two batteries I bought there the guy pretty much said, wink wink, if you have a problem at 2 years 11 months you get it replaced free. Here in AZ 3 years is about all anything lasts so I put a reminder in my calendar at 2 years and 11 months.....
 
I recently bought an H8 Autocraft Platinum at Advance Auto for net $178 with a 20 percent off coupon and the exchanged/returned battery.
They also have a 3 yr 100pct warranty and are actually manufactured by Johnson Controls.
 
When I was battery shopping a year or so ago, the following rules applied to the H8 AGM batteries for our Jeeps.
If you see a battery that has 850 CCA, it is most likely of Johnson Controls manufacture, regardless of brand/label. E.g. at the time, Advance Auto and Autozone.
If you see a battery that has 800 CCA, it is most likely of Deka/East Penn manufacture. E.g. at the time, O'Reilly's and Duracell.

However, it appears that that no longer applies, as I see different CCA ratings for the batteries from various places now. I'd have to do further research to see which batteries are made by whom (again).

And that being said, as others said earlier, its not as big a deal as it used to be. Most, if not all, of the AGM batteries for our Jeeps have 3 year warranties, and are of good quality.

EDIT: The newer 900 CCA batteries popping up under various brands appears to also be Johnson Controls. Perhaps an updated version of their 850 CCA batteries. O'Reilly's also sells them now (and not Deka/East Penn batteries), so it appears Johnson Controls is slowly taking over more of the market.
 
I ended up buying at AAA Care Care Center. They have a AAA branded battery 900CCA with 3 year 100% warranty and free installation for $189. That's $20 more than Costco and was worth it to me to not have to install it myself.
 
61 - 80 of 82 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top