AGM Battery Basics
Rolling into a new season is a good time to check the strength of your car’s battery. A weak, corroded, old, or otherwise comprised battery will fail when the temperatures drop. If your battery is at risk, now is the time to swap it out and perhaps upgrade its design.
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AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries support cars that boast automatic start/stop systems and a multitude of electronics. The new design, though, will cost you. A traditional lead/acid battery typically costs 25 to 40 percent less than an AGM battery. However, the extra cost of an AGM battery is far less than the problems you’ll encounter if your car requires an AGM battery and you put in a traditional battery, warns Driving.ca writer Brian Turner.
AGM battery pros
AGM batteries feature components and a design that make them safer to use than a traditional battery, according to Turner. This is due in part to crushed fiberglass sandwiched between lead plates. The recharge phase is safer, too, as control valves help prevent disproportionate liquid waste. AGM batteries have a longer lifespan, as well — 60,000 starts to the approximate 5,000 starts of a conventional battery. Plus, AGM batteries recharge faster than traditional batteries.
AGM battery cons
AGM batteries require specific chargers or at least, careful charging instructions.
“They don’t take kindly to the wrong type of battery charger. While you can use traditional battery chargers to recharge an AGM battery, to avoid overcharging and damaging the unit, low power settings between one and 12 amps are best,” reports Turner.
There is a chance you won’t find an AGM battery to fit the battery type you’ve been using, so you’ll have to do some research to find one that works.
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Although the higher price tag of an AGM battery seems steep at first, its longevity might make the upfront cost well worth it.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.