[Vwdiesel] Speaking of Batteries

[Dave Cook]

What other types/brands of AGM do you recommend, then?  Again, I want to move the batteries into the area under my back seat, so I don't want to use lead acid batteries.


Like I said in my original email on batteries, I have had so far good experience with an optima yellow top battery.  (Hybrid starter/deep cycle)  It was used in my boat for the past two summers, and additionally was used for several months in the Banana Rabbit before I got tired of moving it back and forth and bought a battery for that car.

During the winter between the first and second boating seasons, the battery was pulled and stored in my garage.  I occasionally hooked up a cheapo battery charger/tender throughout the winter to keep it topped off.  I have no idea how "smart" the charger is.

But so far, so good with that battery.  The boat is old and sometimes requires extended cranking...  Also it cranked the diesel impressively.


When I bought it, I asked the guy about the reports of shorter life, etc.  IIRC, his basic answer was people not charging them correctly, especially before installation.  I believe the advice was to leave it on the charger for a day or two before initial use.  (Note: I could be remembering that wrong, it was a couple years ago.)

BTW, we have the equivalent of an Interstate Battery Systems outlet store in Topeka, KS.  I buy all my car batteries there if at all possible, because for any lead acid battery, the cost is right around $30 or $35.  The Optima was half or less of retail prices (I think it was like $75-80).  Only difference is the batteries are plain, no pretty stickers on the outside.

It would be worth checking to see if one is near you.  Their number is (785) 862-2393, maybe they can tell you.


Dave Cook


________________________________
 From: "pmdolan at sasktel.net" <pmdolan at sasktel.net>
To: VW Diesel Fans <Vwdiesel at vwfans.com>; William J Toensing <toensing at wildblue.net> 
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Speaking of Batteries
 
In my exerience, Optima batteries have been a disaster.  They were bit talk in the Ford PSD community several years ago, and I bought a pair, as did many others.  They did not deliver any better performance than the original flooded cell batteries, cost a lot more, and did not last very long at all (actually shortest life of ANY I have used).  I also had 3 Orbitals in aux/winch position on my F450, and they were no great shakes. 
If you want really good batteries, you can buy AGMs from quite a number of suppliers now.  I paid far too much at Napa for the one in our MkIV, but we have bought several from West Penn for Ford 7.3, Dodge 5.9 & 6.7, Miata, etc. and they have all been very good.  It has only got down to -37 this winter, and so far no battery issues with AGMs. 
HOWEVER:  you are dead on regarding chargers.  You can NOT use an old, low buck, analogue charger on your AGM batteries - either for big charge or as battery tender.  You definitely need the new generation of "smart chargers".  When I counted up the cost of all of the AGMs I have around here, I ran out and spent about $600 on one large charge/boost, one small charge/boost and a tender for them. 
On Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:44:31 -0800, William J Toensing <toensing at wildblue.net> wrote:
If you have a vehicle that sits around a lot, use one of these battery tenders & a top of the line battery. I have not had a good experience with one Optima Battery I have as I couldn't charge it with a regular battery charger or a battery tender float charger. I have stayed away from the Optima as they cost well over $100 at Costco & Sam's Club, double the price of an ordinary battery. In my motor home I got 12 years out of two lead acid 12 V industrial type batteries using a battery tender to keep the batteries at their full float charge. Maybe I have bad luck with one bad Optima battery & I have never bought one new. Would like to hear from the rest of you on how well Optima batteries have served you, how long they last, etc. 
> It would be nice if all of you would say what part of the world you live in. I know Will lives in Alaska. Some of the problems & solutions are climate related. Bill Toensing, Nevada City, CA _______________________________________________
> Vwdiesel mailing list
> Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> 
> 


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