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AGM battery life
Yahoo Message Number: 151595
SDBob and others; The problem may be with your batteries and not your  converters or wiring. In December Consumer Reports reported the rankings of car  batteries. I don't think they test deep cycle batteries. They had trouble with  an AGM battery, replaced it with another, and it failed also. I can't find my  copy, and my memory doesn't serve me for the brand involved. This may not apply  to deep cycle batteries of course, but I would switch brands. Hope this helped,  RonB and 'Bluebelle' a '99 TKB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: AGM battery life
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 151596
I can verify Consumer Reports regarding dead AGMs.

Being all gung-ho on AGMs a few years ago, I bought a Sears Platinum battery (AGM) when my lead acid battery went dead about 2 years ago.

I was going on my 3rd AGM Ford battery, when I told Sears to replace the AGM with their best lead acid battery.  I got money back because I was still in the free replacement period and the difference in price.

Now I have to test the battery isolator to make sure that it's OK and only is supplying power in one direction (to the house batteries).  It occurred to me that maybe the badly deteriorated house batteries (AGMs) were possibly stealing power from the Ford battery(???).  I know that's not supposed to be possible, but I gotta test it anyway.

I have a negative battery pole switch ($8) that takes the Ford battery out of the circuit.  If you see me stop my RV and pop open the hood immediately, that's me turning the negative battery switch off.

SD Bob
2000 MB
Re: AGM battery life
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 151598
"In December Consumer Reports reported the rankings of car batteries."

---- The latest testing information I found on "car batteries" on CU online was from April, 2013? Did I miss a later write-up? I noticed in the video on CU's testing procedures that the group 65 Sears Die Hard Platinum was visible in a "six pack" of batteries being dunked into water, but this battery didn't appear anywhere on the group 65 test list. ???

I installed a Platinum Die Hard AGM in the truck a few months ago; so far, there have been no problems. I'm reserving judgement on its performance for a while yet!

Citing *only* personal experience with following CU's recommendations on several products in the past, I can say that their ideas of a "good product" and mine (and those of quite a few "reviewers") have often not meshed! I can't speak to the quality of CU's "car battery" recommendations, but I had a "CU top-rated" (and pricey) carpet cleaner machine that leaked like a sieve, a car that did not perform as advertised (transmission glitches), and currently have a "CU top-rated" washing machine that performs only marginally better than pounding the laundry on a rock in the creek! I do look at CU's test results, but I no longer depend on the accuracy or currency of their information when researching a product.

As ever, YMMV.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: AGM battery life
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 151606
Talking about batteries is as difficult as talking about tires.  Many answers start with depends.
The use and abuse of either is depended on the user.  Without knowing the manner and environment our answers on based on general assumptions.
All batteries have a limited numbers of changes and changes.   If you own a Apple portable you can see the number of changes you have left before the battery goes dead.  It also has a state of max charge i.e. max percentage of lifetime amp left in battery.   A system like that would go a great distance in helping us LD users what is happening to our batteries.
Temperature and overcharging are the two main killers of AGM type batteries.
If I remember right in the LD manual it states that you can completely discharge the AGM battery with no problem but its shortens the life of the battery.

Glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: AGM battery life
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 151612
RE: Apple Battery Life Indicator
 Many "laptop"  computers use lithium-ion batteries that are packaged as "smart batteries."  The package includes electronics that monitor the energy output/input of the battery.  Some assumptions are made about how much energy output/input activity the battery can provide before  it loses a specific amount of its energy storage capacity.  Based on these assumptions the smart battery  can indicate when the battery has reached its "end of life" condition.  This does not necessarily mean that the battery is no longer functional or cannot be used.
 Many laptop computers read the information from their smart battery.  Evidently Apple displays this information for users.  I have never seen a "stock" Windows based machine that does this.  However, there are a number of small utility programs available that will do it.  Some machines that monitor their battery refuse to work after the battery signals "end of life." There are utilities and manual procedures that allow you to "reset the battery life counter."
 Having a similar capability for motorhome batteries would be interesting, but I doubt that it  can be implemented in any fashion that would make it a viable tool.  Laptop computer batteries are subject to a limited range of loading, always receive the same charging voltage, and don't have people doing maintenance on them.   The working conditions for motorhome batteries are much different.  I believe that inherently  the operation of a lithium-ion battery is more predictable than the operation of a lead-acid battery.  For the "end of life gauge" to work you need consistent and predictable operation from the battery.

Doug Baker
 
Re: AGM battery life
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 151621
Well I just exchanged a 9 month old AGM from Sears today on my SOB. Worked great in Jan when I did my start up and run of vehicle and gen. Was dead for my Feb run, and wouldn't take a charge. Still wouldn't fully charge today but did go up to 12 volts plus a little. It has been to cold to mess with as it isn't mounted din the handiest place. Interesting I got to Sears auto center and there was no body in the show room as it seems the show room guy also does the parts running and goes to lunch with no one filling in. Was a hand written sign saying would be back at 1:50m and it was about 1:00 then. So I drove on up to Barnes and Noble and waited an hour or so. I didn't ask if this is normal of if they are short a man.. But a strange way to run a business. However I can sadly say my battery died early when the weather got cold. I suspect and interconnect between cells.