Group 49 batteries?

[Wheel366]

Was just at Costco and they had a bunch of H6, H7 and H8 AGMs. Didn't see any H9s. Also didn't look at dates. This is in Northern NJ. When I am there, I always look but I don't need any batteries atm.

I do wish the 51r had higher CCAs. Most are 435 when the flooded are usually 500.

 

[JHZR2]

Was just at Costco and they had a bunch of H6, H7 and H8 AGMs. Didn't see any H9s. Also didn't look at dates. This is in Northern NJ. When I am there, I always look but I don't need any batteries atm.

I do wish the 51r had higher CCAs. Most are 435 when the flooded are usually 500.

I saw a ton of H8 AGM at my local Costco in NJ. I’ve even bought them there before. I wanted a flooded H8. None of the Costco 49/H8 were recent. That’s why I didn’t buy any.

My wife’s van also didn’t have a good battery. It started perfect but failed test.

But we got another Maxx at WM.

 

[Wheel366]

I saw a ton of H8 AGM at my local Costco in NJ. I’ve even bought them there before. I wanted a flooded H8. None of the Costco 49/H8 were recent. That’s why I didn’t buy any.

My wife’s van also didn’t have a good battery. It started perfect but failed test.

View attachment 317164

But we got another Maxx at WM.

I have to go back to Costco today to pick up my wife's car. I'm curious to see if they have any H8s that aren't AGM. I don't remember seeing any but I will look closer. I still am unsure of what to do with her car. Thinking I might try the tray replacement so I can put the bigger battery in but then I wonder how much longer we will have the car. Will it be a year, 3-5 years? How long will current battery last? Etc...

We eventually will need a bigger car but I want to go as long as we can without a car payment.

 

[BrendanC]

curious on your reasoning for not wanting an AGM

 

[Lubener]

curious on your reasoning for not wanting an AGM

$$$$$$

 

[JHZR2]

curious on your reasoning for not wanting an AGM

AGM isn’t a panacea. And I have no issue with flooded batteries. My alternator isn’t set up to charge it, and I don’t need to spend the money. Might I change my mind in the future? Sure. But for now I see no need.

What problem am I trying to solve?

 

[TacoFergie]

AGM isn’t a panacea. And I have no issue with flooded batteries. My alternator isn’t set up to charge it, and I don’t need to spend the money. Might I change my mind in the future? Sure. But for now I see no need.

What problem am I trying to solve?

What vehicle is the battery gong in? I know not all batteries, vehicles or operating conditions are the same. But IMO it's hard to beat an X2 (Batteries Plus) or Odyssey, both made by Northstar. They are expensive, but have a low failure rates and last a very long time.

I had an X2 in my 15 Tacoma that was 8 years old when I traded it off this summer that was still plenty healthy. That battery has operated in -20F to 110F, never garaged and even had 3-4 discharges below 9v SOC while deployed over the years for a few months at a time, recovered no problem each time using the "recovery/repair" function on my charger. Not many batteries in my experience handle that kind of abuse and survive. Because of this experience, I have an X2 in 2 of my 4 vehicles and my F150 will be soon getting an H8/49 Odyssey since X2 doesn't have that size. To me it's worth the investment to have a dependable battery that I don't have to worry about.

 

[JHZR2]

What vehicle is the battery gong in? I know not all batteries, vehicles or operating conditions are the same. But IMO it's hard to beat an X2 (Batteries Plus) or Odyssey, both made by Northstar. They are expensive, but have a low failure rates and last a very long time.

I had an X2 in my 15 Tacoma that was 8 years old when I traded it off this summer that was still plenty healthy. That battery has operated in -20F to 110F, never garaged and even had 3-4 discharges below 9v SOC while deployed over the years for a few months at a time, recovered no problem each time using the "recovery/repair" function on my charger. Not many batteries in my experience handle that kind of abuse and survive. Because of this experience, I have an X2 in 2 of my 4 vehicles and my F150 will be soon getting an H8/49 Odyssey since X2 doesn't have that size. To me it's worth the investment to have a dependable battery that I don't have to worry about.

Was for my 2008 ML320. Battery is well hidden under the front passenger seat. I read wrong that it was flooded with a vent. It’s actually OE an AGM with a plug and vent.

So I had an AGM I was going to install into my 2011 BMW, so I swapped it in. All good.

My $117 Napa EP group 49 will end up in one of my many other MB cars.

 

[SC Maintenance]

AGM isn’t a panacea. And I have no issue with flooded batteries. My alternator isn’t set up to charge it, and I don’t need to spend the money. Might I change my mind in the future? Sure. But for now I see no need.

What problem am I trying to solve?

I don't have any issues with lead acid batteries, but I think that the charge profile is no longer an issue. I believe the AGM designers have figured that out, because I have one in my truck, and I have completely disabled the "smart charge" feature so its essentially a dumb alternator / voltage regulator. I have a gauge and it charges at somewhere near 13.8VDC and floats around 13.3VDC, and whenever I test the battery its at or near full charge.

If it was an issue you would think Walmart would be over-run with warranty failures?

I am only about 2 years into it - so we shall see if it lasts longer. I have never had a lead acid last much more than three years in either of my Nissans. Combination of Southern heat and vibration I presume.

 

[JHZR2]

I don't have any issues with lead acid batteries, but I think that the charge profile is no longer an issue. I believe the AGM designers have figured that out, because I have one in my truck, and I have completely disabled the "smart charge" feature so its essentially a dumb alternator / voltage regulator. I have a gauge and it charges at somewhere near 13.8VDC and floats around 13.3VDC, and whenever I test the battery its at or near full charge.

If it was an issue you would think Walmart would be over-run with warranty failures?

I am only about 2 years into it - so we shall see if it lasts longer. I have never had a lead acid last much more than three years in either of my Nissans. Combination of Southern heat and vibration I presume.

Wrt Walmart - I think that they don’t worry about warranty because they run on an assumption that folks won’t buy the more expensive option if they don’t need it, and so it’s on the customer to know.

I’ve said before, I’ve run AGM on old euro cars with low alternator voltage settings and even if they were degraded faster, they have reliable service and no worse for wear.

I know my 2011 BMW has software settings to set if changing from AGM to flooded.

There are alloying variations in lead acid batteries - flooded or AGM, that change the optimal values. They may use a different alloy to better effect for them…

 

[meep]

Late model f150s call for H6.

I think the Jeep products do as well

 

[JHZR2]

Late model f150s call for H6.

I think the Jeep products do as well

H6 is not group 49, H8 is.

 

[TacoFergie]

Late model f150s call for H6.

I think the Jeep products do as well

H6 is what the 21+ F150 comes with, arguably under-sized. H8/Group 49 is a common upgrade for the 21+ F150, though an H7 is the largest for a Powerboost.

 

[f355spider]

Is the alternator able to be adjusted to the different charging profile?

For an underhood battery I see no point. For one in a well inside of a vehicle, or a high drain vehicle, perhaps. I have run agm with non-optimized euro low-voltage systems for many years without issue, so it can be done. But it isn’t ideal or cost effective imo.

I have run many cars that came with flooded and stuck an AGM in them and they went on for many years without issue. I just don't see this as big an issue as people make it out to be. The AGM battery manufacturers rarely say anything.