New Battery for 2017 Forester

[HowAboutThis]

2017 Forester. 5 year old Subaru battery (Interstate?) with 84 month warranty. So tired of all the crusty acid around the posts and continuously spraying and hosing off. Basically ate through the battery hold down. Picked up a new battery hold down and an Everstart AGM. Currently charging on AGM mode before installing. Was at about 80% charge and had a 05/26 sticker on it and says Made in Korea. Figure with a 4-year warranty can't be too bad. The top of the old battery was dented from the hold down the dealer installed, at least it felt like. And the positive terminal has crust all around it I have to clean off monthly for the last year. Good riddance.

Or was this a mistake?

 

[martinq]

I would never use a non-sealed battery on a car if I could avoid it (flooded lead-acid). I would tend toward AGM but note that they are usually more sensitive to high temperature. Also I keep all my terminals & connectors wet with oil or anti-corrosion spray like Krown, Fluid-Film or similar to prevent moisture damage & corrosion.

Is your battery under the hood?
Part number of the AGM?

 

[CleanSump]

Appears to be a good move. 4 year warranty is good. Everstarts have worked well for me in the past.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Or was this a mistake?

IIRC I had a Die Hard Platinum AGM in my Volvo that was going on nine years old and still starting strong when I got rid of the car. I only purchase AGM batteries for the cars now. We have one in the wife's 2017 Prius V.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I would never use a non-sealed battery on a car if I could avoid it (flooded lead-acid). I would tend toward AGM but note that they are usually more sensitive to high temperature. Also I keep all my terminals & connectors wet with oil or anti-corrosion spray like Krown, Fluid-Film or similar to prevent moisture damage & corrosion.

Is your battery under the hood?
Part number of the AGM?

Yeah, under hood. W35AGM. Oh, I used the battery protector coatings. My Toyota dealer put the rings and really goopy oily stuff on my new Toyota battery a few months ago. The Subaru dealer didn't seem to do any of that. They just seemed to overtighten it. I added the oily goop when it started puking acid buildup after about 3 years. 84 month warranty but they told me it needed to be completely dead to warranty. What a joke. Never again when I can get an AGM less likely to puke and tighten it myself for $40 less than the dealer wanted.

 

[GSCJR]

I use my batteries until I get some indicator, but not a visual. The FLA battery in my 2012 Legacy is from 2018. When I did the pre-inspection test drive (December 2021), the battery was completely dead (headlights were left on) in the car lot. Used a jump box to get it out of there and then put on a slow charger on it; it's still in the car. The car sat for three weeks recently and it fired right up.

 

[HowAboutThis]

I use my batteries until I get some indicator, but not a visual. The FLA battery in my 2012 Legacy is from 2018. When I did the pre-inspection test drive (December 2021), the battery was completely dead (headlights were left on) in the car lot. Used a jump box to get it out of there and then put on a slow charger on it; it's still in the car. The car sat for three weeks recently and it fired right up.

I'm sure this battery would've gone a few more years. I was just tired of disconnecting and cleaning acid every month. Was testing "PASS" with a cheap Viking Harbor Freight tester. Showing 75% "health" and about 80% "charge". But about 5 years and that acid rotting things, I was over it. First Subaru battery was dead at 4 years. But that was factory and seemed very undersized.

 

[GSCJR]

@HowAboutThis, several months ago, I replaced the factory battery in my neighbour's 2020 Forester upon their request. I put the old one on my battery maintainer as a back-up for mine.

 

[BHopkins]

My experience has been that batteries are generally constructed much better than they used to be, at least as far as sealing around the posts, so that I can't recall the last battery that had acid crust buildup around a post. So if I ever did have one, I'd be inclined to do the same thing you did, especially if it was eating up the hold down or battery tray, or anything of the sort. From what you described of the install, I wonder if the installer caused the problem, by overtightening the terminal clamp.

No mistake at all. If you weren't happy with the leaker, then you made the right call.

 

[Trav]

Noco terminal protectors are the best thing since sliced bread, so much better than the green and red ones.

Noco