X2 Battery Already Dead

[ThatNavyGuy]

Silverado battery was coming up on 7 years old so I swapped it out for an expensive X2 battery this past fall as a preventative measure. This morning it was 8 degrees F when I went to start it and got the dreaded click with no crank. For a battery that was less than 4 months old and rated at 840CCA (well above the OEM battery) I’m quite disappointed to say the least.
Put the charger on it to see what the charge state was..12V and 20% charged. It had been driven extensively the day before and is my daily driver. Terminals are clean and tight.
Am I being too demanding to say that this should not have happened, or is there a problem worth bringing up to the Batteries Plus where I bought it? Any other maintenance items I should look at with the truck itself?

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Are you sure your charging system is working correctly?

 

[javacontour]

Are you sure your charging system is working correctly?

This! Once you get it started, what is the voltage from the charging system.
Did you have a light on. Like an underhood or glovebox or similar light?
Fully charge the battery and then test the battery and charging system. If those check out, you are likely looking for a parasitic draw.

 

[PWMDMD]

My X2 is <3 years old and only holds 60% charge. I have an aftermarket diode that allows the appropriate charge for an AGM so that not the problem. I’m going to return it to Batteries Plus soon.

 

[ThatNavyGuy]

This! Once you get it started, what is the voltage from the charging system.
Did you have a light on. Like an underhood or glovebox or similar light?
Fully charge the battery and then test the battery and charging system. If those check out, you are likely looking for a parasitic draw.

The truck has a “smart” charging system that varies the charge depending on several factors. Meter on the dash was pegged at 14+ volts after starting so without having hooked up a tester that seems fine. No lights on and not sure about any parasitic draws, but it was never an issue with the OEM battery.
Just kind of ****** that I spent big $ to avoid situations like this.

 

[ThatNavyGuy]

My X2 is <3 years old and only holds 60% charge. I have an aftermarket diode that allows the appropriate charge for an AGM so that not the problem. I’m going to return it to Batteries Plus soon.

I don’t have a diode installed…maybe an issue worth looking into, thanks.
Kinda wish I’d just gone with standard cheap Walmart battery at this point.

 

[SubLGT]

Your X2Power has a minimum charge voltage requirement of 14.4V at a battery temp of 77F (optimum is 14.7V). Lower temps require a higher charge voltage. At a battery temp of 35F the minimum charge voltage is 14.96V. Is your alternator providing these minimum charge voltages?

 

[ThatNavyGuy]

Your X2Power has a minimum charge voltage requirement of 14.4V at a battery temp of 77F (optimum is 14.7V). Lower temps require a higher charge voltage. At a battery temp of 35F the minimum charge voltage is 14.96V. Is your alternator providing these minimum charge voltages?

Probably not. See the voltmeter all over the place when driving, which is normal for the so called “smart” GM charging system.

Had no idea there was such a drastic difference for AGM vs standard flooded lead acid. Figured if it wasn’t plug and play someone would have tried to sell the additional equipment needed to charge at a higher rate.

 

[dogememe]

This is why AGM, despite being a superior technology, doesn’t actually always last longer in the real world in your typical vehicle.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

This is why AGM, despite being a superior technology, doesn’t actually always last longer in the real world in your typical vehicle.

Exactly. AGM batteries like odyssey come with instructions on how to proper charge, recommend only listed charger etc. A standard charging system doesn't do the multi step charging they require. The only benefit is for off road racing or boats where impacts and vibration are an issue. Normal vehicles they are probably worse which you found out

 

[mk378]

Is it an X2 AGM or X2 Lithium?

 

[skyactiv]

Get an EFB battery if possible. AGM is overrated and I bet in a few years auto makers will ditch AGM and use EFB batteries instead.

 

[FZ1]

Silverado battery was coming up on 7 years old so I swapped it out for an expensive X2 battery this past fall as a preventative measure. This morning it was 8 degrees F when I went to start it and got the dreaded click with no crank. For a battery that was less than 4 months old and rated at 840CCA (well above the OEM battery) I’m quite disappointed to say the least.
Put the charger on it to see what the charge state was..12V and 20% charged. It had been driven extensively the day before and is my daily driver. Terminals are clean and tight.
Am I being too demanding to say that this should not have happened, or is there a problem worth bringing up to the Batteries Plus where I bought it? Any other maintenance items I should look at with the truck itself?

Ain't you got no warranty?

 

[dogememe]

Get an EFB battery if possible. AGM is overrated and I bet in a few years auto makers will ditch AGM and use EFB batteries instead.

EFB means nothing, and there is no defined standard. I take issue with that.

 

[skyactiv]

EFB means nothing, and there is no defined standard. I take issue with that.

I'll come back in a few years if I'm right.

 

[meep]

I’d be frustrated if a $250 battery was acting up so soon too. I’d do a little diagnostics first just to save the trip to batteries plus. BUT, they told me that if an X2 comes back, they have zero interest in arguing a warranty claim. I don’t know if they even test it to make sure at the branch here. It sounded like to me at the local branch that if an X2 comes back they will warranty it readily since it is a premium battery.

FWIW, I have bought 2 of them this year, both in vehicles without a voltage mod (diode) to them, and they are doing fine.

in my f150, I can also switch the charge strategy between flooded and AGM via forscan. Mine came with a flooded battery, though the internet likes to tell me I’m wrong. (I’m not, it sloshed with water in it). When I changed the charge settings to AGM, it kept the float voltage at 12.4 and raised the “deceleration” voltage to about 14.7 cold, and 14.4 hot. Ford does not seem to agree with bitog.

 

[dogememe]

I’d be frustrated if a $250 battery was acting up so soon too. I’d do a little diagnostics first just to save the trip to batteries plus. BUT, they told me that if an X2 comes back, they have zero interest in arguing a warranty claim. I don’t know if they even test it to make sure at the branch here. It sounded like to me at the local branch that if an X2 comes back they will warranty it readily since it is a premium battery.

FWIW, I have bought 2 of them this year, both in vehicles without a voltage mod (diode) to them, and they are doing fine.

in my f150, I can also switch the charge strategy between flooded and AGM via forscan. Mine came with a flooded battery, though the internet likes to tell me I’m wrong. (I’m not, it sloshed with water in it). When I changed the charge settings to AGM, it kept the float voltage at 12.4 and raised the “deceleration” voltage to about 14.7 cold, and 14.4 hot. Ford does not seem to agree with bitog.

Sometimes the internet can be wrong. If your vehicle came with a sloshy water battery from the factory, then it did. Lol. As for the charging strategies, whatever it does for AGM is probably going to lead to a long and happy life for an AGM battery. After all, Motorcradt batteries have a 3 year warranty and Ford doesn’t want you coming back within 3 years. If their system destroyed batteries, it would be a bummer for them.

 

[ThatNavyGuy]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems I should have done more research before buying a supposedly “premium” product for a vehicle that can’t really utilize it properly.

 

[Escape08]

Most likely it's defective. Could had been dropped while on transport or upon delivery. Have it checked & if it turns out bad then you know it.
Had an issue with my AGM H7 last month which lasted less than 3 months.

 

[nutdriver]

Can someone explain what a diode is doing to improve charge voltage? It's possible that the X2 battery is just defective if no other source of battery drain is found.