Sounds like AGM needs alot of babying around to keep them charged properly etc. Based on my research alot of these Toyota trucks have an alternator that's too weak to keep an AGM charged at full capacity, so you're always undercharging. That's why your battery failed so early. Unless you're running a fridge or some other accessory that draws alot of power when the engine is shut off, I don't see the point to an AGM either. Better vibration resistance? Give me a break, how many cases have we ever seen of a traditional FLA battery going bad because people drove on harsh roads? I can't remember any, seems like a marketing gimmick that doesn't really apply to real world automotive use.
27F AGM battery option
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Lexus puts a high dollar lead battery in the LX 570 all I do is at the end of the summer topped it off with distilled water and you’re good to go mines five years old looking and running great
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I will be moving to this in my 200 soon: 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery - Battle Born Batteries
The bees knees baby
The bees knees baby
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
I will be moving to this in my 200 soon: 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery - Battle Born Batteries
The bees knees baby
Better wash the dishes and do the house work too at that price!!
this actually sounds very accurate. I had an interstate platinum AGM and I felt like it was struggling to start the engine. When I plugged in the charger, it was less than 85%, my first thought was the alternator but that checked out fine. My second was the batter (not knowing how old it was, I replaced). Turned out to be only two years old. I replaced it with standard interstate from Costco and that keeps up fine - I kept the AGM on slow trickle charger I swap with a generator but it holds charge as it should, but I think it does prove that slow city driving doesn’t serve AGM batteries well.
gregnash
Anal Retentive Analyst
This is why I believe that AGM are good as secondary batteries or something that can have a trickle charge all the time (like in RV/van solar scenario). It allows them to maintain proper charge ratio. I had planned on putting an AGM into this truck when I got it but found that the standard 24F in it was only about 2yrs old so figured it would be fine. While the CCA are a little lower than I like, seeing as we get decently cold in the winter, it has served fine thus far. Maybe in a couple years I will retire it and get a better 27F or 34R, not AGM but just a higher quality one (one I have is a Costco Interstate special).
IDK- If you offroad your vehicle- the AGM is a better choice to ensure you don't get leaking from bouncing, excess lean angles or worse, a roll over. The AGM does resist heat, vibration and shock better due to its mat construction- for instance: running washboard or packed rocky dirt road introduces a lot of vibes and stress into the battery. If you drive short distances frequently, or drive the truck intermittently the AGM will do a better job of holding its charge over longer periods of inactivity.
To extend life and keep battery at peak charge, they should be exercised on a good charger- how often depends on how you operate your vehicle (a Noco or CTEK with desulfating feature are good options)- I do it monthly. The AGM will respond better over its life to "top up" charging vs the typical lead acid since the LA battery is not sealed and requires topping up with water every so often.
To extend life and keep battery at peak charge, they should be exercised on a good charger- how often depends on how you operate your vehicle (a Noco or CTEK with desulfating feature are good options)- I do it monthly. The AGM will respond better over its life to "top up" charging vs the typical lead acid since the LA battery is not sealed and requires topping up with water every so often.
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@abuck99 what are your thoughts on Lithium Irons like the Battle Born or Renogy 50ah?
I like Lithium batteries for weight savings but still so frigging expensive. Ive used them for years in my motorcycles, but not in the truck yet. They are not a good battery choice if you operate in temps below 32F as they require being “warmed up” by increasing load (turning lights or other electrics on for several minutes etc) - for supplemental or out of vehicle charging they require specific low rate chargers and battery management to charge effectively. Im not sure theres a big advantage to them until the price comes down- unless you need weight savings.
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Thanks. I do like the idea of a 15lb 50 ah battery. I could easily put that by my fridge in space that’s basically wasted now, and not have to put it in engine compartment.
Battle Born claims drop in replacement for LA batteries, they claim they basically have the same charge profile. They also say lithium iron is much better suited for our charging systems than Lithium Ion.
There is just so much info out there to try and sort though
For those that are running AGMs and having them die prematurely, there’s a mod you can do to fix that problem. Install an HKB voltage booster. It’s less than $50 shipped. There are at least several 100 series guys running them and if you go on the Tacoma World forums, there are hundreds of people using them for this exact reason (to properly charge the battery with your alternator). If you’re not using this, you won’t get the full life out of an AGM in a Toyota truck.
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Lots of 200 series guys running them too.
Lee- The GZ you already have should do the job for fridge & accessories- unless you want something to keep under the hood. The FJ I bought had a second LA battery that sucked, so I replaced with an inexpensive ($165) 4 year free replacement PEPBoys Champion AGM group 34. That has worked great as an aux battery thus far. If all you need is an AUX battery to run the fridge overnight isolated from your starter battery, thats an inexpensive option to consider.
I am not convinced that voltage boosters play well with can bus electonics- but I dont know enough to say for sure- just a hunch. I'm convinced that premature battery failure (AGM or other) is pretty much due to how they are cared for. Brings me back to float charging on a regular basis to keep battery conditioned (desulfated). Even with regular driving- the charging systems dont seem to keep even LA batteries at peak charge performance in the 100. Heat kills batteries too, having an insulating wrap on the battery also helps extend life by blocking underhood engine heat. (Cell Saver™ - Battery Insulation Kit)
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Andrew I think you may have just saved me some money. I hadn’t seriously considered the GZ until now. There is a good thread regarding this on the 200 board:
Goal Zero Lithium 1000 > Dual Batteries or >Single Group 31?
So I’m having trouble deciding which direction to go with my 200. Any assistance would be great! Needs: - I take a few, 7-14 day camping trips a year, where we stay in the same spot usually 2-3 nights at a time - Power my ARB 50 qt, Nikon and Fuji camera batteries, phones and iPad with moderate...
forum.ih8mud.com
I use a CTEK Multi 25000 and its good for all lead acid types (AGM, Flooded, GEL). I chose this one because its overkill and I got a great deal on it. They do have lower cost multi chargers that will manage AGM.
Thats a great thread and yeah you already have the investment in the GZ. Easy enough to charge it back up while youre driving trails etc. Another option is a space saving solar panel. I bought an inexpensive folding 100w solar panel for about $160(with coupon) equivalent to the $500 GZ folding type.Andrew I think you may have just saved me some money. I hadn’t seriously considered the GZ until now. There is a good thread regarding this on the 200 board:
Goal Zero Lithium 1000 > Dual Batteries or >Single Group 31?
So I’m having trouble deciding which direction to go with my 200. Any assistance would be great! Needs: - I take a few, 7-14 day camping trips a year, where we stay in the same spot usually 2-3 nights at a time - Power my ARB 50 qt, Nikon and Fuji camera batteries, phones and iPad with moderate...
100w folding panel
I have had the 27F AGM from Batteries Plus for about 2 years and it is dying. Went dead while sitting for a week in Jan, and more recently I had the pleasure of my horn going off in my driveway at 3AM. The truck is just acting weird and dying at idle w/o giving it some throttle. Admittedly, I haven't done anything to care for it, just drove the truck. Didn't stress it while I had it either, maybe a couple of winch pulls and regular overnight charging of phones when camping. Basic stuff. I'll likely be replacing it with an OE style.
I'm convinced that our trucks charging circuits can't properly maintain an AGM battery. They are great as an aux battery with dedicated charger designed for AGM, but don't work well as a simple replacement starting battery. If you choose AGM, you either need to regularly put it on a charger to bring it up to full capacity, or you need to modify the charging circuit, even one of those voltage boosting diodes is better than nothing at all. The AGM batteries simply require a higher charging voltage than lead acid, and anything less will only charge the battery to maybe 80% and will sulfate much more quickly.
If you have a 2 year old Batteries Plus X2-Power 27F, that is failing, it should have a 5 year full replacement warranty.
We had no issues getting my son's replaced, without a receipt, at a different store, by simply presenting the battery, and providing the phone number we used at purchase.
