Interstate group 27, normal vs AGM (1 Viewer)

[Asanka]

My LC stepping out of the garage one or twice a week except a few long distance travel per year. Currently have a 27 interstate but that looses capacity due to draining down on straight 3-4 weeks sitting.

Planning to get a battery maintainer, recommendations welcome!

Trying to decide AGM or normal for the next battery, any thoughts?? Costco has these options.

 

[rexington14]

Regular 27F and a NOCO Genius 10

 

[Asanka]

Duplicate

 

[Asanka]

How about occasionally draining down from camping lights/music etc? This happens several times a year

 

[rexington14]

I also rock a Noco jump starter that's stored in the center console 24/7. Has already come in handy on a couple of occasions.

 

[jLB]

I have no experience the Interstate AGM models. I do have experience with the Interstate SLA model, and other brand AGM models.

I tend to prefer the 27F size, which seems less common than the 24F. I tend to prefer the AGM batteries, but when I had to replace the batteries in all of my vehicles, after the pandemic, most got SLA batteries, just for the cost difference.

From the two options that you listed, you have a 24F AGM, and a 27F SLA, with roughly comparable specs. The additional size, in the SLA, seems to compensate for the difference in architecture of the smaller AGM. The AGM might be more forgiving to complete discharge, but your alternator will never fully charge the AGM, without something like the HKB voltage booster.

My son’s vehicle, currently has the Interstate (SLA) 27F.

My DD 06 LX, currently has the Batteries Plus 27F X2 power AGM, and a HKB voltage booster diode.

My “extra” 99 LX, has the Odyssey 27F AGM battery, and a HKB voltage booster diode.

All three vehicles get connected to a NOCO Genius 10, when I know that they’re not going to be used for a while.

While the SLA model isn’t a bad battery, it isn’t very tolerant of “deep discharges”. You can try to combat that with something like a NOCO Genius 10, when the vehicle is not in use.

The AGM batteries seem much more forgiving, but they do tend to be more expensive. The AGMs tend to have a long term full replacement warranty, the SLAs tend to have a long term pro-rated warranty, then again you pay a price upfront for this.

 

[trdcorolla]

Like @jLB above, my LX has a 27F deep cycle (Odyssey Performance) and a HKB booster. I've been using an old CTEK 7002 for all of my cars but decided to get a fancy Odyssey OBC-20A for the new 27F. No problems with either.