AGM Batteries in ur Tundra

Google doesn’t lie...

 

I run Optima in my work truck and personal. Does just fine. Red top in personal truck and yellow top in the work rig.

Chose yellow top for work because I run a 2300 constant watt modified sine wave inverter to power electrical testing equipment with my truck idling for hours. At higher loads a standard lead acid battery would quit after a couple hours. Even when adjusting idle up. Had it for about 4 years no problems. Can even tell the difference just by how fast the engine turns over on first crank vs coworkers trucks that run lead acid.

Red top for personal truck because, well, why not? I got it for free. Hahaha. It's been in service about 3 years with no complaints. Cranks up every time even when I haven't driven it for a week or two. If I didn't get Optimas for free every now and then, or if my work didn't pay for them I wouldn't be able to justify the price.

Replace a lead acid battery at least every 5 years and they work just fine for most applications. Choose maintenance free batteries when you can. Or if you have regular vented lead acid just check fluid levels and top off with DISTILLED WATER ONLY. And don't overfill. Leave about 1/4 - 3/8 below the cap neck to prevent boiling over of the electrolyte.

 

I picked up the red top today and put it in the Tundy. I had to take the cover plate and put it under so the battery was tall enough to be held down properly but its not sketchy. It says you can use the cover plate underneath on the thing. The truck cranked right up and voltage was holding steady. I let it idle it until it warmed up all the way and watched the volt meter the whole time but I do have a digital voltmeter coming that can handle 2 loads (heard ur wife can also handle 2 loads). I will see how it does this weekend when I drive to and from my MTB race and I'll be keeping an eye on that meter.

 

Disconnect the posts while it sits?

 

No sir. I'm too lazy for that.

 

Run a bigger AGM and the $5 ford or gm diode to bump voltage above 13.8/13.9v. Probably will last 3 weeks sitting.

 

I bet it's profitable to tell people to buy agm batteries.

 

I don't think an agm lead acid battery looses power faster than a flooded lead acid battery does it? My truck will set for a week at a time on occasion and it starts with like a beast.

 

This topic has come up often enough that we should start a dedicated section for it.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/battery-whats-your-best-pick.85682

 

and for clarification, did you top your battery off?

 

I used to work at Napa a long time ago and I purchased an Optima red top for my Jeep Wrangler. Worked fine for first year but one day, I started my Jeep to let it warm up and after 10-15 min, I heard a loud pop. I ran out side and it was still running but smoke was coming out of the hood.

I popped the hood open and the battery had ‘exploded.’ It was wet every where and the battery was swelling. I shut it off and it wouldn’t restart. I took it out and replaced it with a standard Exide battery. That was years ago and I’ve never wanted to run one since. Not sure what caused the failure but it’s not completely unheard to have them explode.

 

At some point Optima started manufacturing their batteries outside of the USA. Heard their quality control took a big hit after that. That would be scary to have a battery explode like that.

 

My oem Tundra battery has served me through 8 Saskatchewan and northern Ontario winters and is still working fine. I do plug in the block heater and a battery blanket when it gets cold. Probably get another of the same if a northstar or diehard gold is more expensive.

 

I've heard good things about these.

 

while you're off at college, pickup a noco trickle charger, you can get their cheapest one, but leave your battery plugged in and it'll make sure it doesn't die (safe to leave the battery plugged in for as long as you need)

 

Full disclosure...I'm in the battery industry. With that said, I deal with deep cycle, industrial batteries for motive power (lift trucks). For these applications, it most certainly is a true statement. For starting applications, you're correct...not 100% true. You will pay more for AGM, but may not see shorter life. Most flooded starting batteries made today are maintenance free (no need to add water). In fact, many don't even offer removable vent caps. You can also get more CA and CCA with flooded vs. AGM with the comparable battery group size.

My opinion...If off-roading is your thing, I would probably make the investment in the AGM. For me personally and mostly highway miles, I see no value in the AGM. Being from Minnesota, I also want the highest CCA's available.

 

Nope.

I checked the voltage when I installed the first one, the truck is putting out between 14.1v and 14.4v so never worried about it.


Clipped from the Northstar website. (can't find a similar statement with X2 listed)

Will there be a list of vehicles that we do not want to sell product into because of their alternators?
No, the number of vehicles and systems that exist today would make it difficult to identify, manage and update a list on a regular basis. So instead we have set charging the charging parameters of between 14.1 volts and 14.8 volts as an acceptable charging range. So long as the battery charging remains within these tolerances the battery will perform to its engineered specifications. It is recommended that for every application the customer test the charging voltage to ensure it is within the acceptable limits.

 

So an AGM battery might last twice as long(or more), but it's also twice the cost(or more). Seems like a wash.

 

It is not a wash if you want to use the battery to power things. If you just need a starting battery maybe it is. Then again if I can replace something every 5 years or every 10 years I would pick the longer service time.

 

Yup. My honky tonk ain't gonna play itself for 4 hours or more in the backwoods while I'm working. AGM has never failed this task. Great for winching too! AGM is OE in my Jeep.
Iffn yer just a regular-use street daily driver, don't worry about it... regular battery would be just fine.

 

Or it may not last any longer, but because of the free replacement it might not cost you any more in the long run than an OEM replacement.

 

Totally agree. If my application didn't warrant it, no way I would have thrown down so much money for an AGM

 

FWIW I've ran AGM's (Odyssey) in my boat to power a 24 volt trolling motor which I often run for hours a day draining them down almost all the way. They handled great, charged right back up to full power rapidly using a standard on-board battery charger. I had a boating accident and had to re-build the entire boat. So I gave those Odyssey's to a friend. When I was done with the re-build I purchased 3 Lifeline AGM's (The smallest ones they make) 1 for starting, and 2 for the 24 volt trolling motor . . . they lasted almost 7 years before they started to discharge quicker, so I swapped them out for 3 more. For this application I can say without a doubt the AGM's perform better and last longer than standard lead-acid where I was only getting 2 1/2 to MAYBE 3 years out of a set. Boat sits for long periods w/o use, and then when I use it, I hammer on the batteries pretty good.
As far as my truck . . . meh, I did put an AGM in there, only for the reason I was hoping it would last twice as long . . . but after reading all this, I may have made a poor decision . . . oh well, we'll see.

 

I have a question maybe 'sorta' related to this thread . . . my 06 DC SR5 has the towing package, and on the Toyota Vehicle Specs. / VIN website it lists it as having a 'Heavy Duty Alternator 130 Amp Alternator'. Was there a 'Non-Heavy Duty' version? And will the HD version be any better putting juice back into my AGM , or is it the same voltage going back into the battery regardless of which alternator? Sorry for a dumb question, electrical has never been my strong point.

 

Whether a 100 or 130 amp, output voltage of alt should be 13.5-14.5 volts

 

Just throw the truck on a battery tender once a month and it will be fine

 

I know this isn't the answer your looking for, but. It's another idea:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/permanently-installed-battery-tender.86382/

 

I bet it's profitable to tell people to buy lead acid batteries to power a winch, high end aftermarket lights, and upgraded stereo. No need need to waste your $$$ on a deep cycle AGM. LOL

 

After getting the Optima in I wanted to get a digital voltmeter in to keep an eye on things. I found this thing on Newegg for decently cheap. Install was easy just had to widen out the empty switch there. (at least mine is. My alternate location was going to be where that plastic plate is.) and then cut out the switch mount on the inside. Then the voltmeter just slid in and clamped down with a threaded ring but I added some super glue to the bezel to make sure it wasn't going to go anywhere. And for now It's powered by a connector in thats in there. But I do have plans to run a positive wire straight to the alternator or I might put another one in that alternate spot for the alternator. Otherwise so far so good. It runs at 14.4-14.6 volts. And I'm not sure if this is a bad thing but after a while of driving I notice it drops down to about 13.4-13.6 and then it either stays there for the rest of the drive or sometimes it bumps back up after a while. Either way I'm just super happy with how clean it looks and the green matches pretty well, little bright at night though.