AGM vs Lead Acid battery
 

Hey guys. I need a new battery soon for my baby and would like to see what everyone here is running. A light weight battery is out of the question as I live in Canada. I am interested in the AGM batteries but is it worth the cost??

It's all in the warranty. Do you have pro-rated warranties in Canada, or is that just a USDM thing?

I second the warranty. Get something with a lot of CCA and a long pro-rated warranty. That way when the cold kills your car battery, you can turn it in and get the cost if a new one defrayed by the warranty. I have a similar problem, but with heat instead.

Stock battery can feel pretty weak in really cold temps, but I'm sure you know that.

I switched to an Optima last year and have been pretty happy with the improved cold cranking amps -- gives me good peace of mind in the winter. AGM also charges faster than normal batteries, which can significantly improve battery life if you're making a lot of short stops.

It's my understanding that they're more durable against shock so presumably it will last longer with rough driving, but who knows. Hopefully it lasts long enough to be worth the extra money :).

Yeah I guess the warranty is something to consider. I honestly might get acdelco battery cuz I work for a GM dealer and it's like $140 vs $240 for a AGM lol

I went to autozone and got an autozone-brand battery. It has a three year warranty, but it'll be dead in two years due to the environment. I thought about getting a nifty expensive AGM or gel cell battery, but it would still be dead in two years, so why spend the money?

A few things-

heat kills batteries, not cold. In cold climates a battery actually lasts a lot longer. But a weak battery will fail in the cold before it will in the heat. When I worked for AAA in New England, I replaced batteries regularly that were twice as old as here in Florida. AGM batteries actually do worse in the heat- in Canada you won't have to worry. Your AGM will be less prone to freezing.

You're right about a racing battery though. Up there you'll need the extra CCA. Optima is the way to go IMHO.

AGM batteries take a LOT longer to charge than a flooded lead-acid battery. So if you drain the battery, it's a lot more difficult to bring back to life, you'll need an AGM battery charger which takes a long assed time to charge up a battery. So don't drain your battery and if you do, get ready to charge it right with a charger, not by driving it alone.

The alternator & charging system in the 86 is fine for flooded or AGM.

AGM is less prone to spillage and can spend some amount of time upside down, whereas a flooded battery can't (AGM is safer in a roll-over accident).

I've had good experience with Odyssey AGM batteries, and I just recently got the PC680 Metal Jacket version for my FR-S. Pretty tough battery that can take heat well and cost less than $140. Going to also put a thermal barrier wrap kit on it to help as well, since the battery is in the area right above the header routing to the rear.

The PC925 would be a great replacement if you want more oomph from the battery..., ran one of those in my Tacoma. Will need to figure out a mounting system for them though as they are not standard automotive size.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/extrem...ery_specs.aspx

I use a tiny Odyssey PC680. Starts just fine for a year now. I have to use it because of the ESC. Only 170 CCA. But I'm in Florida so almost never below 40 F. ~$100. Weighs at least half of the stock one if not less.

I ran a 680 here in Halifax for two years before I sold it. I ungraded to a 925, but I was running about 1800 watts of stereo so... :bonk:

Anyone have recommendations for a lightweight battery that CAN be used in cold climates?


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You can find an undersized battery. It will work fine for a while, but it might not last as many years or cut it on a 40 below day, though.

I bought an Optima Yellow Top battery almost 17 years ago for my truck that had a high power stereo in it. Later I took that battery out and put it in my wife's 2015 WRX which also has a higher power stereo. I upgraded the WRX battery because sometimes the lights would flicker when the bass hit. The 17 year old Optima still works strong. Cranks over harder than the OEM battery did and the lights no longer flicker.

Go with AGM. The fact that I've had one for almost 20 years alone makes it worth it to me.