Want to Upgrade to AGM Battery

Appletax

Appletax

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Location
USA
2018 Ford Fusion Titanium Hybrid, 65k miles

Current battery


Batteries I am interested in


  • Motorcraft BAGM-48H6-760
  • Cold cranking amps: 760
  • Warranty: 36-month free replacement, limited warranty of 100-months & unlimited mileage
  • ~$183ish - not so bad !!

  • Would love an Optima battery, but they don't make one for my car.


Questions

  • Would an AMG be a big upgrade given that my current battery has 65k miles on it and a relatively small CCA of 590?
  • Why is the Motorcraft so much cheaper than the Odyssey? Is the Odyssey worth it?
  • Best place to purchase?
  • Normally, I'd purchase a battery locally from an auto parts store. They handle any warranty issues. What do I do if I have a battery issue under warranty? For the Motorcraft battery, can I just go to any Ford dealership?
 
Computer Bloke said:
I'm confused.

I've never had a car battery last for less than five years, and most go for ten or more. When they fail I buy the cheapest one that fits. It then lasts for another five to ten years.

Once the car is running the battery isn't doing anything so (modulo weight) it has no effect on the car's performance.

My question is: Why are you spending so much time and effort worrying about this?
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I was hoping to get something with higher cold cranking amps. The two AGM batts I listed do not even fit in my hybrid. There’s a $260 Odyssey that should, but what’s the point when it only offers 10 more cold cranking amps and I don’t have any accessories to power.
 
Plus - it gets cold in Michigan, Murphy's Law says batteries will never fail until it's 5-below and howling. Pro tip if you live where there's winter - replace your battery while it's still warm!
 
More is not better once you are beyond what you need. If the OEM equipment is 590 CCA and you've never had any issue with cold weather starting (if the battery is not failing, it doesn't count if it's on its way out) then getting higher CCA is doing nothing but costing you more.

I am not convinced that the price premium for AGM batteries are worth it, but opinions differ. I, like @Computer Bloke, have never had a battery last less than 5 years, and they often go significantly longer. And that was when I was living in the snow belt of western Pennsylvania and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York, so it's not because I've always been south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Also, much like petrol/gasoline, there are only a few actual makers for batteries. They are manufactured to spec by the same makers and branded as needed. My last go round on batteries, along with many others, was on ToyotaNation: Best Battery Choice

The marque is irrelevant to the conversation, and I'd suggest you take a look at that topic.

(By the way, on automotive forums I go by guyslp)
 
britechguy said:
More is not better once you are beyond what you need. If the OEM equipment is 590 CCA and you've never had any issue with cold weather starting (if the battery is not failing, it doesn't count if it's on its way out) then getting higher CCA is doing nothing but costing you more.

I am not convinced that the price premium for AGM batteries are worth it, but opinions differ. I, like @Computer Bloke, have never had a battery last less than 5 years, and they often go significantly longer. And that was when I was living in the snow belt of western Pennsylvania and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York, so it's not because I've always been south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Also, much like petrol/gasoline, there are only a few actual makers for batteries. They are manufactured to spec by the same makers and branded as needed. My last go round on batteries, along with many others, was on ToyotaNation: Best Battery Choice

The marque is irrelevant to the conversation, and I'd suggest you take a look at that topic.

(By the way, on automotive forums I go by guyslp)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.

I won't worry about it. I have no use for AGM as I don't power anything, particularly when the vehicle is off.

Plus, I had one in my Focus before, and it died once from not using my car for a month and the place that worked on my car had some trouble figuring out how to charge it (I sent them instructions on how to do so from manufacturer).

Best to just stick with the best regular battery when this one goes bad.

I have 0 issues with it starting even when super cold.
 
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