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AGM Battery - Failed Twice, bulging battery

Markos

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Seattle, WA
Hey Guys,

It looks like my second AGM battery from Batteries Plus has failed. This battery is bulging on the sides, which can be a sign of excessive heat or overcharging. I have a 160a Durango alternator, which I fear may be contributing to the problem. I had my alternator checked and it's putting out 13.8v to 14v. I don't think my voltage regulator is bad. Is there something that I am missing? I was also wondering if it's just engine temps that are causing this. I think the jeep originally had a sleeve around the battery, and that is long since gone. Perhaps I should build a heat shield?

Incidentally, I've already replaced the battery with a DieHard Platinum AGM battery, which has a 4 year warranty and wasn't cheap. I don't want this to happen again.

Any thoughts on this?

Incidentally, I will never shop at Batteries Plus again. They are total jerks about warranty. Any auto shop would simply test the battery and give you a new one. They want to hold the battery for 24 hours to test, and they don't really have a loaner battery program. The guy told me that since I've replaced it once, they won't honor my warranty. Their warranty appears to be highly subjective. I read a review on the same store where a guy couldn't have his battery warrantied because he left his lights on, and that was considered abuse. Give me a break.
 
I have a 200A Alternator fitted and have had no issues with my AGM battery.

Year of your XJ might help out. The voltage you have recorded, is that idle or running? If the battery temperature sensor has wandered out of spec, this could lead to overcharging the battery.

I just checked my Factory Parts List and could not find an entry for a heat shield. So one has to wonder if it had been fitted by a previous owner. Leastways, for '97 to '01 there wasn't a factory shield.

I use a private battery supply house here as they always have the best prices and stand behind all of the products they sell. The battery installed is a Deka Batteries Intimidator AGM. They are made in Pennsylvania. Good American Quality!
 
I am always cautions putting too much amperage into an AGM. Putting the wrong charger on an AGM can fry it. My big Snap-On charger will fry our Odyssey or Optima batteries in less than an hour. I would downgrade the alternator.
 
What sort of timeframe for frying the battery? A week? A month? A year?

I am running the 160 amp Durango alt with an AGM battery from O'Reilly's (supposed to be a relabeled Deka Intimidator). Been running it about a year with no issues.

Interestingly, I also have a sleeve for the batttery that was there when I bought it, and I am still using it with the AGM battery. This is on a '99. I also had a '00 that had the battery sleeve, although my '97, and know two others with '98s that do not have the sleeve. All were purchased with 150K plus miles on them, so who knows what was or wasn't there from the factory.
 
Incidentally, I've already replaced the battery with a DieHard Platinum AGM battery, which has a 4 year warranty and wasn't cheap. I don't want this to happen again.

Any thoughts on this?
Yea.. I think your issues are fixed;)
 
Sorry folks. 1999 4.0. No funky electronics. Fried the first one in a few months. That battery had post damage that may have extended to the plates inside (tapping terminal onto post). The second one lasted 8 months.

Good call on the temp sensor. I will verify.
 
I am always cautions putting too much amperage into an AGM. Putting the wrong charger on an AGM can fry it. My big Snap-On charger will fry our Odyssey or Optima batteries in less than an hour. I would downgrade the alternator.

Downgrading the alternator makes no sense to me. What if I had this battery in a 2003 5.9 Durango?
 
I have a 200A Alternator fitted and have had no issues with my AGM battery.

Year of your XJ might help out. The voltage you have recorded, is that idle or running? If the battery temperature sensor has wandered out of spec, this could lead to overcharging the battery.

I just checked my Factory Parts List and could not find an entry for a heat shield. So one has to wonder if it had been fitted by a previous owner. Leastways, for '97 to '01 there wasn't a factory shield.

I use a private battery supply house here as they always have the best prices and stand behind all of the products they sell. The battery installed is a Deka Batteries Intimidator AGM. They are made in Pennsylvania. Good American Quality!

I'm pretty certain that the sleeve was factory. I bought the jeep in 2001, so it was only three years old. It also looked like a factory part.
 
I use a private battery supply house here as they always have the best prices and stand behind all of the products they sell. The battery installed is a Deka Batteries Intimidator AGM. They are made in Pennsylvania. Good American Quality!
What group size, Dave?

Carquest sells a rebadged Intimidator, group 34/78: http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/...+each__10151_-1_10651_1405050_35679?acesApp=0

I plan to call Hensley Battery today, and see what they offer.
 
It is what ever the stock group size is. And, yes, I did get mine from Hensley Battery. Wonderful folk. Stand behind everything they sell. Had my replacement power distribution cables made there as well. Have been doing business with them since 1975....

Which is a while you have to admit...

OP, have just thought to ask, is your instrument cluster gauged or just the idiot light version? If gauged, what voltage does it display when at speed?

The more I think on this, the more I am liking the Battery Temperature Sensor as the culprit. As I understand the circuit, the PCM uses the Temperature Sensor to adjust the charging voltage. This is why you will see a lower voltage during the hot summer months.

What I can state, with conviction, is that even the stock 90A Alternator can cook a battery. Having the 160A unit in place is not the issue.

Keep in mind here that there is a (tested) 200A unit hunkered down in mine...
 
The test for the battery temperature sensor is at 75-90 F., the ohms should read 9,000-11,000.
 
I just checked my Factory Parts List and could not find an entry for a heat shield. So one has to wonder if it had been fitted by a previous owner. Leastways, for '97 to '01 there wasn't a factory shield.

Factory part number is 56041 001. Plus the various iterations after that. See link below for 56041 001AD.

55176 267 .COVER, Battery Diesel Engine - Engine: EN0
56041 001 .COVER, Battery Gasoline Engine - Engine: EP0, ER0
55176 267 .COVER, Battery - Engine: EN0
56041 001AB .COVER, Battery - Engine: EP0, ER0
55176 267 COVER, Battery, Diesel Engine - Engine: EN0

91vYfZ0SyQL._SL800_.jpg


!Bu2LYl!!mk~$(KGrHqR,!jYEv1+0CUfZBMC!3OJJmg~~_3.JPG


battery-cover-56041001ad-rp_5717.jpg


Buy it here:
http://www.jeep4x4center.com/battery-cover-56041001ad.html
 
And, yes, I did get mine from Hensley Battery. Wonderful folk. Stand behind everything they sell. Had my replacement power distribution cables made there as well. Have been doing business with them since 1975....
My first visit was in 1980, second was Friday eve.

Since the charging system in my '90 is a stand-alone, maybe I should be looking into some cooling, and/or shielding for the battery.
 
Looks like fancy bubble wrap. Seems a bit of that, a knife, and some duct tape would do equally as well. In the past I've used a heating wrap, and a ceramic heating plate underneath.

Can't seem to gain any insight into the clone agm battery via CarQuest, as only a 'find a nearest location' window comes up, and even though I "X" it, can't seem to get to any technical details as per.., just another unwanted window.
 
Can't seem to gain any insight into the clone agm battery via CarQuest, as only a 'find a nearest location' window comes up, and even though I "X" it, can't seem to get to any technical details as per.., just another unwanted window.
Yup, the specifications tab offers nothing. The manufacturer has a few pages with specifications.

For most group sizes: http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/1737.pdf

More products: http://www.dekabatteries.com/default.aspx?pageid=454
 
As expected Batteries Plus didn't honor my warranty. I'm going to make their life hell until they reimburse me for the original purchase price. Out news has a bulldog named "Jesse Jones" that loves this stuff. Batteries start to die in the winter, so its good to.ing for a segment. I also have free legal service through my work so I'll have a lawyer send a demand letter to the franchisee. Add to the fact that they have Yelp complaint from a customer who's warranty wasn't honored due to "abuse", because they left their lights on. WTF!

Regarding the thermal sleeve. It is in fact like bubble wrap. The plastic is very heavy duty though. It's pretty rigid. I ordered an older one from Amazon before I found the site that I linked on the previous page. With jeep part numbers, trailing letters signify iterations on the part. The latest appears to be "AD". Oh well, better than nothing.
 
The sleeve is apparently NLA... I attempted to get a new one for my '99 and was given one for a newer wrangler which didn't fit.

One more suggestion - is the battery slipping around in the tray? I kept finding mine up against the upper rad hose until I made a mat for underneath the battery from a silicone baking sheet. I cut a hole in it for the temp sensor. No problems since then with a yellow top Optima.
 
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