AGM Charging?

[Black Truck 10 10+ year member]

I dont mean for this to sound to dumb, but I just got a D2400 from powermaster. it says to charge it prior to first use. It says I need a 12v regulated power charging for AGM batteries.

Can I just use a regular 12 volt regulated battery charger or no?

Also insrtead of charging it like that. Cant I just hook it up to my alt and let me alt charge it with out hooking it up to any source off the battery?

Kinda noobish but hey

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[Ed Lester 10+ year member]

standard wet cell battery chargers can sharge these batteries with too much amperage. An AGM battery charger is different.

Charging from your alternator can work too, but if the battery is low, how will the car start?

 

[Black Truck 10 10+ year member]

This is an additional battery, My main battery though is a regular interstate megatron battery (not AGM) would that matter if I just charge it in my car before I hook everything up? I just really dont want to have to buy a AGM charger for this. . .

 

[loudaccent 10+ year member]

last i hered to charge a agm was do do a 20-40 amp charge for 20 min then do a trickel charger fopr 24 hours

 

[Ed Lester 10+ year member]

This is the man to talk to.

Scottie Johnson

scottie@powermastermotorsports.com

 

[Black Truck 10 10+ year member]

last i hered to charge a agm was do do a 20-40 amp charge for 20 min then do a trickel charger fopr 24 hours

Can this be done with a regular 12 v regulated battery charger? Or do I need a special charger for it.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Can this be done with a regular 12 v regulated battery charger? Or do I need a special charger for it.

you can get an autocharger for agm at walmart pretty inexpensive. a regular charger for wet cells can charge past 15 v..

 

[Black Truck 10 10+ year member]

ill look into that, they have such a loose return policy ill just return it when im done.

 

[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

if think you read it wrong, it says to charge it if its under 12.6v. atleast mine did. i just put my 5100r in couple days after i got it without charging it

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

I've always charged my batteries with a 14v 2A charge overnight.

If your charger has a variable output, set it for low current.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

ill look into that, they have such a loose return policy ill just return it when im done.

for the cost and having it handy in case you need it vs the cost of gas running around returning it imo its worth keeping

 

[Bun-Bun 10+ year member]

Quick google search tells that AGM and standard wet cells charge very similarily with the AGM have a slightly higher absorbing voltage and floating voltage.

But like all batteries overcharging them can damage them (as well as trickle chargers)

If you want to do it right get a smart charger. This goes for any batter wheter it be AGM, lead acid, sealed, which ever.

Gel-Cells are the ones that you have to be really careful with...

heres a cheap (but good) one. http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/brands/battery-tender/BT-021-0128.html

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Quick google search tells that AGM and standard wet cells charge very similarily with the AGM have a slightly higher absorbing voltage and floating voltage.
But like all batteries overcharging them can damage them (as well as trickle chargers)

If you want to do it right get a smart charger. This goes for any batter wheter it be AGM, lead acid, sealed, which ever.

Gel-Cells are the ones that you have to be really careful with...

heres a cheap (but good) one. http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/brands/battery-tender/BT-021-0128.html

i have seen more than a dozen optimas,odysseys, dekas and even kinetik get boiled by using the wrong type of charger. mostly by high amp settings and then the owner walking away and forgetting about them or not watching.

These Schumacher SpeedCharges are for agm and are automatic for either wet cells or agms and they have them at walmart for under 50 depending on how fast you want. Are they the best? doubtful, but they still trickle/maintain charge and can charge up a dead battery better and faster than a maintaining/trickle charger.

http://www.batterychargers.com/assets/pdf/sec_catalog.pdf

 

[Black Truck 10 10+ year member]

scottie over at powermotorsports just got back to me and said that the batteries are good to go, and that the only reason I would need to charge them are if my alt cant recharge them (250 amp...doubtful). So looks like my worries are over, im gonna go ahead and install the battery probably Saturday or so.

 

[Bun-Bun 10+ year member]

i have seen more than a dozen optimas,odysseys, dekas and even kinetik get boiled by using the wrong type of charger. mostly by high amp settings and then the owner walking away and forgetting about them or not watching.These Schumacher SpeedCharges are for agm and are automatic for either wet cells or agms and they have them at walmart for under 50 depending on how fast you want. Are they the best? doubtful, but they still trickle/maintain charge and can charge up a dead battery better and faster than a maintaining/trickle charger.

http://www.batterychargers.com/assets/pdf/sec_catalog.pdf

Not sure why you quoted me but... what you said goes for all batteries. Any battery can be boiled if left on a high amperage without watching it. This can also happen with trickle chargers (which can do other things as well). The only battery that is significantly different is gel-cell's. And the charger I linked to is a smart charger like the ones you linked to, just not as high current and cheaper. lower or higher amperage just means how fast the battery will charge. As long as you have a smart charger you can just plug it in and forget it and it will charge it as fast as it can for the particular battery that is hooked up to it. Though Gel-Cell's need specific chargers.

scottie over at powermotorsports just got back to me and said that the batteries are good to go, and that the only reason I would need to charge them are if my alt cant recharge them (250 amp...doubtful). So looks like my worries are over, im gonna go ahead and install the battery probably Saturday or so.

Sounds good. Getting a charger is still not a bad idea though. Lets you keep your battery up and if you get one with the pulse technology or whatever for desulphating then thats even better.