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AGM BatteryMaintenance ManualMTS

AGM BatteryMaintenance ManualContents:Please contact (888) 290 4044 for more information.Section 1 IdentificationSection 2 ChargingSection 3 TestingMTSThe following information is obtained from eastpennmanufacturing.comto ensure SE operators use the best possible practice while utilizing and servicingOx Equipment truck batteries. Ox Equipment Inc. (Ox) makes reasonable eorts to present accurate and reliable information in support of 3rd party products and services; however Ox is not responsible for any errors in or omissions from the information contained in this document, nor is Ox responsible for the timeliness of the information. All of the information in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.

East Penn AGM Batteriesin Heavy-Duty Truck ApplicationsA GUIDE FOR IDENTIFYING, CHARGING, AND TESTINGAGM or Absorbed Glass Mat batteries can directly replace-flooded batteries and some brands can be dicult to distinguish by sight without reading the label. They are compatible in terms of physical size and vehicle chargingsystem requirements in most applications. Their weight and capacity can be slightly higher than a flooded battery of the same size (6 to 8 pounds higher with products of comparable amp hour ratings). Just like flooded batteries,AGM batteries of the same physical size can be designedwith widely diering CCA ratings for a variety of dieringneeds. Vents and valves may be incon-spicuous or hidden. While AGM batteries may look similar to a flooded design,there are some internal dierences that need to be recognized. A. How is it dierent from a flooded design?Unlike a “flooded” lead-acid battery, an AGM battery does not have free-flowing electrolyte. Separators made of mostly fine glass fibers hold the electrolyte like a partially-saturated sponge.AGM batteries are Valve Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) batteries that recombine the hydrogen and oxygen createdduring charge and discharge, back into water. This recombi-nation keeps the battery water levels within proper limits.For this process to work, VRLA batteries must be charged at specific voltages.Each cell contains its own valve. If the battery is over-charged, gas Traditional Flooded DesignAbsorbed Glass Mat(AGM)IDENTIFICATIONProper identification of the type of battery being usedis critical to its longevity and performance.pressure builds within the cell rapidly. If thepressure exceeds one and a half PSI, the valve(s) will openand let the gas escape, thus the term “Valve Regulated”. If this continues, the battery will dry out and fail much like an overcharged flooded battery.There are two types of VRLA or Valve Regulated Lead Acidbatteries, AGM and Gel (acid is in a thick gel form instead of a liquid).B. Why use an AGM Battery?AGM batteries oer superior starting power, high reserve-capacity, and long lasting life. The advanced AGM technol-ogy and dual-purpose design makes East Penn’s AGM battery excellent for quick starts and for powering accessories and creature comfort items when your engineisn’t running. Heavy cycling East Penn AGM batter-ies are excellent for battery powered HVAC systems. All group 31AGM batteries have the same case/cover configu-ration as a traditional group 31, which allows it to be used as an original equipment battery or as a drop in replace-ment. C. What types of applications use AGM batteries?AGM batteries can be used in several applications includ-ing truck starting, dual-purpose, and deep cycle applica-tions. Similar to flooded, AGM batteries have dierent designs ideal for specific applications.• AGM Starting & Cycling batteries are designed forlarger engines that need high cranking power like dump trucks and loggers. They are also designed forcycling applications such as day cab, sleeper cab, and pick up and delivery. • AGM Starting & Heavy Cycling batteries are a deepcy-cle version designed for applications where there isheavy auxiliary loads or the battery is the power sourcesuch as a battery powered HVAC system.D. Can I mix AGM and Flooded batteries within the same battery pack?No, you cannot mix AGM and flooded batteries within thesame battery pack. AGM batteries should be paired togetherwith AGM batteries of similar age and ratings within thesame battery pack. 1

thecurrent has a reading above zero. Then charge 10 to 20 minutes (at the most) longer. Return battery to an automatic charger.• Charge the battery with a second good battery connect-ed in parallel. The second battery should be at least a little discharged so that it is not also seen as being “full” almost right away.C. Determining Required Charging Time The Typical Charging Time for Single Batterychart is designed to give approximate times for charging andshould not be the deciding factor as to whether the battery is finished charging. An automatic charger compatible with the battery will look at how the voltage and/or currentvary(ies) over time to determine the battery's state of charge . If charging is stopped prema-turely, the batterywill appear to be fully charged, however; this is just the elevated voltage from the recent charging activity. A much longer charging time than shown will not harm the batteries if using an appropriate voltage regulat-ed charger.The required charging time is often much longer than most people realize.“Charge” is measured in ampere-hours (Ah). A typical-Group 31 battery holds 85 to 105 ampere-hours from “full” to “empty” (This is the 20-hour capacity rating). An over-discharged battery is less than empty. Charging is never100% ecient. You normally need to add an extra 8-15% beyond what was removed. Determine if the battery is half discharged, fully discharged, or over-discharged.1. Example: an 85 ampere-hour battery, totally discharged: you need to supply 85Ah x (100% discharged) x (115% eciency factor) = 97.75Ah.You need to supply about 100Ah to recharge completely.2. To supply 100Ah, you could supply 5 amps for 20 hours,10 amps for 10 hours, 20 amps for 5 hours, etc.OCV SOC30 Amps 20 Amps 10 Amps12.80 100% 0.0 0.0 0.012.60 75% 0.9 1.3 2.512.30 50% 1.9 2.7 5.112.00 25% 2.9 4.3 7.811.80 0% 4.0 5.7CHARGING (Note: These parameters apply only to heavy-duty truck applications)In the rare occurrence that an AGM battery needs to becharged outside of the vehicle’s charging system, there arenumerous chargers that can be used.Many common battery chargers are not fully compatible with AGM batteries, however; they will not ruin the battery if used only once or twice over the battery’s lifetime. Adversely, not all chargers are safe and can produce severebattery damage in only a few hours of use. Large “wheeledchargers” that are found in many shops must be avoided. A. Verify that a charger/setting is acceptable: Avoid high voltage. If there are multiple settings on a charger, each setting must be evaluated separately.•Check voltage a few minutes after charging begins andperiodically during charging. As the battery charges, the current will fall and the voltage may rise. It must not exceed 15.4 volts.•If a charger/setting has been verified to not exceed 15.4 volts to a low current, the charger/setting is accept-able. (You don’t need to watch the voltage every time.) B. Handling Problems with Automatic Charger-sand Over-Discharged Batteries(Note: These issues and solutions are not strictly limited to AGM)1. Issues• 12-volt batteries should never be discharged to less than 10.5 volts under load. Batteries as low as zero volts can often be recharged and be acceptablefor returning to service.• To prevent sparking and avoid problems associated-with reversed hookups, many charger leads will not function until the charger senses a minimum voltage.If the voltage is too low, the charger will never turn on and no charging will ever occur.• An automatic charger is expecting current acceptance-to fall to a low value as the battery approaches a fullstate of charge. An over-discharged battery may havevery low initial current acceptance. This can fool thecharger into thinking the battery is “full”. The chargerwill often indicate “full” and reduce the charging voltage to a subsistence level that will be ineective.2. Solutions• Charge the battery on a wheel charger (any charger-said to be unacceptable in Section A). Charge until Typical Charging Time (Hours) for Single BatteryCharger’s Maxium Rate Setting*OCV (open-circuit voltage) may be elevated by recent charging activityor depressed by recent discharging activity. This aects the accuracy of the SOC (state of charge) estimate.A charger does not deliver its maximum current the wholetime. When the battery approaches full charge, the chargerlimits the voltage by reducing the current. Conse-quently, a full charge takes about 3.5 more hours than the calculation above suggests. With an automatic charger, charge until the charger indicates that charging is complete. If you are attempting to charge an overdischarged battery, review the beginning of section B.D. Preparing for Testing and ChargingYou are responsible for your safety and the safety of all bystanders. Follow all BCI (Battery Council Internation-al)safety instructions for working around batteries, handling batteries, and charging batteries.1. Visually inspect each battery for damage. Do not charge or test a damaged battery. Remove from service.2. Inspect vehicle. Repair or replace ineective hold-downs. Clean connections and terminals as needed. Replace damaged wiring. 3. Group 31 battery studs must not be used for testing or charging connections. Install adapters. The adapt-ersmust be tight against the lead “button” at the base of the stud. Alternatively, you may clamp directly to the sides of the lead button. Both sides of both clampsmust make good electrical contact with the lead button.4. Be sure to use the CCA rating for a handheld tester or to calculate the load for a load tester. Other ratingsare often also displayed. Using the wrong expectationscould lead to incorrect results.10.72

thecurrent has a reading above zero. Then charge 10 to 20 minutes (at the most) longer. Return battery to an automatic charger.• Charge the battery with a second good battery connect-ed in parallel. The second battery should be at least a little discharged so that it is not also seen as being “full” almost right away.C. Determining Required Charging Time The Typical Charging Time for Single Batterychart is designed to give approximate times for charging andshould not be the deciding factor as to whether the battery is finished charging. An automatic charger compatible with the battery will look at how the voltage and/or currentvary(ies) over time to determine the battery's state of charge . If charging is stopped prema-turely, the batterywill appear to be fully charged, however; this is just the elevated voltage from the recent charging activity. A much longer charging time than shown will not harm the batteries if using an appropriate voltage regulat-ed charger.The required charging time is often much longer than most people realize.“Charge” is measured in ampere-hours (Ah). A typical-Group 31 battery holds 85 to 105 ampere-hours from “full” to “empty” (This is the 20-hour capacity rating). An over-discharged battery is less than empty. Charging is never100% ecient. You normally need to add an extra 8-15% beyond what was removed. Determine if the battery is half discharged, fully discharged, or over-discharged.1. Example: an 85 ampere-hour battery, totally discharged: you need to supply 85Ah x (100% discharged) x (115% eciency factor) = 97.75Ah.You need to supply about 100Ah to recharge completely.2. To supply 100Ah, you could supply 5 amps for 20 hours,10 amps for 10 hours, 20 amps for 5 hours, etc.OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE% CHARGEFLOODED AGM100 12.70-12.60 12.8 or higher75 12.40 12.6050 12.20 12.3025 12.00 12.000 11.80 11.80CHARGING (Note: These parameters apply only to heavy-duty truck applications)In the rare occurrence that an AGM battery needs to becharged outside of the vehicle’s charging system, there arenumerous chargers that can be used.Many common battery chargers are not fully compatible with AGM batteries, however; they will not ruin the battery if used only once or twice over the battery’s lifetime. Adversely, not all chargers are safe and can produce severebattery damage in only a few hours of use. Large “wheeledchargers” that are found in many shops must be avoided. A. Verify that a charger/setting is acceptable: Avoid high voltage. If there are multiple settings on a charger, each setting must be evaluated separately.•Check voltage a few minutes after charging begins andperiodically during charging. As the battery charges, the current will fall and the voltage may rise. It must not exceed 15.4 volts.•If a charger/setting has been verified to not exceed 15.4 volts to a low current, the charger/setting is accept-able. (You don’t need to watch the voltage every time.) B. Handling Problems with Automatic Charger-sand Over-Discharged Batteries(Note: These issues and solutions are not strictly limited to AGM)1. Issues• 12-volt batteries should never be discharged to less than 10.5 volts under load. Batteries as low as zero volts can often be recharged and be acceptablefor returning to service.• To prevent sparking and avoid problems associated-with reversed hookups, many charger leads will not function until the charger senses a minimum voltage.If the voltage is too low, the charger will never turn on and no charging will ever occur.• An automatic charger is expecting current acceptance-to fall to a low value as the battery approaches a fullstate of charge. An over-discharged battery may havevery low initial current acceptance. This can fool thecharger into thinking the battery is “full”. The chargerwill often indicate “full” and reduce the charging voltage to a subsistence level that will be ineective.2. Solutions• Charge the battery on a wheel charger (any charger-said to be unacceptable in Section A). Charge until TESTINGA. Evaluating the battery condition of a charged batteryIt is recommended that testing should not occur until at least 4 hours have passed since the battery was charged.Resting the battery reduces both good batteries called “bad”and bad batteries called “good.”The battery must be disconnected. (Some chargers continue supplying a maintenance charge while indicat-ing,“done.”) A handheld conductance tester’s accuracy can be diminished when testing a battery that was recently-charged. Resting also gives a better indication of battery-shorts.B. Testing options• BCI load test—Using a carbon pile or similar discharg-ing device, load the battery at ½ of the CCA rating. Note voltage at 15 seconds and stop discharge.If voltage is 1. Recharge if the OCV is below 75% state of charge(Re-fer to the chart above). Use a voltmeter to determine the OCV.2. If you have an adjustable load meter, set the load for ½ the CCA rating.3. Apply the load for 15 seconds. Battery should main-taina voltage greater than 9.6 volts at 70°F while load is applied.4. If below 9.6 volts at 70°F, recharge and repeat test.5. If below 9.6 at 70°F volts a second time, condemn and replace the battery.Flooded Dual Purpose CutawayAbsorbedGlass Mat (AGM)CutawayC.BCI and Fixed Load Test ProcedureA charger does not deliver its maximum current the wholetime. When the battery approaches full charge, the chargerlimits the voltage by reducing the current. Conse-quently, a full charge takes about 3.5 more hours than the calculation above suggests. With an automatic charger, charge until the charger indicates that charging is complete. If you are attempting to charge an overdischarged battery, review the beginning of section B.D. Preparing for Testing and ChargingYou are responsible for your safety and the safety of all bystanders. Follow all BCI (Battery Council Internation-al)safety instructions for working around batteries, handling batteries, and charging batteries.1. Visually inspect each battery for damage. Do not charge or test a damaged battery. Remove from service.2. Inspect vehicle. Repair or replace ineective hold-downs. Clean connections and terminals as needed. Replace damaged wiring. 3. Group 31 battery studs must not be used for testing or charging connections. Install adapters. The adapt-ersmust be tight against the lead “button” at the base of the stud. Alternatively, you may clamp directly to the sides of the lead button. Both sides of both clampsmust make good electrical contact with the lead button.4. Be sure to use the CCA rating for a handheld tester or to calculate the load for a load tester. Other ratingsare often also displayed. Using the wrong expectationscould lead to incorrect results.less than 9.6 (normal temperature), replace battery. • Fixed load test—Similar to BCI test except voltagelimit depends on CCA rating. See instructions ormeter for details. If tester can do both 6-volt and12-volt batteries, be careful of 12-volt batteries thatfall into the “good” 6-volt battery range. These are bad.• Handheld conductance tester—Since AGM batterie-shave lower internal resistance than traditional leadacid batteries, they require electronic testers that arepro-grammed specifically for them. Many older-modelbat-tery testers cannot adequately test AGM batteriesand could prematurely condemn a good AGM battery. 3