MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
There are always "Kibitzers" Don. These people actually -do- nothing but critique and criticize everything. A source of amusement since LBJ was in office.
The "I've read where the AGM battery is not good in a vehicle because the charging system voltage is too high" got to me. 5 emails in 3 days. And a PM message early this morning.
Besides telling me "You gotta be smarter than the problem", my uncle was also famous for his quip: "Stop and think. If you've the gall to criticize something, you damned sure better come up with an good alternative, right after you criticize".
This is old news. I know VW Touaregs, Audi Q7's and Porsche Cayennes ALL come with AGM batteries. In fact, they are mounted underneath the DRIVERS seat. That's correct. If you are the driver, you are sitting on them. Heat is not a factor from the engine, unless the exhaust pipes are mounted under the seats and they aren't. They are nothing new in the automotive industry. The other feature is that the Electronic Control Module or Brain has settings for charging voltage for different batteries, VRLA or regular lead acid batteries. My Touareg will show up with 14.2V right after start up, from running the glow plugs. The Alternator is supposedly 175 amp capable, for a diesel SUV. It does, and it will charge at 14.0 to 14.1V all day long on a cooler 65F day. It is more likely to show 13.9V on a 95 to 105F day to the battery. My Scangauge 2 on the dash does not lie. The 2012 Touareg battery is at least 4 years old now, no signs of abuse or quitting. Usually 2x a year, I give it a 99.5% top charge of a full 14.4V with the terminals disconnected. Once on a cool day in the fall, and once, on a cool day in the spring. I am hoping this helps the battery life a little bit with desulphation.
Touareg AGM battery change out.
