Whats w/ Interstate No Prorate ?

BFL13 wrote:
When Interstate switched from US Battery U-2200s to the new style GC2-XHDs a couple years ago, the ads said the new batts were "pure lead" But these 6s must have antimony same as other 6s do? What do they mean by "pure lead" anyway? ( I don't know if AGMs can be different from Wets for that "pure lead" aspect)

I have a set of the GC2-XHDs and they are great. I also have a set of Exide 6s that are 226AH and they are holding up just as well. The Exide spec says 5% antimony, and since the XHDs act the same as the Exides for SG and gassing, you'd think they are also an antimony type

Pure lead I believe they stated was 96%. The others are antimony. Pure lead has a LONG life span hence the 5 year full warranty replacement AND the cost for Pure lead is a lot higher. The AGM "plates" are compacted 28% by a press type machine to fit in the cases. There is NO space on top the plates to the top of the case like a lead cell battery. The 24 series Pure Lead AGM is a LOT heavier than a 24 series Lead deep cycle. Same with the 31 series AGM. I was amazed at how heavy they are compared to wet cell batteries. The "life" cycle or a Pure lead versus a Antimony type AGM is a lot longer. The Pure lead was specifically developed for the new auto's that have stop and start technology and lots of 12 volt draw (DVD/Phones/laptops) that all the passengers may have running. The specific example was a Auto/SUV that has Stop/Start technology. The vehicle when in traffic and is stopped for congestion or a light, the engine shuts off until you start moving but the 12 volt load/draw continues during those times(the dvd/phone/ipads and such), and you need a battery that can handle those type loads. That is why Lexus/BMW and a host of other OEM's use the Pure Lead Interstate as Standard OEM battery. The battery is warrantied for 5 years, free replacement. On BMW, IF you replace the AGM battery for any reason, you MUST tell the Auto's Computer that the battery is NEW. The computer knows that the battery is aging and adjusts the charge rate to that aging. If you do NOT tell the computer the battery has been replaced, the charging system will not charge the battery at its most efficient. Also, you MUST replace OEM original AGM batteries with another AGM. You cannot install a Lead cell type battery as the system will not operate correctly. Doug