I need a new battery for my 2015 Mustang. I have a Whipple on it, so cranking may have a little more resistance. One of my buddies has a Northstar AGM and swears by it. Odyssey makes a similar battery. Both have pure lead so the plates are thinner and there are more of them. Are these worth the extra dollars?

I have had a Northstar X2 battery in my boat for several years. The 3.0l OptiMax engines have very high battery demands. They crank easily, but are somewhat tough to light if the battery isn't up to it. I've never had a bit of trouble with the Northstar.

I just bought a Northstar Elite battery to use in my brush chipper that has a 140hp Caterpillar engine. I bought it at a battery specialty shop and I asked the manager for the best AGM cranking battery. It cost $350.00 but that is cheap compared to time lost with a bad battery.

I also have an Odyssey battery in my skid steer loader. The battery sits unused for long periods but has not let me down. They are both high quality batteries.

Is the alternator in your Mustang set up to deliver the correct voltage to charge an AGM? Some vehicles come from the factory equipped with AGM, most don't. Compared to conventional wet cell the chemistry is obviously different and so is the charge regimen, eg. different charge voltage. Look at any decent smart battery charger and there are different settings for flooded wet cell, AGM, and gel batteries.

I've got a Northstar X2 AGM in my 1966 Mustang Convertible. Works great for a few years now.

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Originally posted by jigray3:
Is the alternator in your Mustang set up to deliver the correct voltage to charge an AGM? Some vehicles come from the factory equipped with AGM, most don't. Compared to conventional wet cell the chemistry is obviously different and so is the charge regimen, eg. different charge voltage. Look at any decent smart battery charger and there are different settings for flooded wet cell, AGM, and gel batteries.

What voltage is needed to charge a AGM? My alternator is putting 14.92 VDC to the battery measured at the terminals.

I'm probably going to have to go with a different battery holder than stock, I cant find a 96R style battery in AGM as odd as that sounds!

Three months shy of six years out of my factory battery, this thread is most timely.

bdbatteries.com has my Northstar Group48 for $254 delivered. 4 Year Full Replacement Warranty. Close to OEM pricing but domestic and apparently better specs than the 3-year ACDelco 48AGM.

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Originally posted by Tommydogg:

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
Is the alternator in your Mustang set up to deliver the correct voltage to charge an AGM? Some vehicles come from the factory equipped with AGM, most don't. Compared to conventional wet cell the chemistry is obviously different and so is the charge regimen, eg. different charge voltage. Look at any decent smart battery charger and there are different settings for flooded wet cell, AGM, and gel batteries.

What voltage is needed to charge a AGM? My alternator is putting 14.92 VDC to the battery measured at the terminals.

I'm probably going to have to go with a different battery holder than stock, I cant find a 96R style battery in AGM as odd as that sounds!

I wonder what it is about the 96R as I took a peek on NAPAs site and they do not offer a 96R either on their AGM batteries.
I have had 2 NAPA Legend AGMs now and am quite happy. My wife’s original factory battery in her Highlander exploded just sitting in the garage heat. Nastiness all over the engine bay and the battery cable terminals literally fused to the battery posts and took me forever to get them apart and days of soaking the terminals in coke to get them usable again.

NAPA AGMs are quite nice and look to run about $50 cheaper than Northstar. Taking interest in this thread to learn more about them.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
Is the alternator in your Mustang set up to deliver the correct voltage to charge an AGM? Some vehicles come from the factory equipped with AGM, most don't. Compared to conventional wet cell the chemistry is obviously different and so is the charge regimen, eg. different charge voltage. Look at any decent smart battery charger and there are different settings for flooded wet cell, AGM, and gel batteries.

All later model cars should handle AGM batteries. The only reason they come from the factory without them is reducing cost for profit. I have an AGM in a 2007 vehicle and the battery charges normally and performs like a champ. All of my future batteries will be AGM, with the possible exception of a 99, but I will research that and use an AGM if I can get away with it.

I've heard of Northstar but have no experience with them. I've also heard that somewhere between most to all domestic batteries come from only two or three manufacturers at the most.

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Originally posted by Tommydogg:

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
Is the alternator in your Mustang set up to deliver the correct voltage to charge an AGM? Some vehicles come from the factory equipped with AGM, most don't. Compared to conventional wet cell the chemistry is obviously different and so is the charge regimen, eg. different charge voltage. Look at any decent smart battery charger and there are different settings for flooded wet cell, AGM, and gel batteries.

What voltage is needed to charge a AGM? My alternator is putting 14.92 VDC to the battery measured at the terminals.

I'm probably going to have to go with a different battery holder than stock, I cant find a 96R style battery in AGM as odd as that sounds!

The link below will take you to a reputable site that discusses AGM batteries, both advantages and limitations. They have many advantages over conventional flooded types, however improper charging and charge conditions can cause premature failure, which defeats the purpose. Here's an excerpt of the relevant information:

"As with all gelled and sealed units, AGM batteries are sensitive to overcharging. A charge to 2.40V/cell (and higher) is fine; however, the float charge should be reduced to between 2.25 and 2.30V/cell (summer temperatures may require lower voltages). Automotive charging systems for flooded lead acid often have a fixed float voltage setting of 14.40V (2.40V/cell); a direct replacement with a sealed unit could overcharge the battery on a long drive. (See BU-403: Charging Lead Acid.)

AGM and other sealed batteries do not like heat and should be installed away from the engine compartment. Manufacturers recommend halting charge if the battery core reaches 49°C (120°F).

Link

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I have a Whipple on it

?

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Originally posted by egregore:

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I have a Whipple on it

?

You know, a Whipple. Like a strap-on....or a supercharger...

North Star and odyssey are both great batteries. A yacht I manage has northstars as an inverter bank and under hard use they lasted 4 years.

If this NorthStar battery is $250, will it last 12+ years? I average over 5 years from a Johnson Controls battery from Walmart, about $100 depending on vehicle.

It may well be this battery is better than average, but with the price difference still may not be worth it.

Apparently no one makes a direct replacement AGM battery for the newer Mustangs. If you must have an AGM battery, have you considered using a battery relocation kit to move your battery to the trunk? Then you just have to buy a battery that fits in the box, whatever size that may be.

 
If you use an AGM battery and need some sort of maintainer, the BatteryMinder AGM model is better suited than a BatteryTender. It delivers an AGM specific charge curve and has an active desulfation feature.