Car Battery - Varta versus Amaron

[awhtc]

@Mkl22 I will likely download the data into my laptop and check the state over time.  I don't mind switching battery brands (e.g. Varta versus Amaron) or type (e.g. AGM versus EFB) to figure out which one is the most cost-effective battery for my car.

[Discoburg]

1 hour ago, awhtc said:

The meter should work on almost all car batteries as the battery options are very wide in its menu.

If you are referring to helping you to test, it will be quite a hassle to arrange for a periodic meet-up and driving over to test for a few minutes.

Hence, I suggest you get a meter yourself to periodically check on your car battery, and it is only $41+ 😃

@Mkl22 can help 😂

[awhtc]

If it is just a once-off test, it will be easier to just drop by any car battery workshop and let them know you are concerned about your car battery's state of health.  Then you can ask for a free test and if the battery is not good, you can swap to a new one on the spot.  Of course, don't go during peak hours when they are very busy 😉

[Kb27]

21 hours ago, awhtc said:

@Mkl22 I will likely download the data into my laptop and check the state over time.  I don't mind switching battery brands (e.g. Varta versus Amaron) or type (e.g. AGM versus EFB) to figure out which one is the most cost-effective battery for my car.

Imo, EFB is better than AGM for our hot weather. EFB contains water (acid solution), so I believe the water buffers the heat and increase battery life.

AGM is starved electrolyte, contains very little if any water, as the electrolyte is infused into the glass mat. Any heat during charging is directly heating up the lead plates.

Battery life is shortened by heat. It lose capacity during cold.

So AGM is excellent for winter countries, where the battery is difficult to start at freezing temp, but not good for hot equatorial countries.

And besides, EFB is much cheaper, unless you want to pay for the hype, the "best" battery, the most expensive -> AGM.

[awhtc]

I have finally figured out why my car batteries drained and died so fast in this hybrid car ~ 1 year and 1.5-year lifespan.

I switched my car headlights to auto-on.  Hence, in EV mode when the ICE is not running and spinning the alternator, the headlights drain the battery excessively.

[Mkl22]

1 hour ago, awhtc said:

I have finally figured out why my car batteries drained and died so fast in this hybrid car ~ 1 year and 1.5-year lifespan.

I switched my car headlights to auto-on.  Hence, in EV mode when the ICE is not running and spinning the alternator, the headlights drain the battery excessively.

That’s why for stop start cars, you need a bigger capacity unit and those more robust to handle stop start. 

[Wildfaye29]

i say again - hybrid shuttle GP7 does not have an alternator and it does not have a start stop system

[awhtc]

I think it is a converter rather than an alternator.  The regenerated power does a round trip to the hybrid battery before being stepped down to the smaller normal battery.

This makes it rather puzzling and frustrating because I have a lot of power sitting in the hybrid battery and yet the engine cannot be started once the normal battery becomes flat.