I guess a lot of people don’t use AGM batteries.

 

Bull- i have one in my 05 Camry for past 4 years.
Like it for its resilience to infrequent charging and no battery post corrosion.

 

Cj1. My wife has a Subaru Forester and she does nothing but drive short trips. Her longest trip is 4 miles. The short trips keep killing her battery in a 1 1/2 to 2 years. Do you think a AGM battery would be better for the constant short trips. Thanks

 

Not trying to troll, but have you considered getting an electric vehicle? 4 mile trips are not really enough to keep a battery properly charged/maintained by the alternator.

 

Also not long enough to get the engine to full operating temperature and boil off condensation and combustion acids.
Longest trip of 4 miles would be the one and only time I would recommend oil changes at 3 months or 3000 miles, but the solution is to get the car out on the road and run it at highway speed for an hour or so every weekend.
Daily trips of 4 miles are slowly destroying that engine.

 

Cj1. What brand of AGM do you have. Thanks

 

Diehard Advanced Gold

 

CJ1. Thanks for answering back.
Question: would that AGM battery be good for all the short trips my wife takes.
Where do you get that brand of battery. Also is one brand of AGM battery better than another. Thanks

 

Bull- AGM should be better for constant short trips however replacing standard battery every couple of years gets you a free replacement.
AGM will probably last past the warranty but then you'll pay for a replacement.

As to which AGM is best can't say.
Sears carries Diehard.

 

Cj1. Is it worth it for me to try a AGM battery for all of my wife’s short trips or would you stay with a regular battery. What is your opinion.
A regular battery just can’t handle being under charged all the time. Thanks

 

Cb. We try to take my wife’s vehicle on long drive 2-3 times a week to keep the battery property charged.

 

What speeds were you averaging on those long drives? A good 40-60 minute drive on the highway going 55+ nonstop, is best.

What batteries did you use that went dead? Cheap batteries won't last long with your driving habits. I've been using EverStart Maxx batteries from Walmart with great success for years now.

 

Diehard is sold at Advance Auto now. They bought the Diehard brand. I put a Duralast AGM battery from Autozone in my mothers 2012 Corolla. That was July of 2020. Had to replace the alternator also. So far so good.

Definitely need to take a trip on the highway at least once a week, like cb91710 said.

 

98 corolla. My wife’s batteries just don’t last with the constant short trips and under charging. We have been using Interstate battery. Brand really does not matter if she is constantly under changing battery with short trips.

 

98 corolla. My wife’s batteries just don’t last with the constant short trips and under charging. We have been using Interstate battery. Brand really does not matter if she is constantly under changing battery with short trips.

You can buy and hook up a battery tender. Once or twice a week you can plug it in to keep the battery happy. It should lengthen the life some.


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Brand of battery does not matter like I said if the battery is never being fully charged from short trips.
Is AGM battery battery.

 

An AGM battery may work better, but it might not fix your problem.

I don't care about brand so much as to which model you use. Most brands have low grade, middle grade, and high-end battery. It makes a difference. My original Motorcraft battery that came with my truck lasted 6 years. Then the Duralast Gold I replaced it with lasted 7 years. Then I replaced that battery with an Everstart Maxx and it is about to hit 7 years.

If I bought the cheap "value" batteries from Duralast, Everstart, etc. they would not have lasted nearly as long.

 

98 corolla. What do you mean the AGM may work better but it may not fix my problem. Thanks

 

It's still going to die.
The only thing the AGM battery will do for you is MAYBE last longer between replacements, because they are more tolerant of being deep-cycled than conventional batteries.
Conventional batteries can lose a significant percentage of their capacity with each deep cycle event. AGM are more forgiving, but will still ultimately fail.
The question is, if the AGM costs 50% more than the standard battery, is it going to last more than 50% longer? I doubt it. I don't think the cost/benefit is there.

If the vehicle is garaged, plugging it into a Battery Tender is the best solution.
Driving on a discharged battery is hard on the alternator and charging system as well. The systems really were not designed to be constantly charging a dead battery, they were designed to provide a maintenance charge.

 

AGM batteries can typically hold a charge better when not used as much and driven shorter trips, but it will still lose charge and eventually go dead like a lead acid battery. It might just take longer.

Have you had the alternator checked out? It may have weak output.

 

Esso. For the battery being under charge from all the short trips you recommend a battery maintainer.

 

A battery maintainer would work. You do have to plug it in to a receptacle. Not an issue if you keep the car in a garage or have an outdoor receptacle near by.

It is inconvenient to have to hook it up and unhook it from the battery every time you use the vehicle. And you don't want to accidentally drive off with it still connected.

 

I thought battery tender and battery maintainer were the same thing

 

Battery Tender is a specific brand (and it works very well).
Battery Maintainer is simply a generic term... many companies make them, but Battery Tender is one of the better ones, as it was designed for this purpose.
Most battery chargers have a "trickle" mode, but they can still tend to run a bit higher than is really best for the battery.

 

They are. It does need to be plugged into 120v receptacle.

 

Cb. So even if I get a AGM battery that can Handel short trips the alternator can not Handel short trips.
So you think it would be better to stay with a regular battery and 2-3 times a week drive on a long drive and also use a battery.
Cb my wife drives her forester ever day just never on a trip long enough to charge battery. Thanks

 

The discussion is kinda leading nowhere and going around in circles and OP is asking about a Subaru, not a Toyota.

 

and OP is asking about a Subaru, not a Toyota.

So you're saying that the alternator will die an even earlier death than we might expect? 🤣

But seriously... Physics is physics and doesn't change from brand to brand.
Charging a dead battery is very stressful on the charging system, and driving only 4 miles a day will still likely result in the need for frequent jump-starts and more frequent than expected battery replacement.

 

Cb. Thanks. I will just pick one of the options. Regular battery. AGM battery or to use battery tender.

 

True, but every car is different. Some cars have auxiliary systems to mitigate battery death or secondary motors that charge batteries at full speed while idle in stop and go.

 

Bull, is your current battery under warranty? You should be using this when the battery acts up. The standard warranty is between 2-3 years. After that, they prorate them. Need to make sure you’re buying the correct battery for your car. Size and cold cranking amps specified by the manufacturer.

Invest in either a battery tender or battery charger. Or even a Noco jump pack.

Edit : AGM batteries should only be used on a vehicle that has a need for it. Like a big stereo system. The cost of a AGM is much greater than a lead acid battery.

 

Bull, is your current battery under warranty? You should be using this when the battery acts up. The standard warranty is between 2-3 years. After that, they prorate them. Need to make sure you’re buying the correct battery for your car. Size and cold cranking amps specified by the manufacturer.

Invest in either a battery tender or battery charger. Or even a Noco jump pack.

Edit : AGM batteries should only be used on a vehicle that has a need for it. Like a big stereo system. The cost of a AGM is much greater than a lead acid battery.

This. No need for a battery for a Corolla of this generation that is still simplistic. Group 35 for this one!