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A picture would have been terrific and answered some questions for me.
To my eye the Interstate battery, as shown on their website, looks exactly the same on the exterior as my Walmart AGM. The only external difference I see is the color of the bottom case and the warranty. For me the real question is:” What are the internal differences, if any?”.
To my eye the Interstate battery, as shown on their website, looks exactly the same on the exterior as my Walmart AGM. The only external difference I see is the color of the bottom case and the warranty. For me the real question is:” What are the internal differences, if any?”.
Bob
Externally, they are exactly the same, down to the scoring detail in the circular cell caps.
Internally, no information is available to the public to make that determination.
F Odyssey. I could buy 2 of the Walmart AGM batteries for the price of 1 Odyssey.
I had a bad experience with Odyssey batteries, I would never buy them again. I installed a Genesis dual-battery setup in my Tundra, and used the second battery to power the electronics in my roof-top tent setup in the bed. It was comically expensive.
The Odysseys had a slightly different charging profile than normal FLA / AGM / LiFePO battery. So now you gotta buy a special plug-in charger if you want to trickle-charge and maintain them correctly, or else you might void the warranty. Next, they like to see a slightly higher bulk voltage charge (I think it was 14.9v) than my alternator put out. So I ended up doing a hack to trick my alternator to putting out more voltage just to keep them in their happy place while they were charging. Then after babying these batteries in such fashion, I had one fail catastrophically about 6 months after buying it new. A cell simply died. "We've never seen anything like it!" but they replaced it. Quite a hassle. Then a few months after the warranty expired (I think it was 5+ years old) the other one wouldn't hold a charge, even though it had been babied all its life.
Interestingly, Walmart doesn't ship the batteries to your local store. The only option I was given was to ship them to my house. No biggie I guess....as long as they allow me to take my cores to the local store for core refund.
Interestingly, Walmart doesn't ship the batteries to your local store. The only option I was given was to ship them to my house. No biggie I guess....as long as they allow me to take my cores to the local store for core refund.
It was the same for me. I had no problem returning the batteries for the core charge at the local Walmart.
As I just today purchased 2 Walmart EverStart Platinum AGM batteries, Group size 65 with 775 CCA. They have the fold down handle into the top of the batteries.
The date sticker says 1/2025. Looks like the newer batteries are of the 775CCA variety ?
If pictures are needed I could take some prior to installing them within the next few days.
From what I've read is that locking the truck for 8 hours or more will update system to the AGM battery versus Flooded Lead Acid.
Truck is a 2019 F350 King Ranch with 6.7 and lots of other electrical added items. Snow Plow package, heated rear seats, auxilary fast heater (not sure if that is the actual name).
As I just today purchased 2 Walmart EverStart Platinum AGM batteries, Group size 65 with 775 CCA. It has the fold down handle in the top of the battery.
The date sticker says 1/2025. Looks like the newer batteries are of the 775CCA variety ?
If pictures are needed I could take some prior to installing them within the next few days.
From what I've read is that locking the truck for 8 hours or more will update system to the AGM battery versus Flooded Lead Acid.
Truck is a 2019 F350 King Ranch with 6.7 and lots of other electrical added items. Snow Plow package, heated rear seats, auxilary fast heater (not sure if that is the actual name).
I wouldn’t count on it changing the charging profile from flooded to AGM when it resets. I did mine using Forscan.
My OBS AGM does not have a battery blanket and those factory ones are pretty cheap on the newer trucks. I would say you do not need it. I've started that truck down to -35F multiple times. It was -7 the other day and my Duralast Platinum AGM battery is about 7 years old this year and it still started just fine. The AGMs are not as susceptible to freezing as FLA batteries. It is your choice whether to keep it or not.
1) My '19 had no blankets to protect either battery
2) My new Everstart Platinum AGM batteries came with no date stickers on them at all. But, I do have the receipt and it's in Walmart's system so I'm not worried about it.
My OBS AGM does not have a battery blanket and those factory ones are pretty cheap on the newer trucks. I would say you do not need it. I've started that truck down to -35F multiple times. It was -7 the other day and my Duralast Platinum AGM battery is about 7 years old this year and it still started just fine. The AGMs are not as susceptible to freezing as FLA batteries. It is your choice whether to keep it or not.
The blanket is for heat protection, not to keep the battery warm. My truck came with one on each battery. There is a lot of engine and associated heat under the hood of my truck. I'm guessing Ford didn't spend the extra money putting the insulation on the batteries for nothing, but I could be wrong.
The blanket is for heat protection, not to keep the battery warm. My truck came with one on each battery. There is a lot of engine and associated heat under the hood of my truck. I'm guessing Ford didn't spend the extra money putting the insulation on the batteries for nothing, but I could be wrong.
Insulation works both ways...
Do engines today produce more heat than engines did before? Seems batteries lasted longer before they included their felt "blanket".
