Tech Tip: How AGM Battery Technology is Meeting Today’s Vehicle Demands

As featured in the June 2007 issue of Motor Age, WORLDPAC Training Institute’s (WTI) Rob Morrell discusses AGM Battery Technology.

Modern Battery Testing and Replacement

Batteries have been around for an amazingly long time, the oldest known discoveries are from 250 BC in what is now Baghdad, Iraq. The “Baghdad battery” was used for electroplating among other things. Batteries were rediscovered by Alessandro Volta in 1800, after which the volt was named as a unit of electrical potential.

Today, the pace of electronics development in cars and trucks has easily outpaced the battery technology needed to power all this advanced technology for any length of time. One historically recent improvement for the automotive world has been the use of AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries in the most sophisticated and power hungry vehicles. These batteries are more deep cycle in nature and considered to be more durable within certain parameters. AGM recombinant batteries have a very low internal resistance reducing heat during high charge/discharge levels and very low static charge loss of about 1% to 3% per month.

AGM batteries are used in vehicles with high potential load, therefore an AGM battery should only be replaced with another AGM Battery of equal capacity. This is a common mistake to replace an AGM with a regular wet lead acid battery and may destroy the regular wet battery within a couple weeks because of the high demands on it.

Charging of the AGM battery also needs special attention; the charging voltage cannot exceed 14.8 volts even for short periods of time without damaging an AGM battery. AGM Batteries can withstand very high charging currents but not voltage, a slow charge is always the best, most efficient practice. High heat from an engine compartment can also dramatically reduce the AGM battery life; these batteries were never designed for higher temperatures.

Testing a high capacity AGM battery can be somewhat tricky. You must begin with a fully charged battery (see ‘Battery Condition’ chart below), you can usually remove the surface charge by turning the key on for about three minutes. Conductance battery testers can usually work well if they have the right information, but appear to be more accurate with wet type batteries than AGM models; AGM batteries sometimes give false positive results. A load test is the best testing method to avoid unnecessary comebacks. WORLD SOURCE ONE batteries are exact fit quality batteries manufactured in the U.S.A.

AGM batteries should be load tested for 15 seconds at:
- 1/2 the CCA rating (Cold Cranking Amps)
- 3 times the Ah rating (Amp hour rating)
Note: The voltage must not drop below 9.7 volts for the duration of the test.

Battery Condition
12.65 V = 100% charge
12.45 V = 75% charge
12.24 V = 50% charge
12.06 V = 25% charge
11.89 V = 0% charge

For more information about WORLD SOURCE ONE batteries, click here.

For additional reading on batteries, click here to view ‘Why Batteries Are Dying Young’, a Motor Age article that was first published in the June 20, 2007 Scoop electronic newsletter.

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Water Star Motors Receives Honors as a Certified Green Business

Water Star Motors Receives Honors as a Certified Green Business

Pictured, Henry and Lisa Carter, owners of Water Star Motors, accept their award from State Assemblyman John Laird.

WORLDPAC customer Water Star Motors, an auto repair shop in Santa Cruz, California, was recently named Small Business of the Year for the 27th Assembly District. The business was given this honor because of its status as a Certified Green Business.

Water Star Motors has long been dedicated to protecting the environment through Green auto repair practices. Prior to their certification, they had already moved away from using solvents to clean parts, opting for an aqueous parts washer instead. They were also advocates of recycling cans, bottles, cardboard, metals, and waste anti-freeze. So, naturally, when the opportunity to become a Certified Green Business materialized, they were pleased to discover that many aspects of their organization already satisfied the obligations of the program. However, Water Star Motors choose to increase their environmentally conscious efforts to become certifiably Green.

To become a Certified Green Business, Water Star Motors collaborated with Ecology Action, a nonprofit environmental consultancy who lent a hand with education services, technical assistance, and program implementation. After meeting at a seminar, Water Star Motors eagerly took advantage of the free technical assistance provided by the program and used it to determine how it could make significant, yet simple, changes to their business practices.

Water Star Motors describes the following enhancement as particularly noteworthy:

“We had an energy efficient lighting program implemented. Overhead lights were switched to highly efficient ballasts and fluorescents. This lowered our electric bill by $60 a month and reduced our energy usage by 4405 kWh/yr! That is a significant improvement!”

In addition to updating their lighting system, Water Star Motors also reduced water usage by putting mulch around the plants in front of their shop, a water restrictor in the sink and a low-flow flapper in the toilet. They also switched to bulk recycled toilet paper.

When Water Star Motors’ transformation was complete, all of the following areas of business had been positively affected in some way:

- Brake service
- Changing vehicle fluids
- Compliance checks
- Employee awareness and training
- Energy efficiency
- Exterior area maintenance
- Floor drains and cleaning
- Parts washing
- Spill prevention control & response
- Solid waste reduction
- Water conservation

For Water Star Motors, it is important that they serve the needs of their customers, but it is equally important that they serve the needs of the environment. The resulting blend of principals promotes a harmonious relationship that allows Water Star Motors to nurture business as well as nature.

To learn more about the Green Business Program and pollution prevention, visit the following links:

Ecology Action
Monterey Bay Green Businesses
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Pollution Prevention Topic Hub: Auto Repair

Visit Water Star Motors here.

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Industry News: China is On the Heels of Japan for U.S. Auto Parts Imports

Industry News: China is on the Heels of Japan for U.S. Auto Part Imports

WORLDPAC recently received a story from Automotive News reporting on China's growth as a major supplier of U.S. auto parts. We believe this information is instrumental in understanding the changing automotive industry.


China now No. 2 parts source for U.S.
May 28, 2007 - 1:00 am

by Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News

China has passed Germany as America's No. 2 overseas source for auto parts.

According to new U.S. Commerce Department trade data, the United States imported $1.936 billion (14.83 billion yuan) in auto parts from China during the first three months of this year. During the same period, parts valued at $1.934 billion entered the country from German manufacturers.

In the same three months a year ago, Germany shipped the United States $1.73 billion in parts, while China shipped $1.52 billion.

Japan remains the largest overseas source of parts, with $3.57 billion in imports for the period. North American free-trade partners Canada and Mexico also still ship more parts into the United States than China, Germany or Japan.

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