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Upgrading to AGM

4K views 11 replies 3 participants last post by  ctfortin 
#1 · (Edited)
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Out of curiosity, those who upgraded to an AGM battery, higher CCA/RC... , did it cause any issues?

Per service manual :
"When replacing the battery, it should be same one (type, capacity and brand) that is originally installed on your vehicle. If a battery of a different type is replaced, the battery sensor may recognize the battery to be abnormal."


Do we need to add the new battery specs somewhere? I've never changed a battery myself. With my luck with computers, I kinda fear the car will bug at some point (alternator working per OEM battery specs, not the new AGM...).

Thanks!

Edit : added pics for future reference.

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#3 ·
Thanks, I thought so too. But boy it's not easy getting an answer... No one seems to understand that alternator and battery need to be in sync. I mean, don't they? Unless sensors and whatever electronics in place are smart enough to recognize there's a new battery's with different specs? My car is 5 years old, so I kinda doubt it.

In my career in accounting analysis, I've seen too many details being neglected, unexplained excess data (conversion discrepancies) being carried over to variance accounts, until they exceeded a tolerance threshold... That's where I came in, to finally find the needle in the haystack. Because the devil is always in the details. Same might happen with the battery/alternator IMO...!?
 
#4 ·
NOTE:
  • For the vehicle equipped with a battery sensor, be careful not to damage the battery sensor when the battery is replaced or recharged.
  1. When replacing the battery, it should be same one (type, capacity and brand) that is originally installed on your vehicle. If a battery of a different type is replaced, the battery sensor may recognize the battery to be abnormal.
  2. When installing the ground cable on the negative post of battery, tighten the clamp with specified torque. An excessive tightening torque can damage the PCB internal circuit and the battery terminal.
  3. When recharging the battery, ground the negative terminal of the booster battery to the vehicle body.

This is the service info related to the battery sensor in the 2018 Forte5.

Can you see a battery part number on yours, it should be CMF68L-DIN. If the part number started with AGM instead of CMF it would have a agm battery as standard equipment. I would stick with what the car already has. Personally I would stick with the standard closed maintenance free battery. Try to keep the stock 600 CCA (cold cranking amps) and 110 RC (reserve capacity).
 
#5 ·
Modern cars use computer technology that monitors simple things like wattage and voltage current. Installing a smaller, lower CCA, battery can cause the computer to sense reduced current/wattage and cause warnings to be displayed. Typically larger CCA rated batteries don't cause the warnings.

This is the reason our 3rd gen Fortes can't use plain LED bulbs (like fog lights, for example). We have to use the same rated bulb or "Canbus" LED bulbs that provide feedback to the computers or else we'll get dash warnings to check the bulb. The original halogen fog light bulbs use @55 watts and the LED bulbs run 4 Watts - so if you use them the computer thinks the bulb is out.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for your suggestion. Replacing with same battery type & specs (indeed CMF68L-DIN) sounds like the reasonable thing to do after all. I'm in Canada, with extreme colds in the winter, extreme heat in the summer, and I drive short distances, which is why I thought of changing to AGM with more CCA. But the original battery caused no issues until 4th & 5th winter, so I guess that's good.
Much appreciated!
 
#7 ·
Turns out my alternator needs to be changed, as well the battery. Car is only 5 years old with only 35,000km. Is low mileage/short driving distances the reason? Or the remote starter? Also, the mechanic says my car needs a H5 battery, dealership says H6. I get the feeling the database used by garages isn't accurate. If so, can I trust them to go by what the database says? I was hoping to stop servicing my car at the dealership (prices went up 33% in 6 months last year, and the quality of their services declined drastically). Then again, if at least they use the parts actually needed by the car...
I've seen way too many databases in my career with the occasional wrong info. I wonder if it's the case with my car : /
 
#11 · (Edited)
Turns out the mechanic at CT wasn't trustworthy. Anyhow, I just wanted to add these pics and further comments for future reference (for myself)... It's from Costco's battery replacement guide. It recommends a H5 AGM.... Instead, I bought the Kirkland H6 ie same type as the original but higher CCA (I can easily return it if ever). I then stopped at a Kia dealership to speak with a mechanic. He said sure they can install the battery and no, they don't reprogram the ECU with new battery specs. He said they just swap the batteries. So I'll swap them myself, then for peace of mind, I will seek one last opinion (have the charging system checked with new battery in and have them check for any ECU codes). I've yet to find another OBD2 device. The one I got with the purchase of the car is useless (Android app was discontinued barely months later and I could never get Torque or any other app to recognize it). I'll keep the original battery for a while as it's still good IMO. I will use it to test battery testers and chargers, eg a solar charger I ordered online...



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I want the replacement battery to fit snuggly in the sleeve (H5 is a good inch narrower).

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#12 ·
ps I returned the Kirkland battery. Original battery works fine and keeps the charge with temperatures -5C or above. I'll replace it next winter. Also, I've since changed my habits : I turn everything off before stopping the engine (radio, side mirrors, etc.)
 
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