Should I switch from AGM to EFB?

The AGM battery in my Sharan is starting to weaken. On the Banner website, an EFB battery is suggested as an upgrade. I'm a little confused right now.

Hello Andreas,

Without knowing which engine and equipment your vehicle has, I can only provide you with approximate values.

EFB is the more cost-effective alternative for vehicles with...

- Start/Stop
- without recuperation
- for gasoline engines.

If the vehicle is primarily used for long distances and sees little city driving, then the battery is worth considering.

It has significantly fewer charging cycles than AGM batteries and is suitable for vehicles without special equipment and with standard electrical loads.

If the vehicle is frequently used in urban traffic, an AGM battery is generally recommended, as it can better maintain the voltage supply during the frequent stop-and-go phases.

The AGM battery is more modern, more powerful, and, with proper maintenance, also more durable than the EFB battery.


Does that help you? Otherwise, I need more information to provide a definitive answer.

Best regards,

Michael.

Hello Michael,

Thank you very much for your detailed answer.

It's a diesel (CFGC) model with full equipment. That is to say, a large number of electrical components, such as electric sliding doors, electric tailgate, seat heaters, etc.

I'm just curious why Banner is promoting EFB so much. By the way: which manufacturer would you recommend?

Hello Andreas,

For a 2.0 diesel engine with full equipment, I would personally install an AGM battery.

If you have an AGM battery in your vehicle, replace it with another one.

Since AGM batteries are too expensive for many customers, the manufacturers offer liquid batteries as a more affordable alternative in their product range.

The Sharan has the battery located in the engine compartment, and a liquid battery can be installed there, provided the battery manufacturer offers one. If the vehicle battery is located inside the passenger compartment, then installing a liquid battery is not possible.

Best regards,

Michael.

Hello Michael,

I will also remain on AGM, but I couldn't fully implement Banner's tactics.

Do you have any interesting travel plans?

Hi,

I have had good experiences with Exide AGM batteries.

Don't expect too much. Since virtually all manufacturers now have their products manufactured in East Asia, the general quality is unfortunately not what it used to be. They are cutting costs wherever possible, especially when it comes to lead content. Unfortunately, this also affects the long-term durability.

The pinnacle of creation so far has been a Sebang EFB (original equipment for the Golf 7). Dead after 2.5 years.

Quote:

The pinnacle of creation so far has been a Sebang EFB (original equipment for the Golf 7). After 2.5 years, it died.

The same thing lasted at least four years in our Golf 7. However, besides the quality, the Golf 7's peculiar energy management system may also have played a role. Initially, after starting, it continues to discharge (which reduces consumption during the driving cycle) if not all possible consumers are activated. Then, it charges rapidly (which is noticeable due to the increase in engine speed).
The AGM battery in the Audi is better. JCB, 9 years old. She doesn't like excessive use of the start/stop function either.
hg
Herbert.

I almost never use the start/stop function. At that time, the car never showed less than 37 km on the odometer continuously, so she must have always had her 80% usage.

Since then, I haven't had any problems with the AGM battery, even though I'm only driving 6,000 km per year now, compared to 22,000 km per year previously. And often, these trips involve shorter distances.

Herbert wrote:

Quote: The pinnacle of creation so far has been a Sebang EFB (original equipment for the Golf 7). It died after 2.5 years. The same thing lasted at least four years in our Golf 7. However, besides the quality, the Golf 7's peculiar energy management might also play a role. Initially, after starting, it continues to discharge (which reduces consumption during the driving cycle) if not all possible consumers are activated. Then, it charges rapidly (which is noticeable due to the increase in engine speed). The AGM battery in the Audi is better. JCB, 9 years old. She doesn't like excessive use of the start/stop function either. hg Herbert

JCB is really good; the battery in the telescopic handler is still the original one, even though the machine is started multiple times every day.
The AGM battery in my Audi is also the original one, and it's 10 years old.

My battery is working better again. I've confirmed this with my CBT 12XS from the company Novitec. The cold test current has increased again.

The Sharan had been parked in the garage a lot since the beginning of the Corona pandemic. And it's being used more frequently now. Despite being connected to the CTEK MXS 5.0 battery charger, the condition of the battery has deteriorated.

How can this be explained?

I have no explanation for that. But this winter, I also had the battery replaced in our Sharan 7N, manufactured in 2012, which also has a CFGC engine (170 hp TDI).

Therefore, another tip from my side: From the factory, mine had a battery tray with a plastic box as heat protection for the battery, and it contained a ~70Ah battery. However, many suppliers also stated that an 80Ah battery should fit. So, I ordered the larger battery. However, it only fits in vehicles without the plastic battery box (i.e., with a fiber material) and with a different battery tray, as was probably installed in later production years. I had to return the battery at my own expense, even though the supplier had listed it as being compatible with the vehicle. I had also considered switching to a different type of holder and a fleece warming cover, but I decided against it due to the cost.

Short summary: Make sure you can actually fit the battery inside.

I chose a Varta Silver AGM battery. It cost approximately €135.

Regards,
Guste.

You should actually have a CFGB .

I had an 80Ah version with a fleece cover installed from the factory due to features like the auxiliary heating system, and based on similar experiences to yours, I always only rely on the specified dimensions.

I'm surprised that there seems to be a noticeable difference between normal operation and battery preservation using a charger.

Can you measure the internal resistance of the batteries? They actually say a lot about their "health."

Using the multimeter, I measured 1.76 megaohms between the terminals.

Megaohm, are you sure?

"That's what my Fluke meter showed. The battery is installed, and I suspect that the BEM is distorting the reading." To be on the safe side, one would have to disconnect the poles, which I would like to avoid.