SECTION 3 GETTING STARTED 3.1 What Are the Most Commonly Used Car Batteries? Cars are powered by lead-acid batteries. The most commonly used ones are listed below: ● Flooded Lead Acid Batteries (Wet): This is the oldest/most common car battery type, also known as a "SLI battery." The Flooded Battery is usually made of 6 cells with a liquid electrolyte solution of sulfuric acid and water that needs to be topped off periodically. This battery typically supplies a voltage of 12.6V at full charge. ● Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB): This battery type also uses a liquid electrolyte solution. However, different from the Wet Flooded Lead Acid, it is sealed and maintenance-free.
The Enhanced Flooded battery is usually seen in cars with simple start-stop technology, and can provide up to 85,000 engine cranks. ● Gel Cell Battery (Gel) & VRLA Battery: Gel batteries are similar to flooded batteries. Although for this type, calcium replaces the antimony in the lead plates, and silica is added to the electrolyte solution, turning the liquid into a gel. ● Absorbent Glass Mat Battery (AGM): AGM batteries are designed to deliver powerful bursts of starting amps and run for a long time. "Absorbed Glass Mats" are used to cushion the ultra-thin lead plates, allowing manufacturers to include more leads into one battery and provide more power.
AGM batteries are divided into two categories according to the cell structure. They can be AGM FLAT PLATE or AGM SPIRAL. This type of battery is ideal for vehicles with automatic start-stop applications and braking energy recovery. 3.2 How to Identify What Type of Battery You Have? Let's take the following picture as an example (See Figure 3.2.1): Manufacturers Part No. Battery Type Figure 3.2.1 EN I 8 AGM 650 E51 80Ah 12v A (SAE) Reserve Capacity Voltage CCA in USA Reserve Capacity CCA in USA