I'm thinking about changing the stock battery to a AGM type battery

[Mark S.]

The OEM battery in your vehicle was supposed to be an AGM battery. I have a 21 OB and it was shipped with the AGM battery.

Ford had supply issues and could not get enough AGM batteries for the Bronco Sport and had to start using conventional lead acid batteries.

This has been my suspicion, but I could find no data to back it up. Do you have a source for this claim?

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[Bronclahoma]

My 2021 Badlands had a regular lead acid FoMoCo battery, it started giving up at 19k miles by causing all kinds of electrical errors, non working auto start stop, random no start and stalling episodes. Battery was replaced under warranty with a Motorcraft AGM, have not had any electrical issue's since replacement, it has only been 4k miles, we'll see how long it holds up.

So did my 21 BL. Battery died in about 18 months. Ford apparently shipped some without AGM batteries do to supplier issues. I have no idea if that's happening now. But no way Ford should be shipping a vehicle without current battery technology. If they do they should give a voucher for a replacement.

 

[Bronclahoma]

An after thought. How can I tell if my 23 battery is an AGM?

 

[Dude]

An after thought. How can I tell if my 23 battery is an AGM?

Info on the top of your battery will tell you.

Examples: (not a complete list)
BEF-48H6-A,
BEF-48H6,
BHEF-48H6
Lead-Acid
EFB: Enhanced Flooded Battery

BAGM-48H6-760 (AGM)
AGM: Absorbent Glass Mat

 

[rocks]

So, the BS should have an AGM but either the AGM cost more and was another deleted item or Ford can't get the AGM. I would think AGM batteries are available now.

 

[Mark S.]

Info on the top of your battery will tell you.

BHEF-48H6 (lead-acid)
BAGM-48H6-760 (AGM)

Also note the EFB label. This stands for "enhanced flooded battery." This is a type of sealed lead-acid battery.

 

[ScottyD]

Just checked my '21 OB, it's an BHEF-48H6 EFB

 

[rocks]

Just checked my '21 OB, it's an BHEF-48H6 EFB

Lead-acid. I have the same one.

 

[Glamdring70]

April, '21 build. LA battery. Touchy once upon a time, but occasional battery tender use and more regular driving seems to have alleviated any issues I used to experience. Will probably seek AGM for replacement when that time comes.

 

[dakman]

I just changed the lead acid one that came on mine out for a agm. 18 months use and 37k miles, I was expecting it. Mine gave no weird signs, just didn't want to start so I replaced it. I recall a couple batteries in brand new cars I've purchased never making past 2 years and one lasted about 8 months and wasn't covered by warranty.

 

[Uncle Buck]

All Bronco Sport models are supposed to have an AGM battery from the factory.

If all BS models were SUPPOSED to have an AGM battery, I wonder why we didn't give us a credit for the price/value difference when they sold us our '22 ZBL with a lead-acid battery. They gave us a whole $20 for not having some sort of modem/wifi module. Value of an AGM battery would be more important to me.

Like the OP I have considered swapping out for an AGM as a precautionary move, but at this point I'm thinking I will leave the lead-acid alone for a while and see if it begins to cause any problems.

And to the point that jamaicandave made, I put an AGM from O'Reilly in my 2012 Expedition and it failed in just under three years. Fortunately that put it within the free replacement period, so I now have another new AGM and we will see how ling that lasts. Not an inexpensive battery (nearly $300) but I have lots of electronics and power-hungry accessories (winch, lighting, etc.) so I am willing to spend that money, but in turn, I expect it to last more than 30 months.

 

[NMhunter]

Optima brand batteries are very good. I have one form 2012 I use for my tent lights and my boat.

Our BS's have way too much electrical draws all the time. In the winter, my Auto/Stop/Start would quit working every two weeks or so because I was making short drives with my lights on. A few hours on a battery charger would fix it. If you allow your battery to run down below 50%. it shortens the life of the battery. On my RV, I seldom go below 80%. But I also have a shunt that measures the watts going in and out.

Assuming your alternator is working, your battery should be fully charged at the end of a lenthy trip. It is still warm, so the chances of your battery going out on a trip are slim. That said, I alsway carry a portable jump starter when I go out of town. Being in the middle of nowhere with a vehicle that won't start doesn't seem like fun.

 

[rocks]

Optima brand batteries are very good. I have one form 2012 I use for my tent lights and my boat.

Our BS's have way too much electrical draws all the time. In the winter, my Auto/Stop/Start would quit working every two weeks or so because I was making short drives with my lights on. A few hours on a battery charger would fix it. If you allow your battery to run down below 50%. it shortens the life of the battery. On my RV, I seldom go below 80%. But I also have a shunt that measures the watts going in and out.

Assuming your alternator is working, your battery should be fully charged at the end of a lenthy trip. It is still warm, so the chances of your battery going out on a trip are slim. That said, I alsway carry a portable jump starter when I go out of town. Being in the middle of nowhere with a vehicle that won't start doesn't seem like fun.

Actually, many including myself thought the same but the battery is not fully charged after a long trip. When I would connect my Deltan battery tender plus to the battery after a trip, the battery would be at less than 85%. A blinking green light would show after a few hours of trickle charge which shows an 85% charge. Then after a few more hours a solid green which means 100% charged. My BS sits a lot so I use the trickle charger.

 

[sajohnson]

Like other batteries (and many other products) the quality and performance of AGM batteries varies. Some are not reliable. OTOH, some lead-acid batteries are very well made and will last for 7-8 years or more, depending upon use and whether they are connected to a maintainer for longer periods of non-use.

"Lifeline" is one AGM brand with a good rep. Crown is another. IDK if they make drop-in replacements for the BS. I have no idea how the Motorcraft AGM compares.

AGMs have some advantages over lead-acid (FLA) batteries, but many of them are not applicable to vehicles like ours:

* They do not off-gas hydrogen
* They can be mounted in any position
* They can allegedly continue working after having a hole shot through the case (military use).
* They can charge/discharge faster

However, about the only advantage they have that might be useful for our purposes is a longer life. That, and perhaps more vibration resistance (dep on brand).

AGMs have about the same reserve capacity (for the same size). They can often put out more current, but the standard FLA batteries are already more than capable of running the starter.

AGM Cons:
* Take care when charging; over- and under-charging can affect life and performance
* Limit discharge to 50% of battery capacity for the best reliability
* Often higher up-front cost than lead-acid batteries (often 3X+ cheaper than lithium-ion, though)

Source for 'cons':
https://www.crownbattery.com/news/agm-vs-flooded-batteries-what-you-need-to-know

Crown is a respected mfr and makes both types of batteries. There is more info on that page.

The "Engineering Explained" YouTube channel is very good. This video is educational, but also appears to be a promo piece for Optima batteries, which seem overpriced -- at least they did in the past, I haven't checked recently:

"What Type Of Car Battery Should You Use? Flooded vs AGM":

 

[sajohnson]

Optima brand batteries are very good. I have one form 2012 I use for my tent lights and my boat.

Our BS's have way too much electrical draws all the time. In the winter, my Auto/Stop/Start would quit working every two weeks or so because I was making short drives with my lights on. A few hours on a battery charger would fix it. If you allow your battery to run down below 50%. it shortens the life of the battery. On my RV, I seldom go below 80%. But I also have a shunt that measures the watts going in and out.

Assuming your alternator is working, your battery should be fully charged at the end of a lenthy trip. It is still warm, so the chances of your battery going out on a trip are slim. That said, I alsway carry a portable jump starter when I go out of town. Being in the middle of nowhere with a vehicle that won't start doesn't seem like fun.

Exactly.

I would add that the '50% discharge' guideline is for deep-cycle FLA batteries, like golf cart batteries. Some AGMs as well. Even with deep-cycle batteries, the lifecycle curve is pretty flat. IOW -- it does not take a dive at 50%. All lead-acid batteries -- FLA and AGM -- prefer to be fully charged (100% SOC) all the time. Obviously that's not possible, but the shallower the discharge the better.

That's generally not an issue with most cars, but since the BS has so much going on -- there is a larger than normal draw on the battery when parked -- that can be a problem.

I put a Battery Tender on ours to keep the battery at 100% -- but we do not drive it daily.

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