[geekfamily]

Hi everyone. Have a MY14 Volt, purchased new.

Planning to replace 12V AGM battery this weekend, and noticed Sams has them on sale. Purchased, but after reading the 12V Battery FAQ, I am unsure if this AGM is vented or not. From reading the FAQ, want to be sure and connect the existing OEM vent tube to my replacement AGM...but this Duracell has 2 small holes (are they vent holes), and if so did not come with a "plug" for the side not used. The Sams page says "AGM Sealed Valve".

Has anyone used this Sams Club Duiracell successfully as a replacement? Are those vent holes and what did you plug the opposite side with? Any help would be much appreciated before I start this project.

Sams Link: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/auto-group-47-h5-agm-36-mo-free/prod9510084.ip

 

[Guest]

The battery is sealed. It would only 'vent' in the event of a catastrophic failure, like an alternator regulator failure which would subject the battery to a severe overcharge. It's very unlikely that the DC to DC converter which charges your battery would (or even could) fail in any manner which would result in a battery failure. IMO, you're pretty safe using that battery without any vent tubes hooked up to it. Others may offer a different opinion, but when I need a new battery, I'm headed to Sam's Club and NOT to the dealer

Don

 

[jcanoe]

An AGM battery, sometimes called a sealed lead acid battery, is one type of valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery. The VRLA battery is sealed so there is no need or way to add water to a VRLA battery. The valve is a safety mechanism that will normally only open to vent oxygen and hydrogen gas, due to excessive internal battery pressure, as when the battery is being overcharged.

 

[jcanoe]

An AGM battery, sometimes called a sealed lead acid battery, is one type of valve regulated lead acid https://(VRLA) battery. The VRLA battery is sealed so there is no need or way to add water to a VRLA battery. The valve is a safety mechanism that will normally only open to vent oxygen and hydrogen gas, due to excessive internal battery pressure, as when the battery is being overcharged.

I'm not sure if this is more hype than anything but the OE Delco battery is supposed to contain some silver as part of the battery chemistry. The purpose of the silver is to improve performance of the Volt's CAN bus. Perhaps someone with specific experience with the automotive CAN bus can provide additional explanation.

 

[wizard_of-ahs]

Hi everyone. Have a MY14 Volt, purchased new.

Planning to replace 12V AGM battery this weekend, and noticed Sams has them on sale. Purchased, but after reading the 12V Battery FAQ, I am unsure if this AGM is vented or not. From reading the FAQ, want to be sure and connect the existing OEM vent tube to my replacement AGM...but this Duracell has 2 small holes (are they vent holes), and if so did not come with a "plug" for the side not used. The Sams page says "AGM Sealed Valve".

Has anyone used this Sams Club Duiracell successfully as a replacement? Are those vent holes and what did you plug the opposite side with? Any help would be much appreciated before I start this project.

Sams Link: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/auto-group-47-h5-agm-36-mo-free/prod9510084.ip

Just put it in..........I just put that very battery in my 14 last weekend........since it was "on sale"

 

[Sir*real]

I just bought one of these Duracell batteries at Sam's for my 2013 Volt for preventive maintenance. Good buy at $115 on sale with the $20 off. I couldn't beat that price anywhere else. Also has a 3 year free replacement warranty. I just unplugged the plastic end of the vent hose on the old battery and plugged it in the new one. I didn't do anything with the hole at the other end of the new battery. I guess you could stick a piece of tape over it. I agree with other post, an AGM battery won't release any fumes unless it's overcharging or damaged. As far as I know that's why they had to use an AGM since it's located inside the car.

 

[Barry]

How do you get the $20 off? The listing is currently showing as $135 for me at my location. Is the $20 off a sale that has ended?

Also, just to confirm, this is a DIY installation, right? Sam's doesn't do the install, do they? Not that I would really trust them digging into my cargo compartment.

 

[saltsman]

Same question... is the sale over? I'm only seeing $135.

 

[Sir*real]

Looks like it's not on sale any longer. I was going to replace mine when I found it for $135 so when it went on sale I pulled the trigger and bought one. Kind of hard to replace a good working battery, but it was going on 5 years old. According to other post, it will leave you stranded if the battery decides to die at the wrong time or it can cause strange faults codes and problems. Sam's had the least expensive AGM battery I could find by far so $135 it's still a really good buy. Three year free replacement warranty is better than most.

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure if this is more hype than anything but the OE Delco battery is supposed to contain some silver as part of the battery chemistry. The purpose of the silver is to improve performance of the Volt's CAN bus. Perhaps someone with specific experience with the automotive CAN bus can provide additional explanation.

Yeah thats a load of snake oil.

CAN doesn't even run at 12V. Its a 2.5V differential signal.

 

[jcanoe]

Yeah thats a load of snake oil.

CAN doesn't even run at 12V. Its a 2.5V differential signal.

Good to know, thanks. Does the CAN bus signal pass through the battery?

 

[Barry]

My original battery is still going strong at almost 6 years. I know they can potentially last years longer than that. I hate to replace it if it works, but a no-start is a hassle, and it if happens while I am out of town, even more so. Plus then I would probably have to pay top dollar for the replacement. I am starting to think the wise move is to go ahead and get a new one. Now it is mostly a question of getting around to doing it.

 

[Guest]

My original battery is still going strong at almost 6 years. I know they can potentially last years longer than that. I hate to replace it if it works, but a no-start is a hassle, and it if happens while I am out of town, even more so. Plus then I would probably have to pay top dollar for the replacement. I am starting to think the wise move is to go ahead and get a new one. Now it is mostly a question of getting around to doing it.

We think alike - For more than 40 years, I've replaced batteries, fan belts and coolant hoses before they make me walk to the nearest store and pay twice what I could have bought them at home yesterday for. Preventative maintenance solves lots of embarrassing situations *before* they actually happen. Thank heavens there are rules about doing the same on airplanes . . . . .

Don

 

[Guest]

Good to know, thanks. Does the CAN bus signal pass through the battery?

No... It runs through your wire harness via twisted pairs to each control unit in the vehicle.

Edit: Well it does run to the control board on the high-voltage battery pack, if thats what you mean. And to the 14V DC-DC converter that charges the 12V battery.

 

[jcanoe]

No... It runs through your wire harness via twisted pairs to each control unit in the vehicle.

Edit: Well it does run to the control board on the high-voltage battery pack, if thats what you mean. And to the 14V DC-DC converter that charges the 12V battery.

Thanks, I was referring to the 12V AGM battery.

 

[ms2000]

Just put it in..........I just put that very battery in my 14 last weekend........since it was "on sale"

Could you guys share your experience since using this battery?
Is it as good as OEM? Any issues? Does it meet the OEM spec?

 

[Sir*real]

I bought one of these Duracell batteries from Sams for my Gen 1 Volt about two years ago and its been working just fine. My original AC Delco was still ok but it was 5 years old, so I replaced it.

 

[JuneBug]

Could you guys share your experience since using this battery?
Is it as good as OEM? Any issues? Does it meet the OEM spec?

I bought the Duracell AGM battery from Sam's Club in June of '19. It is absolutely identical to the ACDelco it replaced, right down to the location of the vent hole.

 

[ms2000]

I bought the Duracell AGM battery from Sam's Club in June of '19. It is absolutely identical to the ACDelco it replaced, right down to the location of the vent hole.

Thanks for the detailed info
I don't have membership and they are 50 miles away - not an easy drive.
It appears warehouse only item too

 

[billmcf]

Costco no longer sells the Group 47 AGM, and there are no Sam's Clubs in my area. I bought this online from Summit Racing:
ACDelco AGM 88865476
Cost was $168, with free shipping. It came double boxed and packaged very well. It was made in Germany and was only 3 months old, according the the date code. FYI, this battery has a vent hole on each side; I plugged the extra hole. It works perfectly in the Volt.