I called 3 (three!) local Jaguar dealerships for a replacement battery for my 2010 XK. They only stock and will only sell me a 'flooded' (NOT AGM) battery.

 

Well done! this was going to haunt me all day.
I knew there was something fishy.
There is simply no good reason to put liquid acid that always leaks inside the passenger compartment. Logic prevails.

On the lighter side, I can see the Monty Python skit that was the executive battery decision:

Engineer: Sir what do you expect us to do with a mountain of no bloody good liquid acid batteries from the days of the diesel submarines.

Bean-counter: Pepper it my son- yes within the same model and year. But do put out a disclaimer disqualifying their warranty claims if they have matched the wrong battery with the wrong car. We will save an additional fortune in rejected claims.

Note: they did not say anything about damage to charging system- which means there is none.

 

When my battery crapped out a few months ago, it was a Jag labeled battery that was NOT AGM. I was planning on going AGM because of the comments on this forum but I will state (and admit) that I chickened out and got the flooded because of this bulletin!

 

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have an AGM battery that is now about 3 years old that has been doing fine. I keep it plugged in to a CTEK charger when the car is not driven. And it has not been driven often.

 

Well now I feel terrible for my response to the OP after reading the TSP. I based my response on the part number on the battery (T890J is a Jaguar Battery wet OEM replacement) and his lookup part number, but he indicated he doesn't have the original battery in place.

Is there no way of knowing what his OEM set up was/is?

I suck.

 

That's what we can not determine. :-/

I don't remember seeing anything about the battery on Topix but I can't re-check at the moment.

I'm with Q and C. I bet installation was random and it makes no difference and that TSB is a CYA... But what do I know

 

Worry not, a battery fire right behind the driver's seat is not something you live to complain about.

 

I had the original battery in my 2009 XKR replaced by the dealer on 1/8/2014 and the invoice shows Part # C2P12111. I just looked it up online at Jaguar Merriam Parts and the description says "Battery -Wet". That part # has been replaced by C2P24168.

That website shows the primary battery for my 2013 XJ as part # C2D22312. I did a part # search and to my surprise it is described as " Battery - Wet". I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that the OEM battery is AGM. Hmmm...

To be continued ...

 

Amazing what comes out in discovery.

For the record, thus far everyone I asked if they knew how to distinguish an AGM battery, has not. More crucially have cited the flawed Jaguar description "wet battery" as the source of identification. Both AGM and Plain Olde batteries are wet.

At least you caught the error right away.

Staying with logic, make note of how Jaguar claims to have indiscriminately and arbitrarily used both...my suspicion is that they have only used AGM. There is no good reason to put a "wet" "flooded" tub of crazy caustic acid behind the drivers seat. Forget it being the opposite of insurance in an accident, think about how much corrosion there will be years down the road from normal battery spillage.

BTW perhaps you can shed some light on the class they formed and or a lawsuit Jaguar settled regarding battery. It may explain their ambiguity.

 

Look at page 2 of the TSB I attached above. Jaguar AGM batteries actually say AGM on them. The Interstate (in the TSB) and other batteries I have seen have an A in the Part number, ie. H8A

 

Does the battery you want have +/- 12.5 volts? If so, use it.

 

So I went to the dealer yesterday and had a long discussion about batteries and other stuff (like where to buy the right oil and how to change it). Anyway, my car 2012 XKRS does require a regular non-AGM battery and I picked it up for ~$200. It's T8-90J model with a Jaguar logo and "Made in Germany" sticker.

According to the tech , some Jags do come with AGM batteries, but it depends on the year. Charging cycles are different between AGM and non-AGM and I just decided to go with the original non-AGM one. Personal preference. I did get almost 3 years out of the previous battery and with proper care (CTEK charger) I am hoping to get the same out of the new one.

I can post a picture of the battery if anyone is interested.

Thank you all

 

 

Well, I have just changed the original battery in my 2010 XKR (Varta, date code 01/10) and it is a regular flooded wet battery.


I am curious how you tell if the charging system is AGM. Can you share this information please?


I'm also a bit puzzled about how a (presumably flooded) lead-acid would not make sense.

 

Interesting tidbit on AGM. AGM is making inroads into the start-stop function of cars. The classic flooded type is simply not robust enough and repeated cycling causes a sharp capacity fade after only two years of use. (See BU-806a: Heat, Loading and Battery Life.)

As with all gelled and sealed units, AGM batteries are sensitive to overcharging. A charge to 2.40V/cell (and higher) is fine; however, the float charge should be reduced to between 2.25 and 2.30V/cell (summer temperatures may require lower voltages). Automotive charging systems for flooded lead acid often have a fixed float voltage setting of 14.40V (2.40V/cell); a direct replacement with a sealed unit could overcharge the battery on a long drive. (See BU-403: Charging Lead Acid.)

AGM and other sealed batteries do not like heat and should be installed away from the engine compartment. Manufacturers recommend halting charge if the battery core reaches 49°C (120°F). Table 1 spells out the advantages and limitations of AGM.

 

Whether your car has an AGM charging system or not should be immaterial. Here is why..
Do you have shorter than expected battery life. If you do then you will only make things better as you already have a problem.

1. The false fear is that you will kill an AGM battery by overcharging it. You could if you drove it like a taxi- the reason you have battery problems with the original is because you dont drive enough.
2. You cant kill it, it has 2.5 times the life and 3times the warranty, 7 years in some cases, so who cares if you prematurely kill an AGM in 4 years- guess what mates, you get a new one.
3. AGM charges faster, so it fits the XK lifestyle. The thing that will kill any battery is if its not fully charged each time. SO if on your short trip you have only managed to charge a battery to 75%, and this happens time after time, you will effectively only get half the life out of a battery. Here is where an AGM delivers the double punch- it charges faster, and it has 2.5 times the tolerance to undercharging- the number one reason you are killing your other batteries.

4. The most compelling reason to go with an AGM- no corrosion. Look at any regular battery tray on an older car and you will see its where the rot starts. Why would you want that in one of the most critical areas in your car, inside the cabin no less.

 

Q&C I don't have a dog in this discussion as I'll replace the battery when I have to. It doesn't matter which type and I'll make that decision at the time. I'm just pointing out the data/information for others to digest. I'm not posting to defend either type. I bought my 2012 in late 2014 at 6600 miles and it just had a new Jaguar label flood battery installed. It's still good at this time so we'll see how long it goes.

 

Sorry Jagtoes I was responding to Jima.

I know you wont have any troubles with batteries cause you watch it like a hawk.

Have you found a reliable capacity meter?

 

Put any damn battery in the thing that will fit. It will work. Hell, MAKE any battery fit. Use blocks of wood, fabricate brackets, glue the dang thing to the floor and run jumper cables.

 

No, not really. The XK8 battery is actually the calcium one out of the '99 Sovereign and is still going strong and testing well. The battery I just replaced in the XK was an original 2010 manufacture and was actually doing quite well until replaced recently as a precaution.

Thank you for your concern, but I have no false fears, only as a matter of principle prefer the charging system to be matched to the battery type.

In my experience, there is no battery made by man that can not be killed, irrespective of the claims by the manufacturers. Warranty is a marketing construct only loosely based on product performance so means nothing here. It also usually has loads of loopholes so good luck getting your AGM battery replaced under warranty if it was not fitted to a vehicle with an 'AGM charging system'.

I have no idea what you mean by 'XK lifestyle'. Kill any battery? I thought you said earlier you couldn't kill an AGM battery? I also believe that charge depletion by multiple short runs is primarily a function of battery capacity, not type. Additionally surely an AGM battery can only charge faster if the charging system recognises it and can cope with it which it will not do if it is not optimised for AGM batteries. As to undercharging, my understanding is that surface charging is much more of a danger than allowing a battery to be depleted fully then fully charging it.

Is 1999 old enough? I have never seen any rot in the battery area of any of my Jaguars since then so I don't care if they are in the boot (trunk). I do like the idea of the electrolyte being absorbed into a glass mat but bear in mind that the basic technology of lead+acid electrolyte remains the same. This does not seem a compelling reason to me.

It seems to me that while AGM might be a nice 'better mousetrap' and offer advantages in certain areas (stop-start) I remain unconvinced of the advantages in vehicles not optimised for their characteristics especially given the premium asked for them. It is quite possible that given their alleged resilience they can tolerate being charged like flooded wet-cell types but again, if as a result the full benefit is not being realised what is the point of paying the premium for them?

What Jaguar says makes sense to me - fit like for like then you can't have a problem. I would still like to know how you have determined that your car has an 'AGM' charging system.