Anyone using Bosch AGM battery?
 

pep boys has a 25% off promo on their bosch group 48 agm battery. it carries a 48 month replacement warranty and costs $150 with promo. anybody using one? if so, any issues? i ask because i had a regular lead acid bosch in my c6 and it started to leak after two years. turns out the c6 alternator pushed 14.4 volts into it and overcharged it causing the eventual failure. i assume the c7 alternator does the same but don’t know if the bosch agms are able to handle it.

I would go with the ACDelco professional grade gold series battery with 42 month free replacement. $138. List for $216. The local parts store carries ACDelco parts and sells most for about 60% of list.
The charging system in the c7 varies the voltage depending on the state of charge of the battery, even dropping it to below 13v at times.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9df238612e.jpg

I can't find a retailer anywhere near me that will sell the Delco battery for anywhere close to $138. Any suggestions? I'm in Western MD. Thanks.

same with me. only place to get one is a dealer and they want $190. the only place i found the battery near that price was on ebay and they won’t ship anywhere. local purchases only. that’s why i’m looking at the bosch agm. glass matte design, more caa and a 48 month warranty for $50 less.

so in your estimation is it safe to say the c7 monitors the state of charge and will not overcharge the battery?

Bosch makes good stuff so I don't see why their batteries wouldn't be good. They are probably made by one of the major battery manufacturers that make them for Sears, AutoZone, Advance and most of the other name brands. Anyone know who makes the Delco batteries? I don't think Delco has their own battery factories. If I had a Pep Boys I would be tempted to buy the Bosch at that price.

Bosch makes good stuff. Don't know who makes their batteries, probably one of the major manufacturers that makes them for Diehard, AutoZone, Advance and the other name brands. Anyone know who makes Delco batteries? I doubt they have their own factories. If I had a Pep Boys I would be tempted to buy the Bosch at that price.:cheers:

believe or not, delcos are produced in saudi arabia and sold through an american company whose name escapes me at the moment.

i see you live in MD. here is an ebay ad selling the 48pg for $140 but won’t ship. they are out of NJ. may be too far from you though. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Gol...ZaqHET&vxp=mtr

A few issues you need to consider.
(1) Since the Bosch is a AGM battery, you do not have to worry about acid leaks. The battery is vented to the outside of the car & the AGM does not have any liquid acid in it.
(2) The battery is Not made by Bosch. Likely made by one of the the Big 3 battery makers: Johnson Controls (has made Delco in the Past), Penn Mfg. (Maker of Deka & others), Exide Battery who private labels for Walmart & others.
(3) The AGM battery will give you the most life except in one instance, if you totally discharge it, it will not come back to life like a lead acid battery will. A battery maintainer on a Corvette is a must unless it is a daily driver.
(4) The C7 does have a sophisticated charging system & it will take care of most any battery you put in in except a lithium battery.
(5) Last but not least, the battery is the life blood of the electrical system.A Corvette has always been a electrical hog, do not cheap out on a battery. Get the most cranking amps & reserve capacity you can get. When a Corvette has low battery power, the computers( last count if I have the correct numbers is about 20) do some real crazy stuff.

No charging system should over charge the battery if it is working correctly, and the newer systems are much better than the old with just a regulator built into the alternator.
I noticed that sometimes it will charge at 15volts, and then drop down to 12.8 volts just to vary the charging rate..
Also, I am not so sure that AGM batteries actually last any longer than conventional batteries, otherwise, why is the warranty on Gold series 42 month and only 36 month on the Delco AGM? AGM batteries recover quicker from multiple starts, but may not actually last any longer.

The GOLD series has 770 CCA, and 900 Cranking Amps capacity for comparison

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8f9fb1eb4a.jpg

These Bosch batteries are a piece of crap. My buddy fell into the same deal at Pep Boys and he is on his third battery in 2 years. He feels he is trapped because he gets a prorated cost on the replacement. Or he can take the loss and spend another $150 plus and get a different brand battery.

the bosch is 760cca and 865 ca. i hear ya on the agm batteries lasting longer but everywhere you go they are touted as lasting longer. if that’s the case, why does delco only warranty their agm for 36 months? o checked what my alternator was putting out while driving and it was around 14.4 like my c6. i assume the charging circuit is independent of what the alternator delivers to the rest of the car.

did your friend get a bosch lead acid or the agm? when i told my story to the guy at pep boys, he did admit they have had issues with the lead acid batteries but assured me no such problem with the agm. of course, he could be blowing smoke.

You have to keep in mind who is making the battery for Bosch now, if they changed suppliers, their battery could be better now.

From the little amount of research I did, it seems like these AGM batteries (in general) put out less cranking amps, have shorter warranties, and weigh almost 10 lbs. more vs. a "premium" lead acid battery.

For the AGM batteries, this one looks to have about the best specs I've been able to find: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...294410&jsn=987

Of course for every brand of battery there are stories of them lasting over 3 years, but I have a friend with 3 Corvettes, with AGM batteries in all of them, and they all went out almost exactly when 3 years old...It was almost like they made them to only last that long.
I have had very good luck with just the ACDelco Professional grade batteries...With 42 month free replacement, if they start to get weak after 3 years or so, you can take it in and get replacement... I did that at my local parts store and they did not even question it.

the bosch has a 48 month replacement warranty. don’t think they would do that if they didn’t expect them to last at least that long. i suspect that not all agm batteries are created equal.

A fellow forum member posted about a 60 month AGM battery he bought at Batteries Plus. I think it retailed for $250. Brand was XPower or something similar.