Final Question Re: ES300h Battery Type, AGM or Not

[SH20]

So despite an e mail from Lexus UK (Customer Relations )  who said Lexus fit AGM batteries in their hybrid cars I'm asking all you guys who are far more knowledgeable than I to comment on what  type of 12 volt Battery do you think is in  my car has please.  Consider these points first:

• There  is not a single reference to the letters AGM on my battery's stickers, absolutely none.
• It has removal flush fitting top up plugs for all 6 cells for electrolyte top ups
• I can see the reflection of the liquid electrolyte in the cell when I removed one of the top up plugs and peered down it

If, as I'm LED to be believe by the various internet sources on AGM batteries the glass matting, whether its in a roll or a flat configuration, is impregnated with electrolyte, most of which is rung out before final assembly so only between 2-5% remains behind but all actual  fibres of the glass matting  are completely coated, hence the lack of top up plugs and have no need to be topped up and therefore become sealed for life batteries with AGM technology.   

My Battery is fitted with one  clear plastic top up plug and when you look down it the colour blue is obvious.   In the smallest of print one of the labels stuck to the top of the Battery shows a traffic light picture and says, Blue = OK,  Red = Needs charging,  Clear = Needs topping up.

Do you think guys, as I do,  that my car is actually fitted with a normal flooded lead acid Battery?.    Every Youtube video talking about AGM batteries clearly shows the letters AGM in big letters  on the examples being used for the demonstration.   Given that the hybrid Battery engages the engine  and the 12 volt Battery is used for all the obvious ancillary electrics  I would ask why would Lexus need to use AGM batteries anyway for hybrids.   

You can tell I'm like a dog with a bone on this subject but at the minute I'm not inclined to believe  my car is fitted with an AGM Battery.   Who cares I hear you ask,  I agree.

In these awful times trying to be normal is nigh on impossible  but thinking of something else during  these terrible times is helping to keep me sane.

Any comments on batteries would be useful.

 

 

 

[Carl-88]

What is the Battery reference ?

[SH20]

I'll need to take a photo as the main label has numerous numbers/letters spec etc, 

[NemesisUK]

8 minutes ago, SH20 said:

I would ask why would Lexus need to use AGM batteries anyway for hybrids.  

If the Battery is located within the cabin or load area it is often AGM as they are very resistant to spillage in the event of an accident. 

[ColinBarber]

3 hours ago, SH20 said:

Given that the hybrid battery engages the engine  and the 12 volt battery is used for all the obvious ancillary electrics  I would ask why would Lexus need to use AGM batteries anyway for hybrids.  

For two reasons; 1) if they are located within the cabin (e.g. the boot which isn't fully sealed from the cabin) then in an accident acid won't spill out. 2) AGM batteries can take being discharged to a lower level without being damaged - as the aux batteries tend to be quite small on hybrids they tend to discharged quite heavily if left for two weeks+ (e.g. whilst on holiday) or if an interior light is left on overnight.

[BoutTime]

Mine doesn’t say AGM on it either but when I searched on google for the part number written on the Battery everywhere designates it an AGM Battery. Including the manufacturer.

[ColinBarber]

3 hours ago, SH20 said:

• It has removal flush fitting top up plugs for all 6 cells for electrolyte top ups
• I can see the reflection of the liquid electrolyte in the cell when I removed one of the top up plugs and peered down it

Sounds like a flooded Battery to me.

[Barry14UK]

The original Panasonic 12v boot located Battery on my third Gen RX450h is AGM but does not say so.  It is VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) and has a vent tube to outside the car.  I believe this is typical for Lexus hybrids for reasons Colin states.  I have read that this type of Battery should not be opened up but somebody did add a little distilled water to a dead Battery and by careful charging resuscitated it.  (A way to charge a dead Battery that will not accept a charge is to connect it to a partially charged Battery and charge it for a considerable time - it sometimes works). 

The person  who topped up the Battery removed the Panasonic label then broke away some whiteish plastic to reveal the cell caps.  Maybe Lexus fit variations of the Battery?

[LexIS200Sport]

Don't AGM batteries have higher terminal voltage? @SH20, I think one way to settle your curiosity is to disconnect the Battery from the car and measure the voltage at the terminal directly. If the voltmeter reads >13.9V then you almost certainly have an AGM Battery 😉

 

[ColinBarber]

7 hours ago, LexIS200Sport said:

Don't AGM batteries have higher terminal voltage? @SH20, I think one way to settle your curiosity is to disconnect the battery from the car and measure the voltage at the terminal directly. If the voltmeter reads >13.9V then you almost certainly have an AGM battery 😉

 

The terminal voltage isn't that high on a 12 v AGM. Only around 0.1v higher than flooded - e.g 12.7 v vs 12.8 v at full charge.

[SH20]

Time to let this one  go I think.  Every video on Youtube talking about AGM batteries show sealed Battery cases, no top up plugs and all of the narrative talks about a no spill aspect to AGM.    All of the AGM batteries are clearly marked AGM  and although I appreciate the fact a solution of electrolyte is still used in the matting construction  I can understand why they say no spill if the matting holds the fluid in the fibres.     My Battery is clearly a flooded unit if I can see the top of the electrolyte when I look down the top up plugs and an instruction label says top it up if the clear plastic  top up plug turns clear but is ok if blue and  red when it needs  charging.  If I can top up the fluid  then it can't be an AGM can it?  I was only ever after how to charge it with my Ctek after one member first raised the point about an AMG setting on the Ctek charger.   

Thanks to all who took the time to comment  and offering the technical info on 12 volt batteries, I appreciate the education.