User Manual

8
Yuasa’s AGM battery does not vent gasses to the atmosphere
during the charge/discharge process. The construction of the
AGM battery causes internal freed gas to recombine inside the
battery so no vent tube is required. This technology is referred
to as valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) or a sealed VRLA battery.
The terms, AGM and VRLA are sometimes used interchangeably
however in this manual AGM will be used. An AGM battery can
be sealed because inside the battery the negative plates are
never fully charged and therefore don’t produce hydrogen gas.
The positive plates create oxygen during the discharge process
but instead of the oxygen being forced out a vent
tube, it reacts with the charged
active material on the plates
to become water until the
battery is charged and
the water is transformed
into acid. This process
is called recombinant
technology and this
design is what makes
Yuasa’s AGM batteries
unique.
Inside an AGM battery,
the separators between
the negative and
positive plates are
made of a special fi ber
that is resistant to heat
and acid. This design
makes the AGM battery
less prone to spilling acid in
that there is less liquid acid contained inside
the battery. In addition, an internal safety valve is used in
case of accidental overcharging. The safety valve opens if gas
pressures inside the battery reach a critical point venting the
gasses to the outside. The valve also includes a fl ame arrestor
disk that minimizes the risk of explosion. Some of the benefi ts
of an AGM battery include:
■ No topping off with water or having to check the acid level
■ Reduced self-discharge because the plate grids are
manufactured from a special lead-calcium alloy that holds a
charge longer than other battery types
■ Easy, instant activation using the “one-push” electrolyte
acid container
Most Yuasa AGM batteries are available either “factory
activated” or as a dry battery with an acid pack. A “factory
activated” battery does not require fi lling before installation.
An extensive activation process ensures complete absorption
of the electrolyte so no liquid acid is contained within the
battery. This process allows these batteries to be shipped from
the factory ready to install. The GYZ and YTZ series batteries
are only available as “factory activated”.
Battery Types
Each Yuasa line of batteries has its unique features that account
for differences in price and performance. We’ll take a closer look
at the two basic types of batteries that Yuasa manufactures.
These two battery types are: Conventional and Absorbed Glass
Mat, or AGM. Conventional batteries have fi ller caps that allow
distilled water to be added to the battery periodically. AGM
batteries do not have fi ller caps and are sometimes referred
to as maintenance-free batteries or VRLA (valve regulated lead
acid) batteries. In this manual, AGM will refer to all types of
these non-Conventional batteries.
AGM Batteries
AGM batteries look different than
other battery types. They are
more compact because there is
no free electrolyte making them
more “volume effi cient” in that
they take up less space for their
energy storing capacity. Because
they are fi lled with electrolyte
only one time during activation
there are no fi ller caps. Instead
a sealing plug permanently
covers the fi ller ports. Also there
is no vent tube. AGM batteries
are ideal for long term storage
on vehicles that include: riding
mowers, personal watercraft,
scooters and motorcycles that are
not ridden in winter. In addition, an
AGM battery is an excellent choice for u s e
in vehicles where acid spills could occur (ATVs, watercraft and
motorcycles).
Cold Cranking Amps
0
50
100
200
300
400
High Performance AGM
AGM
YuMicron
Conventional
150
250
350
Battery Capacity (AH)
5 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 21
Battery design as well as materials used in construction give each
type of Yuasa battery different performance ratings. This chart shows
the relationship between battery capacity in amp hours and cold
cranking amps.