Gel Cell Battery Question

[WillTN]

I have a DieHard Marine Platinum PM-1 battery (same as Odyssey PC2150). Should I be getting corrosion with this type of battery (a sealed gel cell)?

I thought that since it's sealed and doesn't off gas like a wet cell battery that you didn't get the corrosion on the leads and terminals. I've been having some electrical issues and I think they were just caused from corrosion that I didn't notice (couldn't see it without taking battery leads and stuff off) and so I'm wondering about this battery...

I could be totally wrong about the not getting corrosion with this type of battery though, I don't know much about batteries...

 

[Ballah06]

The Gel Cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell. However they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. There is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; these are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel Cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate. If you want the best,most versatile type, consideration should be given to the AGM battery for applications such as Marine, RV, Solar, Audio, Power Sports and Stand-By Power just to name a few. If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better that other types. If you must depend on top-notch battery performance, spend the extra money. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications. There is a some common confusion regarding AGM batteries because different manufactures call them by different names; some of the more common names are "sealed regulated valve", "dry cell", "non spillable", and "Valve Regulated Lead Acid" batteries. In most cases AGM batteries will give greater life span and greater cycle life than a wet cell battery.
SPECIAL NOTE about Gel Batteries: It is very common for individuals to use the term GEL CELL when referring to sealed, maintenance free batteries, much like one would use Kleenex when referring to facial tissue or "Xerox machine" when referring to a copy machine. Be very careful when specifying a battery charger, many times we are told by customer they are requiring a charger for a Gel Cell battery and in fact the battery is not a Gel Cell.

Just some stuff from http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_battery_gel_agm.html

 

[KevLar]

Your corrosion is not due to the battery type itself but to the fact that you have exposed metal in the harsh environment of the engine compartment (salt, moisture, heat, etc). Add to that the electric potential difference caused by the battery voltage and you have a recipe for corrosion. Your battery ground connects to the block and the chassis, so there are dissimilar metals in contact with each other (lead, steel, aluminum, etc), so you will definitely get some galvanic corrosion because of that, with the less noble material(s) corroding first. You can apply Vaseline to the terminals and exposed wires to help reduce the corrosion due to the elements, but another trick is to put a penny (copper) on the terminal and then hold it in place with the Vaseline. The copper should corrode instead of the lead which should help
Kev

 

[agbuckle98]

I have a DieHard Marine Platinum PM-1 battery (same as Odyssey PC2150). Should I be getting corrosion with this type of battery (a sealed gel cell)?..

Contrary to popular opinion here, the Die Hard and the Odyssey batteries are NOT the same. They are very similar, they do come out of the same factory, but the Die Hard does not have the same plate thickness and are not of virgin lead like the Odyssey. The only thing the 2 types share directly is the case construction, nothing else. Both are good, but the Odyssey batteries are superior. This I learned directly from an Odyssey tech rep.

 

[mbrummal]

... This I learned directly from an Odyssey tech rep.

... that wants you to buy an Odyssey battery...

 

[agbuckle98]

... that wants you to buy an Odyssey battery...

that represents BOTH product lines