Moroso’s Street & Strip Battery Charger is a Life Saver: Part Two

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In our last issue we took an initial look at Moroso’s “Smart” battery charger.  If you point your browser back to that segment, you’ll find the charger is extremely versatile.  And while it works perfectly for most 12 and 16 volt battery applications, there are some batteries that may require a different internal setting.

That brings up this question:  What about charging AGM batteries?  They’re definitely a popular battery configuration today, but some battery chargers will not properly charge an AGM battery.  The Moroso charger handles the job with ease.  First, let’s check out information provided by XS Power specifically for their 12 Volt AGM batteries:

“Charge voltage is not to exceed 14.4V total for extended periods of time (5 minutes max).

“The charger used must have an automatic shut-off.  Some AGM chargers may climb to a maximum voltage of 15.5VDC for a short period of time (usually less than 5minutes) but will resume charging at or near 14.4VDC ± .3VDC for the duration of the charge cycle.

“Exceeding 14.4VDC ± .3VDC will cause the battery to “gas” and once the oxygen is released from the battery there is no way to restore it. The results will be reduced capacity and battery life and those results are permanent. This type of damage will cause the battery to show a proper open circuit voltage yet will not accept a charge and will become excessively hot during charging. Damage of this nature will void the warranty. Therefore ensure that your battery charger will not exceed 14.4VDC ± .3VDC at any time during the charging cycle.

“It is very important to never use a charger designed for or set for flooded 12V batteries, not even once with a XS Power 12V AGM battery. Furthermore, we recommend that the battery be disconnected from the rest of the vehicle’s electrical system during charging.

“All lead-acid batteries, both flooded and AGM designs are subject to self-discharging and this self-discharge rate is very much affected by ambient temperature in which the batteries are stored. Higher ambient temperatures will discharge the battery faster. Cool storage for batteries is the best. When voltage is lower than 12.6V or storing time is longer than 6 months, the battery must be recharged”

For 14V or 16V AGM batteries, XS Power notes the charge voltage should not exceed 2.45 Volts Per Cell ± .05V for extended periods of time (again, 5min. maximum). Some AGM chargers may climb to a maximum voltage of 21 volts for a short period of time, and then they will drop down to the 2.45 Volts Per Cell figure.  The balance of the above instructions for a 12-volt battery apply (but of course, taking into consideration the extra number of cells in a 14 or 16-volt battery).

Back to the Moroso charger: Internally, the battery charger is equipped with a resettable “BTS” or “Battery Type Switch”.  This is an internal dip switch setup (two switches in one) that can be adjusted.  It is located beneath the checker plate top (accessed by removing four screws on the side). When shipped form the factory, the charger is set in the “normal mode” which is for sealed lead acid or equivalent batteries.  The internal switching allows the charge to be set for Gel Cell batteries or Minimal Gas Emission Batteries.  Another option is to switch the battery over for use with vented liquid lead acid batteries (fast charge mode). 

As you can see, with this charger, you really don’t need more than one charger for the job.  Equally important, you don’t have to baby-sit the battery as it is charging. The bottom line here is, once dialed into your battery type(s), it’s a set and forget “smart charger”.

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In terms of dimensions, the Moroso charger measures 12-inches long by 7-inches wide and is 7-inches tall. It tips our scale at slightly less than 25-pounds.

When charging AGM batteries such as this job from XS Power, you might need to change the internal charger settings.

: While it’s possible to access the dip switch assembly through the louvered cover, it’s almost as easy to remove the cover (next photo).

The cover is accessed by screws on either side of the checker-plate top.

Here are the dip switches. You’ll have to set them to the parameters provided by the battery manufacturer. Moroso’s battery charger manual lays out which way the dip switches can be oriented to suit specific battery configurations.