Hi,

My previous Sport had a battery with 6 cell plugs which I used to unscrew to check electrolyte level and top up with de-ionised water if required. The handbook for my Black Edition also has pictures and maintenance instructions for a similar battery. However, under the bonnet it has an Exide AGM battery with no provision to check/topup.

In the past the cars I've had with maintenance-free batteries clearly stated that in the manual and the batteries had small, clear windows indicating battery health using different colours. No such thing on this Exide though.

Can anyone confirm I don't need to bother with regular battery checking/maintenance if it's AGM? The car doesn't have any issues, just interested in avoiding future problems due to neglect.

AGM batteries are completely maintenance free

Wikipedia wrote:

AGM batteries differ from flooded lead acid batteries in that the electrolyte is held in the glass mats, as opposed to freely flooding the plates. Very thin glass fibers are woven into a mat to increase surface area enough to hold sufficient electrolyte on the cells for their lifetime. The fibers that compose the fine glass mat do not absorb nor are they affected by the acidic electrolyte. These mats are wrung out 2–5% after being soaked in acids, prior to manufacture completion and sealing.

Thanks

I'm suprised to hear you had a wet cell battery in your previous sport as AGM type have been replacing the "top up" style for a long time now. The only place you really see wet cell type's now are in repeated charge / discharge applications. 2010 RRS, TDV8
bali Blue / colour coded
side steps / flappy paddles
black perforated leather
22" overfinch
heated everything, TV,fridge ...... now with gold calipers and mud flaps !( black mud flaps that is) !!
Many years ago,,,,, 1955 series 1 landie , sometimes wish I had kept it

It was a Varta IIRC and definitely had an LR part number on it. Although I was the 2nd owner, I'm pretty sure it was the "factory fit" battery from new as I asked the 1st owner when buying that MY09. Even my current MY13 Sport's owner handbook suggests it has a top up battery, which obviously isn't true. Lazy LR haven't bothered to update that section