Ok so the Odyssey is not a gel cell. Is the gel cell a superior battery compared to the AGM battery? I am going to have to research the difference. The gel cell probably is lighter and more expensive. Anybody have any insight on the difference?
Thanks, Kevin:lateral:

The quick answer is NO, AGM is better.

There are basically three types of automotive batteries. 1. Flooded cell, which is a conventional wet battery and will leak if turned over or punctured. 2. Gell Cell, these are similar to flooded batteries in construction and operation except the acid is mixed with a gelling agent to limit how much the acid flows and the case is normally fitted with a pressure relief valve. This was the first attempt at a battery that would not leak. 3. Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) are the latest technology in lead acid battery design. They feature stacks of very thin, very pure lead plates alternating with a fiberglass mat between each lead plate. These stacks are then compressed and inserted in the battery case. The glass mat is then saturated with just enough acid to do the job but no more. This results in a battery that can be used in any position, does not out gas, is extremely vibration resistant and cannot leak if punctured.

There are several good sources of info on battery construction.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/batteries.html

Here is a discussion on pro-touring.com about this topic.

http://www.pro-touring.com/showthrea...hlight=odyssey

Also, here is some info from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM_batteries

Optima is also an AGM battery but due to the nature of the cell design there is approximately 15% less lead plate surface area avaliable which results in a corrispondingly lower capacity when compared to the flat plate design. The extra weight of the Odyssey is the result of more lead which, to be honest, is a good thing.

Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it!
Kevin:hail:

BTW, for anyone thinking of installing an Odyssey AGM battery in the trunk there is a very nice billet mount available that is made specifically for this battery.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/full...500_billet.htm

Also FYI the Odyssey battery is manufactured by Enersys which, it turns out, also manufactures the Sears Diehard Platinum AGM battery on the exact same assembly line. The Diehard is the same battery as the Odyssey with a different color case but sells for about $80 less.

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinu...8&blockType=G8