Car Battery Time

I think my five year old car battery is starting to go and may not survive cold weather. Does anyone have particularly strong feelings about any battery brands. I know Interstate and Diehard have long been considered good. Anyone familiar with the batteries sold by Advance Auto or Pep Boys? Thanks for any advice.

Geoff

I have done very well with NAPA gold,,they are made by Exide

If you plan on keeping your car a long time, take a look at the Optima Red Top starting batteries.

http://www.batteryweb.com/optima.cfm

You may be able to find better deals on the web, some vendors will include shipping.

The local Auto Zone carries them.

If you want a less expensive battery, try Walmarts/Sam's Club. I've used their yellow cased batteries (can't remember the name) in several different vehicles.

JB

I've purchased my last 3 from Costco. Haven't had any of them long enough to say how long they really last, but I've found their stuff to be above average and they always stand behind whatever they sell. My oldest is going on 3 years old.

Their price is half or less of the big boys with a better warranty. I don't see how you can go wrong.

I've used Auto Zone / Advance and found that they're usually good for 2/3 to 3/4 of their rated life. You go back to them for warranty and usually get a $2 to $10 credit towards a new one.

Again, the Costco battery is just as inexpensive, but twice the warranty. Mine is either a 2 or 3 year replacement - not prorate. After that period, it is prorate.

Some people swear by Interstate batteries. I tried one, and didn't notice any difference, so now that that one's does, I'm back to Mercedes batteries.

I'll second the vote for the car batteries from Costco. They carry a full replacement warranty for 3 years, then it's pro-rated for the next seven. As kitelights said, their price is about half of what you'll pay elsewhere.

FYI, when I bought my last Costco battery about two years ago, I found out a nice little tidbit of information during my research. The car batteries Costco sells are made by Johnson Controls (which makes good batts. BTW), as are most the Sears Die-hard line. The standard Costco car batteries are the same as the Sears Die-hard gold line, and their larger SUV/Truck batteries are also comparable to Sears' SUV batteries, but all at about half the price.

I'd avoid Sears, bad experience in the past. There is only a handful of manufacturers of auto batteries. Then a bunch of rebranding all over the US. Where ever you decide to go to, pick from the store that moves batteries faster, choose according to your vehicle, never go for the lowest cost matching your group size, choose the mid to higher model, which generally will offer more reserves and longer warranty.

Most people will never change until they're left with a dead battery. I am more pro-active for my family, I change 5-7 years regardless, I do not want my wife and children stuck out anywhere at any time, and a fresh battery is one less component to fail on me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

sams/walmart carries champion brand, being buying from them over the past few years for multiple cars, they do good. certain euro convertibles have special requirements, which you have to go to the dealer for usually.

get the biggest battery that will fit
I have heard bad things about optima batterys
my current battery came from costco it is 1000 cca
I have had it for 6 years
and I have a stereo that can draw 1200 watts rms from my car's electrical system

Another vote for Costco.

[ QUOTE ]
markdi said:
get the biggest battery that will fit
I have heard bad things about optima batterys
my current battery came from costco it is 1000 cca
I have had it for 6 years
and I have a stereo that can draw 1200 watts rms from my car's electrical system

[/ QUOTE ]

What bad things have your heard about optima batteries ?
I would realy like to know becuse of their desighn there supoust to be better and longer lasting, and I have never heard any one say negivtive things about them with the exeption of thier high cost.

One word: Optima /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I went to thrifty auto suply late one night to get a battery for my mom's el camino(thrifty auto near me is open 24 hours)my mom wanted the best battery that they had.
there was a big optima battery on sale. the counter person told us that they get more optima style batterys returned to them as defective than any other battery.
then he said look for yourself and in a room on the side of the store were old batterys being sent in for recycling .
and there were pallets of new(or sorta new)but defective batterys being sent back to the manufacturer there were 3 times more optima and optima style batterys on the pallet being returned to the manufacturer(champion and energizer makes a simular battery-if I remember the brand names right this was 2 years ago)

we ended up with a 75 dollar regular battery(on sale) instead of a 100+ dollar optima so the store lost money.

I vote for Optima.

I would have voted for optima too I was the one pushing for the optima battery untill the person behind the counter at thrifty changed my mind.

I was going to put an optima in my car

I chose two NAPA 34/78 series Professional Line Sub-Zero cold weather batteries for my truck and my wife's car. Still working just fine after five years.

Many of the batteries are remarked under various brands, such as the Sears battery is made by Johnson Controls Inc., (Sears' DieHard, Auto Zone's Duralast, etc.).

Who makes what battery?
http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/batbrand.htm


Optima:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/automotive/starter/spec_sheets.RowPar.0001.ContentPar.0001.ColumnPar.0007.File.tmp/34_78_082304.pdf

Optima Datasheet(I'm not seeing anything spectacular here):
http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/automotive/starter/spec_sheets.RowPar.0001.ContentPar.0001.ColumnPar.0006.File.tmp/75_25_082304.pdf

NewBie, yeap, that site of Willaim's is more than anyone wants to know about batteries. Excellent site if anyone's interested in who makes their current battery or the next one they want to buy.

did I cause this thread to scroll from side to side ?

[ QUOTE ]
NewBie said: Optima Datasheet (I'm not seeing anything spectacular here).....

[/ QUOTE ]It's what you don't see on the datasheet that is most impressive about Optima. How they work upside down, on their side, bouncing loose in a battery compartment, or even with a complete HOLE drilled through one of the cells !!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

To be sure, the Optima batteries are built to deliver certain performace specs like any other battery in their class ( hence the data sheet and why there are different classifications of batteries available for you to purchase at any local auto parts store ). Optimas can deliver 900 amps, just like the cheapest knock off can deliver the same 900 amps of output.....the big difference is how reliable Optimas are at delivering their 900 amps in the face of adversity....and the things that they will do that <font color="blue">aren't</font> listed on the datasheet. ( ie - like starting your car as if it were a fresh battery after not being charged or touched after a full 8 months......I know of no other car battery that can do that ).

Once you've tried one first hand, you'll understand what the rest of us Optima owners are raving about. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Consumer Reports tested batteries and DieHards did well, but they also cost more so I don't see much value in that.

I usually just go to the local parts store and buy by price and warranty. I don't get the absolute cheapest one, but one that is affordable and has at least a 5-year warranty. Pro-rated warranties are worthless near the end of the term, so I never bother to make a claim on them, but I use it as a guide as to the expected life of the battery. And I want to go more than 3 years to the next change.

And I absolutely replace the battery when the warranty runs out or any other sign of weakness is evident. Getting an extra 6 months out of a battery is not worth the hassle of getting stranded somewhere. And the one thing that is certain about a battery is that it will fail to start your car eventually.