Today the battery in my 98 s10 melted down and caught fire. (Tiny fire, blew it out like a birthday candle, but still!?) After searching online the consensuses is one of the side posts terminals worked loose. Anyways if the battery is going to also serve as a "fusible link" until I rewire it to a top post style, I would rather spend as little as possible until then.
Anyways my local walmart has both Valuepower and value Everstart in stock for $55, assuming there are differences besides the labels, what should I look for?
Any difference between Valuepower and value Everstart?
- Thread starter Jethro_Bob
- Start date
Weight difference... A group 24f Valuepower weighs 41 pounds... The battery I got from Federated Auto parts weighs 37 pounds. The difference is that the heavier Valuepower battery from Walmart is the East Penn made 624fmf battery and the one from FAP is the 524fmf battery. So the one from Walmart is actually the higher tier battery from East Penn for $55. The battery from Federated Auto parts is the lower tier battery from East Penn. Though I have a 2 yr free replacement warranty from Federated Auto parts for it.
In the group 35 size Valuepower battery weighs 34 pounds and has 90 minutes of reserve capacity. One yr free replacement warranty.
If the Everstart group 35 weighs the same... 34 pounds...
It's the same exact battery with a different sticker and longer 2 yr free replacement warranty. And it's the 535fmf battery from East Penn.
Originally Posted by bbhero
Weight difference...
As I understand it, the Value Everstart are the replacements for the Valuepower. I don't think there are any differences other than the updated label (that is, now they are all marked as "Everstarts" within three tiers, whereas previously the Valuepower looked somewhat different). I'd check dates and buy the freshest they have. Much of the country has JCI Everstarts, but some places see East Penn.
It's the same failure strategy as always, is there some magical way to spend least amount possible and end up with an equally acceptable result?
No, and if that were the case, they'd degrade the lesser batteries to fit their price point which is what they did.
Your post about theory of what happened and what to do, is crazy and probably wrong and may burn your vehicle in a fire.
You need to get someone competent to look at it. If it's not worth more time or money, then it is time to get scrap value out of it.
Older vehicles incur losses, from wiring/connectors, starter, and ignition system. They need a higher CCA battery more than a newer one does, not your opposite strategy that his is a place to skimp. If you want to buy generic parts for repairs I can understand that (to a point until it's about safety) but battery is not an area where you can't fix the other electrical system issues to get equal life out of it, even in the best of environments.
If it is not worth the bother, you've already decided it is not worth the bother... do you get my drift?
At the same time it is a substantial % savings in cost. You're just trading doing more work to come back later and if you want to scrap it soon, not coming back later could make sense.
Last edited:
I have no complaints with my 12/16 dated ValuePower battery that has been in my 5k mile/year drive Grand Marquis. It turns 4 years old in December. I'd say I got my money's worth out of it for the approximately $50 I spent on it in December 2016.
Seems to tolerate infrequent use and short, around town driving quite well. Of course, IIRC, it's a group 65 battery, so it's pretty big anyway.
Originally Posted by daves87rs
With the way things are around here driving (sometimes interesting short trips) i would need more than a basic battery....
JHZR2
Staff member
We are dealing with two things here:
1) the fact that the cabling started on fire
2) the reality of building batteries to a certain spec
Id resolve the issue why the cabling started on fire, and what the mitigations are first. Do we even know that the existing battery is bad? What is its voltage? Why buy a stopgap battery when the wiring may need to be changed completely, and the battery might not even be bad?
For #2, its not really possible to know manufacturers' and stores' proprietary decisions. We can speculate, we can explore. If we know the weight, that's useful. If we know the model number, that's better. We know that generally there's a lower impedance version usually sold (and often has good capacity because of the lower impedance that results in lower voltage drop), and then a "lower performance" version which might have slightly higher impedance, slightly lower capacity, and a different design. Sometimes these "lower performance" versions are heaview, meaning bigger/tougher plates. The higher impedance and lower cranking power comes from less surface area... but often ther aftermarket batteries have far more than the OE requirements anyway, so its not the big deal some make it out to be.
Its quite possible that especially with the lower end batteries, the cost is pulled out through the warranty. And the part number is the same. But as a rule its difficult to determine that.
It was easy to prove Walmart group 24f battery is the exact same battery as the Everstart group 24f.
Weighed the same... And on East Penn site the weights are all different per tier.... 37 = 524fmf , 41= 624fmf and 724fmf= 44 pounds.
And at that time Walmart had the Valuepower battery listed as a 624fmf battery on their own site.
You are "paying for the warranty"... Is correct.
Originally Posted by TmanP
As I understand it, the Value Everstart are the replacements for the Valuepower. I don't think there are any differences other than the updated label (that is, now they are all marked as "Everstarts" within three tiers, whereas previously the Valuepower looked somewhat different). I'd check dates and buy the freshest they have. Much of the country has JCI Everstarts, but some places see East Penn.
Update: Thanks everyone. When I took my old battery back expecting walmart to reject it even as a core, they simply started the warranty process. Everstart Max. After cleaning up the scorched cables, replacing the battery and positive bolt it started up and idled perfectly. As soon as I put it in gear and moved two inches it cut out. After an extensive teardown it was a starter heat shield that became unattached and would ground positive battery cable to the frame at the starter.
Anyways I have about two hours of daylight to finish reconnecting everything, hanging the exhaust, engine brackets, wheels, ect only to tear into it again when I figure out a new heat shield that protects not only the starter but also some wiring and the hydraulic line for the clutch.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted by bbhero
It was easy to prove Walmart group 24f battery is the exact same battery as the Everstart group 24f.
Weighed the same... And on East Penn site the weights are all different per tier.... 37 = 524fmf , 41= 624fmf and 724fmf= 44 pounds.
And at that time Walmart had the Valuepower battery listed as a 624fmf battery on their own site.
You are "paying for the warranty"... Is correct.
Honestly it was easy to find East Penn battery specs and part numbers on their site.
Then it's just a matter of comparison to the batteries at Napa, Walmart, or Federated Auto parts.
My battery in my car had the 524fmf battery code right on it. So... Easy enough 
I agree that the 524fmf battery 37 pound battery could well take the place of the 624fmf 41 pound battery at Wally world. .
Interesting that Federated Auto parts carries a 2 yr free replacement warranty for my battery. . A Deka battery of the same model carries a 18 month warranty.
If you have a Federated Auto parts near you JHZR2... Check them out... They have a group 24f battery for $113 in my area that has a 3 yr free replacement warranty. It is the 624fmf East Penn battery aka their Gold mid tier battery that weighs 41 pounds and has 115 minutes of reserve capacity. A very good battery. That price is well cheaper than the $160 batteries from AAP and Az or O Reilly's.
I agree that the 524fmf battery 37 pound battery could well take the place of the 624fmf 41 pound battery at Wally world. .
Interesting that Federated Auto parts carries a 2 yr free replacement warranty for my battery. . A Deka battery of the same model carries a 18 month warranty.
If you have a Federated Auto parts near you JHZR2... Check them out... They have a group 24f battery for $113 in my area that has a 3 yr free replacement warranty. It is the 624fmf East Penn battery aka their Gold mid tier battery that weighs 41 pounds and has 115 minutes of reserve capacity. A very good battery. That price is well cheaper than the $160 batteries from AAP and Az or O Reilly's.
Last edited: