Batteries

[horse123]

Am I wrong in thinking that, for most run of the mill passenger cars, pretty much any battery that comes from a good auto parts store or even a place like walmart will work as long as you match the class to the application? e.g. A gold class with higher CCA for a Northern climate, a Platinum AGM for some application where the battery might get jostled a lot, etc... Or is there really a big enough difference that I should research any battery before I buy it? IIRC almost all batteries in the US are made by like 3 or 4 manufacturers, I doubt they can all be THAT different.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: horse123

Am I wrong in thinking that, for most run of the mill passenger cars, pretty much any battery that comes from a good auto parts store or even a place like walmart will work as long as you match the class to the application? e.g. A gold class with higher CCA for a Northern climate, a Platinum AGM for some application where the battery might get jostled a lot, etc... Or is there really a big enough difference that I should research any battery before I buy it? IIRC almost all batteries in the US are made by like 3 or 4 manufacturers, I doubt they can all be THAT different.

That is pretty much it, unless you have a specialized application where an AGM might make sense. I basically buy on these three criteria: price, warranty, and convenience to purchase and access the warranty.

 

[horse123]

This is kind of related I guess, are battery warmers really a good thing to have in winter? Especially in MN.

 

[Chris142]

i found that exide batteries dont last 2 yrs here but johnson ones last about 4.agm last 7+yrs..even the optimas that give others problems

 

[TxHeat]

Originally Posted By: horse123

This is kind of related I guess, are battery warmers really a good thing to have in winter? Especially in MN.

We lived in Fairbanks, AK for 25 years. I've used freeze plug heaters, circulating heaters, battery warmers and trickle chargers. What I found that worked the best was a 1500 watt circulating heater for the engine and a 1 amp trickle charger for the battery. I could leave a car sitting but plugged in for days if I wanted and it would start like it was parked in a heated garage. Overnight at -70 degrees was not a problem. I could also leave a vehicle unplugged until the night before I needed it, plug it in and the next morning it was ready to go. The battery warmers, whether a plate under the battery or a blanket around it, tries to keep the battery charged by keeping it warm, the trickle charger keeps it warm by keeping it charging just that tiny bit.

 

[horse123]

The forum specific to my car seems to like their coolant plug heaters. Problem is I'd totally destroy my car trying to install the OEM one. Just wondering how much it would cost to have the dealer install it. Guessing $50-100 + the part. It would make me feel much better about driving my car in the winter, even though the oil is already just about water thin.

 

[JHZR2]

Some batteries are better than others. There can be variations in chemistry of the electrolyte, grids, etc. And the thinness of grids is not necessarily the best bet, all the time, so I'm not the greatest fan of the highest power to energy ratio units.

 

[yeti]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Some batteries are better than others. There can be variations in chemistry of the electrolyte, grids, etc. And the thinness of grids is not necessarily the best bet, all the time, so I'm not the greatest fan of the highest power to energy ratio units.

can you expand on this, please. thank you.