Car battery question

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CivicLX

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Hi all,

I have a 2004 Honda Civic and live in Miami. Even though the previous owner changed the battery March/2010, it is getting weak. It got a "bad battery" result from Autozone battery tester.

I need to get a new one. I have Interstate MT-51 (500CCA-625CA) on the car right now. My local mechanic offers me two options. Interstate $95 and AC Delco $105. I have no idea. Which one is better?
 
Hot region such as Miami, desert, etc. will kill a lead-acid storage battery in a matter of months. Consider yourself lucky that the last replacement battery lasted 2.6yrs time.

see if you can pro-rate it and get a replacement, if not: just buy a replacement battery and get on with your life.

Q.
 
They are both roughly the same. Actually Ive heard good things about the AAP silver batteries.

I personally prefer highest RC or Ah and lower CCA. If you read your OM, the number of CCA is nowhere near the amount that many batteries spec on their nameplate.

For life and resilience to mistakes, Ill take more lead (energy) than more power in the design. Any lead acid will pour a ton of amps when shorted.
 
Poking around the net seems to point to both batteries being made by Johnson Controls...but it is the internet....

...what does your mechanic recommend?
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
They are both roughly the same. Actually Ive heard good things about the AAP silver batteries.

I personally prefer highest RC or Ah and lower CCA. If you read your OM, the number of CCA is nowhere near the amount that many batteries spec on their nameplate.


This. In the south you want fewer thicker plates, or lower CCA.
 
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/Content.aspx?dsNav=Arpp~12,A~Part+Number,N~21-2147384818-4294493445-4294493444-4294493334-2147384906

These are the batteries from interstate for my car. Lower CCA one has four year performance instead of five year.
 
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Check AZ and AAP and buy online from whichever offers the lowest price after online coupon code discount.
The label doesn't mean much, since there are only a few battery makers left in the US anyway.
AAP does free installation and I think AZ does as well.
It sounds as though a buying a more expensive battery with a better warranty might work for you, if you'll be looking at short life due to local climate.
There is no easier DIY than a battery anyway.
 
Are you a Costco member ?

If you are, they have the best batteries (made by Johnson Controls)....with a 3 full year replacement.....and 96 month prorated guarantee. The only thing is tht you'll have to install it yourself.....but that's an easy DIY project.

Paid $68 for mine about a year and a half ago. Not one issue to date.
 
AAP gold battery with 40% discount code.

My dad has a 2005 Civic and still has the original Honda (JC made) battery.
Miami is not as hot as Arizona or Nevada... but you can't let a battery dry out.

By the way... what part of Miami?
 
Originally Posted By: Quest
Hot region such as Miami, desert, etc. will kill a lead-acid storage battery in a matter of months. Consider yourself lucky that the last replacement battery lasted 2.6yrs time.

I agree that heat shortens a batteries life "Months" is an exageration though IMO. I've lived in the desert for over 30 yrs and I often get 5+ yrs out of a wet battery. But when they fail you don't get any notice.
 
Interstate are always made by JCI, others may or may not be, it depends. Cut corners on the cell caps are JCI batteries if removeable cell caps.

Keep in mind that not all of the batteries listed on a given website may actually be available. I wanted an Interstate battery for a Bobcat and had to take a more common Interstate one (and higher CCA) and more expensive than what I wanted also from Interstate.

Get as close to the CCA your vehicle came with from the factory. More CCA (in same footprint) means weaker plates. If you have room for a larger group battery maybe go with that.

I do not know if the AGM batteries are better in the heat.

I look for the best replacement warranty and the heck with the pro-rated. I do have Walmart MAXX (JCI) in my Jeep. They replaced it for free as the old MAXX was an Exide, and two years latter same battery was a JCI.
 
Duralast Gold. Without a doubt the very best battery I have ever seen here in the Florida heat and humidity. The AAP Silver battery I had before I bought my Duralast Gold barely lasted two years before it conked out. This is my third summer so far on my Duralast Gold and my truck always fires right up, even after the truck sits for four or five days without being started or driven anywhere, it starts quickly and easily every time with no battery problems whatsoever. Wife's Honda has a Duralast Gold in it too, her battery is only one week newer than mine, we have had no problems with her battery either..
 
Originally Posted By: CivicLX

These are the batteries from interstate for my car. Lower CCA one has four year performance instead of five year.


I'm not going to chase that monster link. But how much does each cost?
 
what my local mechanic told me that it is around $95. It is more expensive on their website
 
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Are you a Costco member ?

If you are, they have the best batteries (made by Johnson Controls)....with a 3 full year replacement.....and 96 month prorated guarantee. The only thing is tht you'll have to install it yourself.....but that's an easy DIY project.

Paid $68 for mine about a year and a half ago. Not one issue to date.


I've made the move going back to Costco batteries.
Don't know if it was a fluke or what, but my previous Interstate green top only lasted a couple years. So back to Costco it is. Had good luck with Costco batteries before, now back.
 
The local Costco stores in the Phoenix area now only carry Interstate labeled batteries with a 30 month replacement and 85 month pro-rate warranty. The previous Kirkland batteries offered a 36 month replacement warranty. I use Costco batteries in most of our vehicles. They don't last very long in the heat here; typically they have a cell failure within the replacement period and sometimes I have to jump-start the car to get home to pull the battery out to return to Costco. But more often than not I get a fresh battery at no cost within 30 months and often sooner for our 2004 minivan, which has electric doors and chews through batteries in less than 24 months. I just installed the fifth Costco battery in it last week.
 
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I honestly am not joking, I have two 825 or 800 cca Interstate batteries in my old 84 Ford 6.9 diesel. They are 17 years old and still fine. I bet I put a gallon of distilled water through each one over the years.
 
I use cat batteries in my own personal pick-up's and bronco.
Interstate or Napa goes in the work trucks and the rest of a very large fleet of equipment.
 
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