Costco vs Autozone batteries?

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powayroger

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My 2008 Honda Civic is probably due for a battery changed. Still the original battery with 91,000 miles on it, but 4 weeks ago, I accidentally left my dome light on at work and when I went to start it at the end of the day, it was dead, so dead that I needed to enter the radio code to get the radio to work (1 hr commute to home with no tunes!!!) after jumping it, and then this last Saturday, after being on vacation for a week, I went to start it and got the dreaded clicking noise, and had to jump it. So I guess I’m probably right in thinking it’s time to replace the battery, right?

So I’m thinking, it’s time to replace the battery. I’ve gone AutoZone before and been happy, but with a Costco 1.5 miles from my house, I’m thinking about going the Costco route.

So what is the opinion on Costco vs Autozone batteries?
 
Costco sells Interstate batteries which I believe are produced by JC. Autozone is JC as well. Costco is 42 month full replacement warranty. I bet they are priced lower than Autozone in my experience.

I don't know which one is better, if there is any difference at all.
 
I recommend you get it tested by someone reputable. ie. not autozone
I had mine tested recently after getting boosted.. thinking it was dome light, much like you.. autozone told me new battery needed.. had test done at my dealer and they gave me a printout telling me my battery is good and testing at 80% still. What size battery does your civic take? Mine takes a group 35 and the interstate battery at costco was priced at 73$ plus core fee. Autozone was much more expensive.. closer to 130$ for silver battery. Id go the Costco route, to save $ and still be close enough if it fails under warranty.
 
I put in a Costco group 51r battery in my gfs 2009 civic, been working great. Very decent price and great warranty as well. I would go Costco.
 
Any JC batteries are good quality.

I still have the original battery in my 2007 Civic, I'll buy a JC battery when it needs replacement.
 
I don't know the difference between the two, but I have a 9 year old Duralast Gold in the WS6. I have killed it three times and brought it back to life. It is, by far, the best battery I have ever had.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
I recommend you get it tested by someone reputable. ie. not Autozone.
I had mine tested recently after getting boosted.. thinking it was dome light, much like you.. Autozone told me new battery needed.. had test done at my dealer and they gave me a printout telling me my battery is good and testing at 80% still.

If the battery under test is Autozone then the result is almost always good so they don't have to replace it, especially if it is under warranty. Other battery brands then it's bad so they can sell new battery.
 
I buy the battery with the better warranty if cost are similiar. Wal-Mart Maxx batteries are a decent price too, if you have a Wal-Mart near you.

Your current battery is 7 years old, so I wouldn't even bother testing it. Just replace it so you don't get stranded again this winter.
 
Originally Posted By: powayroger
My 2008 Honda Civic is probably due for a battery changed. Still the original battery with 91,000 miles on it, but 4 weeks ago, I accidentally left my dome light on at work and when I went to start it at the end of the day, it was dead, so dead that I needed to enter the radio code to get the radio to work (1 hr commute to home with no tunes!!!) after jumping it, and then this last Saturday, after being on vacation for a week, I went to start it and got the dreaded clicking noise, and had to jump it. So I guess I’m probably right in thinking it’s time to replace the battery, right?

So I’m thinking, it’s time to replace the battery. I’ve gone AutoZone before and been happy, but with a Costco 1.5 miles from my house, I’m thinking about going the Costco route.

So what is the opinion on Costco vs Autozone batteries?


First you should have charged the battery with an AC charger to get it fully charged and not overload the alternator. You should have the battery and charging system tested.

JCI makes the best (or one of) battery. Interstates are always made by JCI. Others have their name on a battery but the manufacturer that could change when the contract is up or area of the country.
 
Last edited:
Advance Auto parts with discount code will probably be the cheapest, assuming you have Advance in your area.

They're JC batteries, mostly. Some of the weird sizes are other makers, or at least don't appear to be normal JC batteries.
 
i buy the auto zone gold from commercial i always liked them and since i have a commercial account i dont pay a lot for them.

I would stay away from sears.. I also liked the interstate batteries how much are they at costco ?
 
Originally Posted By: stephen9666


They're JC batteries, mostly. Some of the weird sizes are other makers, or at least don't appear to be normal JC batteries.


How do I verify this? I understand there's a manufacturer's code on a battery, but I can't find a guide to reading it. I want to get a battery at Autozone but I will not buy an Exide manufactured battery again. First time I strayed from JC (all Interstate Megatron labeled) and it was a real dud. Otherwise I will make a trip to Costco or Firestone to get a JC made battery (Interstate).
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Any JC batteries are good quality.

I still have the original battery in my 2007 Civic, I'll buy a JC battery when it needs replacement.



I just had a 22-mo old JC battery die in the Altima last week - so I guess I am an outlier.
 
For a Honda; Honda has a 100month battery program (which is really a 96 month program if I read the warranty correctly) but it includes a 36 month 100% warranty.

Their batteries are usually price competitive. I'm pretty sure they are JC batteries, and that the dealers are services by Interstate...
 
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Originally Posted By: Oro_O
Originally Posted By: stephen9666


They're JC batteries, mostly. Some of the weird sizes are other makers, or at least don't appear to be normal JC batteries.


How do I verify this? I understand there's a manufacturer's code on a battery, but I can't find a guide to reading it. I want to get a battery at Autozone but I will not buy an Exide manufactured battery again. First time I strayed from JC (all Interstate Megatron labeled) and it was a real dud. Otherwise I will make a trip to Costco or Firestone to get a JC made battery (Interstate).


JC batteries have a distinctive date sticker and many of them have a "Power Frame" marking. That's how I can tell many of the Advance Auto batteries are made by JC.
http://www.powerframe.com/us-en/

In fact, that Powerframe website shows Advance Auto parts as a source of buying JCI batteries with the Power Frame technology.

But, I'm going to guess there are probably private label JC batteries that don't have those markings.

The battery I bought for our Beetle at Advance appeared slightly different than all the normal JC sizes. It's made in Spain and has been working well.
 
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