Deka batteries not impressed

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: The Critic
What is your expectation for battery life? For me, I consider batteries to be a routine maintenance item - the same way that brakes, air filters and belts are. I expect batteries to last three to four years.

In fact, earlier today, I had the battery tested in my mother's 2010 Altima V6 and it failed. The battery is exactly 3 years old this month.

I think you got a pretty good life out of that battery.


Come summer, the Everstart-MAXX in my Caddy will be in its seventh year. This past fall, it showed about 90% of its original capacity on a load test.


Critic didn't answer your question 5-7 years. 7 years is pretty good for that Caddy.. bet it takes some juice to turn it over!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Yep: long, hot cables and 542 cubic inches. It's also a hot, crowded engine compartment. (There was once a plastic heat shield, but it was long gone when I got the car.)

But wait...I thought Wal-Mart's batteries were terrible...?

 

[GMBoy]

I had just posted about a NAPA deka battery that lasted only a few months. NAPA gladly exchanged.

 

[jim302]

~4.5 years isn't that bad for an automotive battery. Some last longer, and some fail much earlier. Numerous factors including the amount of vibration and how hot the battery gets have a major impact on battery life. At 4.5 years, the battery is closer to the end of its life than the beginning, and discharging the battery certainly didn't help the situation. I wouldn't be upset or turned off from any particular brand based on this.

Speaking of battery life, I had an Interstate fail with a bad cell after only 6 months. I would have no problem buying another, despite the inconvenience it caused me. That was clearly an isolated situation. Sometimes it happens.

Small sample sizes do not yield useful statistics. Obviously it is your money, and if you were disappointed with how your battery performed, it is understandable that you want to buy something else. However you can't base an entire company's quality based on one good or bad product.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Some of what I'm reading here is *definitely* not East Penn/Deka's fault... nor is it the fault of the battery... but the battery is taking the blame.



Explain in your infinite wisdom... such usless post as these cause a typical decline in forums.

 

[OilFool]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: OilFool
Deka seems to be the brand of choice in "emergency services" vehicles around here.
I wonder why

Low bidder!


Remember that next time you fly.

(AV-forum)

IF low bidder applied in this case... I would agree, but they can go to "Wal-mart" and get cheap batteries.
When you have a fleet of a few thousand vehicles, it is cheaper in the long run to get better parts that last longer with better warranties. Easier on the environment as well... Less waste. Less in haz-mat disposal fees...
so many angles

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Some of what I'm reading here is *definitely* not East Penn/Deka's fault... nor is it the fault of the battery... but the battery is taking the blame.



Explain in your infinite wisdom... such usless post as these cause a typical decline in forums.


Calm down, no need for such a rude post.


Enough folks have stated why. There are a ton of factors to battery life, as it is a dynamic chemical system, and like you and I, it ages. Each car, load characteristic, etc. is different.

But discharging fully is NOT good for it, not to mention that jumpstart into a short can cause a high current flow and thats not good either. Add temperatures, use profile, etc, and lots comes to play. Id agree that it is not Dekas fault, at least not entirely nor in an out of the ordinary manner given the clues you have provided...

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: OilFool
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: OilFool
Deka seems to be the brand of choice in "emergency services" vehicles around here.
I wonder why

Low bidder!


Remember that next time you fly.

(AV-forum)

IF low bidder applied in this case... I would agree, but they can go to "Wal-mart" and get cheap batteries.
When you have a fleet of a few thousand vehicles, it is cheaper in the long run to get better parts that last longer with better warranties. Easier on the environment as well... Less waste. Less in haz-mat disposal fees...
so many angles


More than likely, the Deka guy gives them the best price with the service they want (on-site installation, disposal, etc).

And I don't fly.

 

[Vikas]

A typical battery costs $80. If you have problem on spending $20/year on the battery, I am not sure what to tell you apart from cutting down on your caffeine intake.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Yep: long, hot cables and 542 cubic inches. It's also a hot, crowded engine compartment. (There was once a plastic heat shield, but it was long gone when I got the car.)

But wait...I thought Wal-Mart's batteries were terrible...?

Don't care for the mess some of those batteries they make but they do seem to last a long time. Dad got either 8 or 10 years out of his last Walmart battery in his Festiva but that's not even a 1/4 the engine versus the Caddy.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
A typical battery costs $80. If you have problem on spending $20/year on the battery, I am not sure what to tell you apart from cutting down on your caffeine intake.


The new one I bought one did cost $81 and the Deka back 4 years ago cost $83 currently $99+. So if you figure it up it would be $18.40 a year for the Deka but if I would of saved my money and bought the cheaper back then would of been $14.50 a year and may still be in service.

Actually didn't have any caffeine.. maybe that's why!

 

[SHOZ]

Get an Odyssey and it will outlast the car.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
A typical battery costs $80. If you have problem on spending $20/year on the battery, I am not sure what to tell you apart from cutting down on your caffeine intake.



That sure puts it in perspective. Makes it instantly seem more reasonable.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Originally Posted By: Vikas
A typical battery costs $80. If you have problem on spending $20/year on the battery, I am not sure what to tell you apart from cutting down on your caffeine intake.


The new one I bought one did cost $81 and the Deka back 4 years ago cost $83 currently $99+. So if you figure it up it would be $18.40 a year for the Deka but if I would of saved my money and bought the cheaper back then would of been $14.50 a year and may still be in service.

Actually didn't have any caffeine.. maybe that's why!


May still be in service. I was thinking that Walmart batteries were a good deal, but Ive only gotten two years out of the two that I have. So Im going to go AAP.

My two Dekas from 2008 are both perfectly strong, clean and working great.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Originally Posted By: Vikas
A typical battery costs $80. If you have problem on spending $20/year on the battery, I am not sure what to tell you apart from cutting down on your caffeine intake.


The new one I bought one did cost $81 and the Deka back 4 years ago cost $83 currently $99+. So if you figure it up it would be $18.40 a year for the Deka but if I would of saved my money and bought the cheaper back then would of been $14.50 a year and may still be in service.

Actually didn't have any caffeine.. maybe that's why!


May still be in service. I was thinking that Walmart batteries were a good deal, but Ive only gotten two years out of the two that I have. So Im going to go AAP.

My two Dekas from 2008 are both perfectly strong, clean and working great.


Hit and miss with all brands.. understandable. The only one I've had definite luck with is Johnson Controls only had one go bad but that was after 2/50K in Houston heat and who knows what the PO subjected it to. Hence I stick to Johnson Control batteries if all possible. The Excides typically lose a charge but I've seen have bad cells also. The Deka went from good to bad quick but that doesn't explain the other issues we were having. It didn't corrode similar to Johnson Controls. Many have of had good luck with Deka's and bad with Johnson Controls. Just based on this one experience and price just can't recommend them. And I don't always go cheap.. I have a house full of Apple products.

 

[GC4lunch]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Many have of had good luck with Deka's and bad with Johnson Controls. Just based on this one experience and price just can't recommend them. And I don't always go cheap.. I have a house full of Apple products.


New Apple products are glued, rather than screwed, together, and their batteries cannot be replaced. When the battery goes on a new generation iPod, iPad, or MacBookPro, the product is dead. That may be the solution to your problem.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: GC4lunch
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Many have of had good luck with Deka's and bad with Johnson Controls. Just based on this one experience and price just can't recommend them. And I don't always go cheap.. I have a house full of Apple products.


New Apple products are glued, rather than screwed, together, and their batteries cannot be replaced. When the battery goes on a new generation iPod, iPad, or MacBookPro, the product is dead. That may be the solution to your problem.


Apple products are not the "standard of quality" for sure. That and their privacy concerns, sweatshop labor etc and no Apple for me.

 

[asand1]

Watch the "Human Centipad" episode of South park if you want to see some humorous bashing of Apple.
I will personally never own apple just because the smug factor, the batteries, and the proprietary cables.
I personally like my 1st gen Droid, and will get another android based phone eventually.

Back to the battery issue, I' not familiar with the latest in automotive electronics and apologize for my incorrect statements, but I stand by my remark regarding bashing of others for their well founded remarks.
Using the clues you gave us it seemed like it could have been user error.

 

[Vikas]

In reality, compared to most other items on the car which need periodic replacement, battery is comparatively cheaper than almost everything else. Some of you might be paying more to fill the gas tank than putting the new battery. Don't you think it is rather irrational to be so hung up when it lasts "only" four years?

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: asand1
Second, no car shuts the lights off if you leave the door open, only when the car is closed up will it enter sleep mode.

Third, If you are running the inverter with the engine off you are cycling a starting battery, and this proves the battery showed exemplary service in the face of adversity.


For #2 there, actually, some vehicles (including my Jeep) will kill the interior lights if you leave a door open for more than 10 minutes.

#3 hits the nail on the head. If you want to run loads off a battery without the engine running, you need a deep cycle, plain and simple. A regular car battery is only meant for engine starting duty and won't survive repeated discharges of any significant manner.

As far as Deka batteries, I've generally seen East Penn made batteries hold up well. I'm running a Duracell (East Penn) AGM deep cycle in the Jeep, it's been holding up great (and I definitely use it like a deep cycle, such as stereo on for 5 hours and then fire the Jeep up to drive it).