looks like time for new batteries for PSD

But I would need to pay $45 to join.
You can get a free one-day shopping pass at Sam's Club from the membership desk. They charge a 10% surcharge on what you buy, for being a non-member. That will still be cheaper. Sam's Club membership is definitely worth $45 a year if you just buy one set of tires you are already ahead.
 
You can get a free one-day shopping pass at Sam's Club from the membership desk. They charge a 10% surcharge on what you buy, for being a non-member. That will still be cheaper. Sam's Club membership is definitely worth $45 a year if you just buy one set of tires you are already ahead.
Believe it or not I do it for the batteries. They have decent battery sales and occasionally I shop the store for other stuff. Otherwise I use Costco for tires and other stuff.

If you have an American Express sometimes they have $20 off the membership if you use the card to sign up. You can use an existing card.
 
So if it shows JCI on the battety it is still Clarios? Or just old batch?

What does Clarios batteries look like?
Here is a group 41 Walmart Ever Start Maxx, made in Mexico. Photo is was taken this November. I’m assuming it was made by Clarios.
 

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When Brookfield bought JCI, it was strictly a financial company buying a battery maker. It wasn’t an established battery maker purchasing another battery maker.
From that stand point I wouldn’t think the JCI products would suddenly change as far as the outer case design goes. However, with time and R&D I suppose they would eventually appear different.
 
When Brookfield bought JCI, it was strictly a financial company buying a battery maker. It wasn’t an established battery maker purchasing another battery maker.
From that stand point I wouldn’t think the JCI products would suddenly change as far as the outer case design goes. However, with time and R&D I suppose they would eventually appear different.
In these kind of transactions the buyer is often looking to squeeze more profit out of the company. Or break up the company and keep the profitable parts and dump the rest. With Li-ion batteries on the horizon in addition to EV what company will put a lot of money into upgrades of lead based battery plants?
 
Time will tell. JCI was making 154 million batteries per year at the time of the takeover and Brookfield put out some numbers that worldwide ICE auto production will increase substantially despite increases in electric cars. It would be quite a problem if Li-Ion starter batteries became economic but you can bet they would try dominate that side of battery production as well. I wonder which company was the last one to invest big in beta-max video recorder production. Also, the longer lasting the batteries are, the fewer of them you’ll sell. You just have to make sure your’s lasts a little longer than the competition’s. :D
 
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It will be interesting to see if the EP batteries at Napa, BJs, etc follow suit and are made in Mexico too, like the ones that they supply Walmart.

I will say that I outfit my Ram CTD with two value group 65 batteries from WM. Out the door for less than $100 for both, and they handle starting and the high draw of the Cummins grid heaters (up to 200A).

For $100 for both versus $200-400 for the higher end versions or AGM, it was worth it to me to try, even with group 65 being slightly undersized (OE is group 27). My truck has a block heater and starts really strong and well. YMMV.
With you, not a FAN of AGM, the matt is the thickness of Strong TP, easy to blow a hole through it
 
Batteries Plus here is solely east penn / deka, and their prices are in the pocket. do they have one near you?
 
Batteries plus if Sam’s isn’t an option. Might compare warranties between Napa vs the others.
 
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So while not definitive it seems like some of my battery measurements may have been skewed because I did not pull the clamps off the posts and measure directly on the lead posts. I had the tester's own clamps half of top of lead post and half on the battery clamp.
 
So while not definitive it seems like some of my battery measurements may have been skewed because I did not pull the clamps off the posts and measure directly on the lead posts. I had the tester's own clamps half of top of lead post and half on the battery clamp.
So connecting the battery clamps back on the battery means I will be taking tester measurements with the tester clamps on the battery clamps in some fashion. BUT also that the trucks electrical system is now connected and is back in the picture.
 
It was a year ago that I started this thread. Winter is coming, do I need new batteries for the PSD? The results from battery testing over the past few days have results not much different than a year ago. Starts fine. But it's not winter yet. Two batteries do make a difference.

Oddly I put each battery on a Battery Minder battery maintainer for 24 hours on what should be a fully charged battery (normal charging by alternator) and the tester said to RECHARGE.
 
So after screwing around for a year on new batteries I will buy two Everstart MAXX group 65 batteries for my PSD. They are $89. I assume they will be East Penn but I will check. Buying in DE with no sales tax.

For fun I will toss the old batteries on Battery Minders to see if they can be revived. But only a test. Eventually they will go back to Walmart as core.

I'd go with AGM but they are close to double. And not easy to find.
 
Batteries like many other things during the pandemic seem to have spotty availability. For group 65 Walmart.com showed no Everstart MAXX. Some Everstart ones and one AGM. They had 3 AGM. I bought 2.

Now to charge & test before installing.
 
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