Need battery - Everstart, Duralast or Diehard?

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I still run the original battery in my 2008 xB so I just reached six years on the panasonic battery. Sadly, they don't sell the same ones here, so I have to pick up a different brand. While at the dealer today getting a recall done, I had a coupon for a free load test on the battery... It failed. I figured so, as it has been feeling a bit sluggish lately.

Consumer reports rates the Everstart MAXX 35N the best out of the two they list in the July 13' issue, but I also don't exactly trust them always given personal experiences... So...

My options are the Walmart Everstart Maxx, Autozone Duralast Gold or Sear's DieHard Gold batteries.

The Everstart is $99, Duralast Gold around $115 after battery trade-in and the Diehard is $99 after trade in. All fairly comparable. I also believe all three are made by Johnson Controls as well. Warranties are all fairly comparable.

So which should I go with? Are they all going to be basically the same given they are all made by the same company? All have 600-660 CCA's.
 
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The MAXX at Walmart if manufactured by JCI is a very good battery and easy to get a replacement if needed. I believe its 2 yr free replacement. I do not look at the pro-rated side of the warranty if there is one.
 
They don't sell the Panasonic's in the US... Japan only from what I read. They sell interstate batteries at the dealerships.

Speaking of which, my brother works at one and can get me their high end one they carry for $86 (compared to the $115 my dealer wanted), but he said only 570 CCA compared to the 650 of the Everstart MAXX... Also, 2yr replacement vs. 3yr but longer pro-rated.
 
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I have Autozone Duralast Gold but only a year old, it has 3yr replacement and 100 months pro-rate. Bosch Premium at Pep Boys has the same warranty and at around $100.
 
Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Go find the AAP discount codes in the rebate section that expires today order on-line tonight and pick up tomorrow.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...;gonew=1#UNREAD

+1

AAP's AutoCraft batteries are about as good as anything and a great deal with the online discount codes. I got a $110 AutoCraft Silver for our VUE for $75.


+2 Great price and battery.
 
Another vote for an Advance Auto battery purchased online with discount code. They're made mostly by Johnson Controls, the same OEM as some of your other choices (possibly all of them).

Nothing else will be close in price after the discount codes. You'll be able to save at least 30%, depending on which code you use.
 
If I do Advanced Auto, it comes down to $101... Minus the $15 I will get back when I give them my old battery.

So they are for sure made by Johnson Controls?
 
Originally Posted By: xBa380

So they are for sure made by Johnson Controls?


I have two. The one in my Hyundai is a JCI battery. The one in the VW is a weird uncommon one that's made in Spain. I don't know if that one is JCI or not, but it doesn't have the normal JCI markings. The common sizes are JCI, at least at my local store.
 
Well I will do Walmart or AAP... Walmart would be more convenient for me, which plays a part... And the price difference is only about $12 or so. What to do what to do...
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: xBa380
Well I will do Walmart or AAP... Walmart would be more convenient for me, which plays a part... And the price difference is only about $12 or so. What to do what to do...
smile.gif



Did you try the code DOW31 ?
 
Yes, it removed $38... I found another code that removed $40, so I used that one instead for pricing.
 
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If I'm choosing the correct battery for your app, I could get a AAP Gold (3 yr replacement warranty) for $87.50 + tax after discount code. That's assuming you have your old battery to exchange.

I could get a Silver (2 yr replacement warranty) for $73 + tax.

EDIT -

I think you could do even better if you use code TRT41. That's $40 off $100. You'll just have to play around with the different AAP codes to see what's best for what you want to buy.
 
How bad would it be if the most physically challenged person who drives or is transported by that vehicle is someday stranded because the vehicle will not start or it stops running while being used (assume driving through the worst neighborhood, or in the worst weather, very hot or a miserable winter day). If no very old, very young, or other wise physically challenged person is normally transported by that vehicle, and it never is driven through any very bad neighborhoods, then reliability is not that big a deal, other wise choose wisely.

The batteries at Wal-Mart have a color code dot on them. When they have sat on the shelf for some predetermined number of months someone at Wal-Mart removes them from the shelf. They are then charged and tested and if they pass they go back on the shelf with a new sticker of a new color that indicates to those who know the color code use at Wal-Mart how old that battery really is. Theoretically the brand new battery you buy from Wal-Mart can be anything from fresh from the factory, to something that is actually so old that if you knew the age you would never purchase it. While Wal-Mart and other stores have pro-rating that you would think at least gives an even brake to anyone who gets burned by buying a battery that has been in the store for a long time, pro-rating is not all it is cracked up to be. When they pro-rate they look at the number of months you have had the battery, the life expectancy of the battery, and the retail price of the battery. Then they subtract that from what you paid. Because the retail price can be much more than the sale price, you can end up with paying close to full sale price for the new (replacement) battery even though you only had it for a year or so. And there is nothing to stop you from getting another new battery that is actually an old battery that has been on the shelf too long, a second time. Unless you know what the dot colors stand for and you can chose a factory fresh battery, I would stay away from Wal-Mart batteries.

Duralast Gold from AutoZone in general is a very good battery. But it is possible to get a battery that has been there for awhile. Check the actual battery BEFORE it is installed in you vehicle by looking for scrape marks on the terminals form it being previously installed in someone else's vehicle. If it has those scrape marks then don't get it. If I had to chose between the three listed by OP I would go with the Duralast Gold.

Interstate batteries should be a better battery, and they are most likely more expensive. But you can still get a bad battery that has been on the shelf too long with an Interstate. I went with the largest possible Interstate for my 1985 Olds and ended up with one that was too old before it was ever used, probably because that extra large size is not often used. It failed early, and I had to get another under the pro-rating, and even with the pro-rating it was expensive. At least the second one was fresh from the factory, the truck delivered it the day it was installed, they did not have a second one that size in stock.

Recently I talked to some people at a Batteries-Plus store. They carry Duracell car batteries. They said that if a new Duracell battery sits too long before being sold that it is sent back to the factory at Duracell where the plates are re-plated and then tested and sent back to Batteries-Plus. Probably a better battery compared to others of the same age. They are also high priced.

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Also, for what it is worth, for reliability, I have the alternator rebuilt (replace bearings, brushes, and run tested), and the starter rebuilt (replace bendix, brushes, clean comutator especially down in the slots between conducting sections, clean and re-grease where the shaft goes, and run tested) when one of our vehicles reaches 60K miles, and then every 50K miles after that. I also replace the belt(s) and (tenserer including idler pulley and bearing, if the vehicle has one) when they look shot. It use to be that serpentine belts were only good for (reliable) for 25K miles, but serpentine belts have been improved and are much more reliable now days.

Over the years, I have found that after 60K for the original alternator and starter, they are not very reliable. And a rebuilt (of the original by a good rebuilding shop) is much more reliable.

Also, the so called new, low price new alternators and starters at auto parts stores usually are rebuilt units that have been rebuilt in a foreign country, by unskilled labor, and not properly tested. And in general they are not reliable, and a waste of time and money. A real, "NEW" alternator or starter from the dealer will cost something like 2 to 5 times what low cost ones go for at auto parts stores.
 
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