Always had good luck with Exide batteries
So what batteries do you BITOG folks like?
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Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
just an anecdotal experience here... I've owned two Optimas and in my opinion they're not worth the powder to blow them to [censored].
We get a deal on Interstate with our fleet, they are good and their warranty actually covers something!
Service is what sold me, I'm sure they are all good products at any major store.
Can you explain more on the Optimas? My father had a yellow top go bad in a month in his GN. I had a red top go bad in 6 months on my GN. The yellowtop was located in the trunk so heat wasn't an issue.
When my factory battery on the TL went bad after a year, I took a chance and put in a red top Optima and it's been flawless ever since even with 1,800 watts of stereo equipment. It really seems to be hit or miss. You either get a great battery or a defective battery.
just an anecdotal experience here... I've owned two Optimas and in my opinion they're not worth the powder to blow them to [censored].
We get a deal on Interstate with our fleet, they are good and their warranty actually covers something!
Service is what sold me, I'm sure they are all good products at any major store.
Can you explain more on the Optimas? My father had a yellow top go bad in a month in his GN. I had a red top go bad in 6 months on my GN. The yellowtop was located in the trunk so heat wasn't an issue.
When my factory battery on the TL went bad after a year, I took a chance and put in a red top Optima and it's been flawless ever since even with 1,800 watts of stereo equipment. It really seems to be hit or miss. You either get a great battery or a defective battery.
All my batteries are Auto Zone house brand. I've had good results with every one I've used in several different vehicles.
Take the duralast into AZ and see what they can do for you. If you get a brand new one sell it on craigslist for $35 and put that toward the core fee.
True story, I got a 3.5 year old walmart everstart maxx yellow at the dump, it was junk, took it to WM, they tested it and gave me prorated credit toward any other battery. They didn't need a receipt, my disadvantage was they went by the date stamp which was probably a couple months older than the sale date. Wound up getting a brand new cheaper black battery in a different group size for $11... and I got a core slip worth $10 so I turned in another battery!! Before this I loved WM yellow batteries and it's even more so now!
One thing worth noting is WM stocks different batteries for north and south parts of the US so you'll want reviews from your area... CCA may not mean much. If you shop there you should get nice thick plates that take the heat because they stock what you need specifically.
If the torino is just a project you could stop by the junkyard and try to get a motorcraft OE battery that's a year or two old. My dad's 1980 fairmont battery lasted until 1988 or so then just... poof... quit, and his 93 escort's was still going in 2004! Plus being motorcraft it'll look good under the hood of a ford!
True story, I got a 3.5 year old walmart everstart maxx yellow at the dump, it was junk, took it to WM, they tested it and gave me prorated credit toward any other battery. They didn't need a receipt, my disadvantage was they went by the date stamp which was probably a couple months older than the sale date. Wound up getting a brand new cheaper black battery in a different group size for $11... and I got a core slip worth $10 so I turned in another battery!! Before this I loved WM yellow batteries and it's even more so now!
One thing worth noting is WM stocks different batteries for north and south parts of the US so you'll want reviews from your area... CCA may not mean much. If you shop there you should get nice thick plates that take the heat because they stock what you need specifically.
If the torino is just a project you could stop by the junkyard and try to get a motorcraft OE battery that's a year or two old. My dad's 1980 fairmont battery lasted until 1988 or so then just... poof... quit, and his 93 escort's was still going in 2004! Plus being motorcraft it'll look good under the hood of a ford!
If I really need originality, I can spend some bucks on eBay for one of these
But I want functionality. Thanks for all the responses. I am still going to see if AutoZone will give me anything for a battery that I didn't buy, that came with the car when I bought it. They might do something, I won't mention anything unless they ask. It may be chargeable, I might not be doing it right.
But I want functionality. Thanks for all the responses. I am still going to see if AutoZone will give me anything for a battery that I didn't buy, that came with the car when I bought it. They might do something, I won't mention anything unless they ask. It may be chargeable, I might not be doing it right.
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Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
just an anecdotal experience here... I've owned two Optimas and in my opinion they're not worth the powder to blow them to [censored].
We get a deal on Interstate with our fleet, they are good and their warranty actually covers something!
Service is what sold me, I'm sure they are all good products at any major store.
Can you explain more on the Optimas? My father had a yellow top go bad in a month in his GN. I had a red top go bad in 6 months on my GN. The yellowtop was located in the trunk so heat wasn't an issue.
When my factory battery on the TL went bad after a year, I took a chance and put in a red top Optima and it's been flawless ever since even with 1,800 watts of stereo equipment. It really seems to be hit or miss. You either get a great battery or a defective battery.
They are AGM; Absorbed Glass Matt. The electrolyte is held in suspension in the glass matting, which is sandwiched between layers of lead plating. They are wrapped up like two carpets on top of each other.
Since the glass matting is 98% saturated, the batteries are "sealed". There is no risk of leaking, since the electrolyte is contained in the matting. Any gases released during use are kept inside the battery and re-absorbed when the battery cools.
They DO have "emergency" vents on the top of them, which IIRC, are sealed and will only open under extreme situations. Such was the case when the regulator went on my buddy's Camaro alternator and started feeding it unregulated 18V. The battery was so hot you couldn't touch it. And it was venting out those holes.
My Red Top has frozen twice. Solid block of ice. Stuck it on a trickle charger, and it now runs the Lincoln. Rolls it over like summer when it's -20 out and will run my Rockford and the two 12's for an hour and still start the car with ease.
But some people seem to have horrible luck with them. This battery is going on 4 years old now.....
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
just an anecdotal experience here... I've owned two Optimas and in my opinion they're not worth the powder to blow them to [censored].
We get a deal on Interstate with our fleet, they are good and their warranty actually covers something!
Service is what sold me, I'm sure they are all good products at any major store.
Can you explain more on the Optimas? My father had a yellow top go bad in a month in his GN. I had a red top go bad in 6 months on my GN. The yellowtop was located in the trunk so heat wasn't an issue.
When my factory battery on the TL went bad after a year, I took a chance and put in a red top Optima and it's been flawless ever since even with 1,800 watts of stereo equipment. It really seems to be hit or miss. You either get a great battery or a defective battery.
They are AGM; Absorbed Glass Matt. The electrolyte is held in suspension in the glass matting, which is sandwiched between layers of lead plating. They are wrapped up like two carpets on top of each other.
Since the glass matting is 98% saturated, the batteries are "sealed". There is no risk of leaking, since the electrolyte is contained in the matting. Any gases released during use are kept inside the battery and re-absorbed when the battery cools.
They DO have "emergency" vents on the top of them, which IIRC, are sealed and will only open under extreme situations. Such was the case when the regulator went on my buddy's Camaro alternator and started feeding it unregulated 18V. The battery was so hot you couldn't touch it. And it was venting out those holes.
My Red Top has frozen twice. Solid block of ice. Stuck it on a trickle charger, and it now runs the Lincoln. Rolls it over like summer when it's -20 out and will run my Rockford and the two 12's for an hour and still start the car with ease.
But some people seem to have horrible luck with them. This battery is going on 4 years old now.....
The company, Enersys,that made the Optima's sold the equipment/name to someone else a few years ago as they considered the spiral design obsolete. Now they produce the Odyssy AGM line, which is supposedly a better battery.
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
I used to have one with Corinthian Leather....a 1980 Cordoba....One of the better cars that I owned. Has a 318 and has 190,000 before I traded it in with no problems....
The recent consumer reports,(nov 2008) rated car batteries. Everlast(walmart) did well especially with price.AZ and AAP did ok also. Kirkland (costco?) was the cheapest one. All seemed ok but some (sears) relatively expensive at similar performace.
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Originally Posted By: Drew2000
The company, Enersys,that made the Optima's sold the equipment/name to someone else a few years ago as they considered the spiral design obsolete. Now they produce the Odyssy AGM line, which is supposedly a better battery.
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
That may make sense as to why the more recent Optima batteries sound like they are more problematic than the older ones.
The company, Enersys,that made the Optima's sold the equipment/name to someone else a few years ago as they considered the spiral design obsolete. Now they produce the Odyssy AGM line, which is supposedly a better battery.
http://www.odysseyfactory.com/
That may make sense as to why the more recent Optima batteries sound like they are more problematic than the older ones.
Originally Posted By: jldcol
The recent consumer reports,(nov 2008) rated car batteries. Everlast(walmart) did well especially with price.AZ and AAP did ok also. Kirkland (costco?) was the cheapest one. All seemed ok but some (sears) relatively expensive at similar performace.
I don't suppose Customer Reports said that Walmart batteries are made by one of two companies depending on where in the country you happen to buy it, or which one of those they tested?
AZ, AAP, Kirkland, Sears are all made by the same company.
The recent consumer reports,(nov 2008) rated car batteries. Everlast(walmart) did well especially with price.AZ and AAP did ok also. Kirkland (costco?) was the cheapest one. All seemed ok but some (sears) relatively expensive at similar performace.
I don't suppose Customer Reports said that Walmart batteries are made by one of two companies depending on where in the country you happen to buy it, or which one of those they tested?
AZ, AAP, Kirkland, Sears are all made by the same company.
I have a NAPA Select in my company vehicle, it's been going strong for 5-years now. I also have the same battery in my Ford F-150 with no problems, it's only a year old.
Haven't had the greatest luck with Wal-Marts "Never Start" brand.
Haven't had the greatest luck with Wal-Marts "Never Start" brand.
The Energizer batteries sold at Sam's Club are made by Johnson Controls. I have one in my car.
I just placed one of the Walmart batteries in amy mom-in-law's care, as Consumer Reports rated them well, and the price was good. I cannot recall who made thier batteries.
I THINK the Everstart Maxx is made by Johnson.
I just placed one of the Walmart batteries in amy mom-in-law's care, as Consumer Reports rated them well, and the price was good. I cannot recall who made thier batteries.
I THINK the Everstart Maxx is made by Johnson.
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Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: jldcol
The recent consumer reports,(nov 2008) rated car batteries. Everlast(walmart) did well especially with price.AZ and AAP did ok also. Kirkland (costco?) was the cheapest one. All seemed ok but some (sears) relatively expensive at similar performace.
I don't suppose Customer Reports said that Walmart batteries are made by one of two companies depending on where in the country you happen to buy it, or which one of those they tested?
AZ, AAP, Kirkland, Sears are all made by the same company.
Sears batteries used to also be made by different companies in different parts of the US, but that was a good 10 years ago. It kept shipping costs down.
Originally Posted By: jldcol
The recent consumer reports,(nov 2008) rated car batteries. Everlast(walmart) did well especially with price.AZ and AAP did ok also. Kirkland (costco?) was the cheapest one. All seemed ok but some (sears) relatively expensive at similar performace.
I don't suppose Customer Reports said that Walmart batteries are made by one of two companies depending on where in the country you happen to buy it, or which one of those they tested?
AZ, AAP, Kirkland, Sears are all made by the same company.
Sears batteries used to also be made by different companies in different parts of the US, but that was a good 10 years ago. It kept shipping costs down.
Originally Posted By: jldcol
The consumer reports article did state that there are north and south version of batteries.
They did their research. They read the Car Battery FAQ.
Quote:
I would bet that there are only 3 or so large volume producers of batteries.
Johnson Controls, Exide, and East Penn, in order of market share.
The consumer reports article did state that there are north and south version of batteries.
They did their research. They read the Car Battery FAQ.
Quote:
I would bet that there are only 3 or so large volume producers of batteries.
Johnson Controls, Exide, and East Penn, in order of market share.
Who Johnson Controls makes batteries for in USA/Canada:
http://www.autobatteries.com/brands/index.asp
I had a JC made Ford Motorcraft in my '95 Ranger that lasted 9 years. It only failed when the hold down rusted off and the battery got thrown around and cracked the case. Still worked while leaking.
They also make OEM batteries for a lot of European cars and after market under the VARTA brand.
I've had good luck with JC and Exide made batteries.
http://www.autobatteries.com/brands/index.asp
I had a JC made Ford Motorcraft in my '95 Ranger that lasted 9 years. It only failed when the hold down rusted off and the battery got thrown around and cracked the case. Still worked while leaking.
They also make OEM batteries for a lot of European cars and after market under the VARTA brand.
I've had good luck with JC and Exide made batteries.
Originally Posted By: brianl703
I think Johnson Controls makes the batteries sold at the Honda/Acura dealership (I'm assuming you don't have a 13-year-old factory battery in your car, and that what you call the OEM battery is one that was purchased at a dealership).
The OEM battery for Saab is Exide (and isn't the same as the Exide batteries sold in the USA), but the one you get at the dealership is made by Johnson Controls (and gets delivered by the Interstate battery truck...)
In general, when dealing with import cars, the battery they put in at the factory is NOT the same as the battery they sell at the dealership. The dealerships source the batteries domestically. It just usually is not cost effective to ship car batteries from Japan unless they happen to be installed in a vehicle...
The battery in my car was purchased in 2005 from the dealership, so it's over 3 years old now, and I have a good amount of stereo equipment in my car as well, along with an alarm system that I'm guessing uses some parasitic battery drain. Works great, never fails to start even in -30 degree weather. It doesn't say who makes the battery on the label though.
I think Johnson Controls makes the batteries sold at the Honda/Acura dealership (I'm assuming you don't have a 13-year-old factory battery in your car, and that what you call the OEM battery is one that was purchased at a dealership).
The OEM battery for Saab is Exide (and isn't the same as the Exide batteries sold in the USA), but the one you get at the dealership is made by Johnson Controls (and gets delivered by the Interstate battery truck...)
In general, when dealing with import cars, the battery they put in at the factory is NOT the same as the battery they sell at the dealership. The dealerships source the batteries domestically. It just usually is not cost effective to ship car batteries from Japan unless they happen to be installed in a vehicle...
The battery in my car was purchased in 2005 from the dealership, so it's over 3 years old now, and I have a good amount of stereo equipment in my car as well, along with an alarm system that I'm guessing uses some parasitic battery drain. Works great, never fails to start even in -30 degree weather. It doesn't say who makes the battery on the label though.
My Honda OE battery is made by Panasonic in Japan. Honda dealers in my area don't carry Panasonic battery.
I went and checked prices at Wal-Mart and Advance Auto Parts.
Dual terminal batteries are not very well stocked. AAP in Lacy-Lakeview (north side of Waco TX) had one dated 10/06 and that was it. They also wanted anywhere from $88 to $108 for the top of the line models that would have 850-1000CA. All the Wal-Mart yellow EverStart MAXX batteries were $73 regardless of size or configuration. And the oldest one in the store I went (Hillsboro TX) into was 7/08.
Fresh is good, saving $15-$35 is better. So far the yellow Wal-Mart batteries are at the top of my list, I just have to live without my top posts for the inverter. I'm sure I can make something work with the savings.
Haven't walked into an AutoZone yet, but I will be going there next week to test the 7/07 Duralast I have now. While they're charging it, I'll walk to O'Reilly to check prices.
The car has been sitting for a week, cables hooked up, dome light doesn't even work as of this afternoon. I have no radio presets or a computer or anything to suck power. I can't measure a draw at all with the ignition off and the doors shut. So this battery has to be faulty somehow. And not even 2 years old?
Dual terminal batteries are not very well stocked. AAP in Lacy-Lakeview (north side of Waco TX) had one dated 10/06 and that was it. They also wanted anywhere from $88 to $108 for the top of the line models that would have 850-1000CA. All the Wal-Mart yellow EverStart MAXX batteries were $73 regardless of size or configuration. And the oldest one in the store I went (Hillsboro TX) into was 7/08.
Fresh is good, saving $15-$35 is better. So far the yellow Wal-Mart batteries are at the top of my list, I just have to live without my top posts for the inverter. I'm sure I can make something work with the savings.
Haven't walked into an AutoZone yet, but I will be going there next week to test the 7/07 Duralast I have now. While they're charging it, I'll walk to O'Reilly to check prices.
The car has been sitting for a week, cables hooked up, dome light doesn't even work as of this afternoon. I have no radio presets or a computer or anything to suck power. I can't measure a draw at all with the ignition off and the doors shut. So this battery has to be faulty somehow. And not even 2 years old?
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