What Automotive Battery does everyone like

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Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
I happened to talk with the Exide battery guy yesterday. Turns out that was his last time visiting, as we are changing battery vendors to Johnson Controls. So, Im thinking Home Office had to let a contract expire or something before they could change vendors.


Are you with WalMart?

Yeah, I should have specified. That article the SnPb linked to is what I was confused about, since September came and went and we were still getting Exide batteries.
 
It's come to my attention that the advance auto "silver" is a Johnson Controls with 2 year free replacement warranty.

Compares to the walmart "black"; a typical GM side post is $67 at WM and $75 at AA.

But, AA has coupons worth nearly 40% off if you buy online.

Suddenly, I have a new favorite battery!
 
Originally Posted By: SnPb
http://www.jsonline.com/business/83454852.html


"Johnson Controls has been supplying 60% of the Wal-Mart brand batteries sold in stores across the country (Feb 2010), but that will ramp up to 100% by the end of September."

That makes sense. The only Exide batteries Wal-Mart should be selling now are ones that still happen to be in the pipeline and are being moved out.
 
Honda for my Accord. I'm there 2x per year for oc and state inspection. I keep all my auto expenses,except tires(DT)under 1 roof. 36 full replacement/96 pro rate.
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
Up here in Canada our Walmart sells Energizer car batteries and over the past 15+ years I've used them on many different cars with great results.


JC is the exclusive supplier to Walmart Canada last I read. I put an Energizer in my dad's car when his OEM battery died. Couple years later still working great.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
And Exide has lost NAPA as well...

Maybe if they made a better battery?

It funny, if you read the article, it mentions JCI getting dumped by Sears for Exide in the mid-90s. They decided they needed to turn the ship around at that point and concentrated on improving their battery offerings. Seems they are switching off.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
OEM battery went out in Wife's Explorer last night. Auto Zone and Advance right around $110, group 65. Walmart Maxx $77. Just went by Costco. $74.89.Their great warranty 850 CCA. 9/10 manufacture date.
That's the best I could do.

Costco batteries are made by Johnson Controls. I love their warranty.
 
I need to get a deep cycle (group 31) for my trailer, after some moron stole mine. Do opinions of manufacturers change when looking at deep cycles versus starting?

As for starting batteries, my choices have been: Costco (JCI) for my brother's car, and that battery ended up lasting probably 6 or 7 years. A VW Varta for our Golf TDI, since TDI owners seem to have reached a consensus that these are the only ones that hold up to the power requirements of starting a diesel (I think I read that Varta is a JCI brand these days). Last fall, bought a Walmart Energizer (JCI) for our van.

As for what to avoid, I remember my dad getting Diehards and Motomasters when I was a kid - always failing, leaking everywhere. I've since learned those were Exides. I've never bought an Exide myself for that very reason.

When I pick a battery, it should be relatively easy for me to buy, be well priced, and made by a decent manufacturer. Unless it's a specialized battery or there are special requirements I need to meet (eg like the TDI engine), that in practical terms means a JCI from Costco or Walmart for all my starting batteries.
 
Just put in (preemptively) a new Bosch 850CCA/1000CA battery in this weekend.
Big difference in the startup, even though the 5 year old+ stocker was tested as "good"
Figured it was to the point where it was bound to let me down, so for about $20 a year for a good battery, I changed 'er out.
Really happy with it. Considered the Optima and other "boutique" batt's, but went boring in the end
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I believe it's an Exide, but has a 3-year replacement plus pro-rating to 8 years.
Should hopefully last another 5 years...
 
Let's see:
Kirkland Signature in the Lexus
DieHard in the beater Quest
OEM JCI in the Sienna
OEM GS Yuasa in the Prius.

You can guess which battery maker I gravitate towards.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
What battery size, 49 ? Did you buy it at Pep Boys ?


I thinks it's a 35. Pep Boys. Reverse terminals (has both top and front)
Cranks like a beast!
 
I had an optima red-top in my wrangler. It made no noticeable difference in anything and was dead in 2 years. Luckily it was still under warranty and I returned it for a Duralast gold. Optima is not worth it at all!
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Duralast Gold and Autocraft Gold (basically the same battery just from 2 different stores, buy which ever one is cheaper!) are the best I have found. I have had a Duralast gold in my Pontiac for the past 3 years and it is great. My car seems to start faster (especially in the winter) and my headlights were noticeably brighter. They have good warranties and there are AZs and AAPs all over the nation to get them at.
I also like Interstate, especially the megatron. They are not as easy to find as the above 2 batteries but seem just as good. I put a megatron in my dad's S-10 6 years ago and it is still going strong. The headlights were noticeably brighter in that too!

Just my 2 cents
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Hi all, I realized that I never did link to these pictures from this thread to illustrate the kind of Interstate leaking I've seen. Right now, I'm thinking that one of the JCI brands (probably Costco) would still be my choice but I wanted to document the kind of stuff I see from a remote venting battery, northern climate, garaged car with a charging system that isn't overcharging. I can't seem to stop this.

After cleaning and checking everything, I applied foil tape covered by "clear duct tape" as an insulator. There doesn't seem to be any movement of the caps indicating a bad seal which someone asked me to check. This is a black top/black body MTP-93.

Link to pictures


Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
After all of the recent battery discussion, I pulled my 2005 Interstate MTP-93 for inspection.

There was dried electrolyte around the caps, again, just like there always is. I took some pictures which I'll post later. The levels are good and, if anything, they're high. I suppose there's a possibility that my dealer overfilled them. I don't think I've ever added distilled water to this battery because it has never needed it.

I came home late last night after a 3hr drive and did this work this morning after a "rest" period. I tested the specific gravity and it was excellent - 100%. I have a four floating balls type of tester and all four floated. When my BMW factory battery was 5 years old it was somewhere between 50-70% according to this same tester.

I have pointed out in other threads that I have a maintenance charger with desulfation function. I had a toy car connected to it 24/7 but now that I don't have that car any longer I connect this car to it when convenient. At least once a week over night. This makes sure that the battery is fully charged (in itself preventing sulfation) and then kicks over to the desulfation function (supposedly reversing some levels of existing mild sulfation). Based on my specific gravity readings I'd say it is working.

I wiped everything down and then put a long piece of foil tape pressed down over the caps. I followed that up with a slightly longer length of clear duct tape as an insulator just in case. To answer others' questions - there was no play in the posts and no deposits in those areas.

Considering this is a vented battery, the discharge from the caps bothers me. The way the battery top is made there are drain channels from the caps down the sides of the battery too. Thanks guys - lets make sure that when you leak a little you dump it right into the spare tire well of my car to rot it out instead of hanging on to a little bit of it so that it can be seen and cleaned up.
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I just got an Energizer from Sams Club a couple weeks ago. I wanted to replace the almost 5 year old Nascar battery with another, since it was bigger and had more CCA. But alas, Sams only has Energizer now. Even with proration I still had to pay about $50 out of pocket for group 35.

About a year ago I dropped about $250 with install for a DieHard Platinum for my truck. This is about the 4th battery in 7-8 years and I was tired of replacing it so often because it stays parked for long stretches. So far so good. 4 year replacement. Maybe it will die in 2-3 years and ill get another new one for free.
 
Just replaced a leaking DieHard Gold (my first problem with a DieHard in 13 years of driving) with a Everstart Maxx from Wal-Mart.

Cheap, Wal-Mart's are everywhere, and now I have a battery that isn't leaking acid all over my engine bay.
 
Originally Posted By: FL-400S
I just got an Energizer from Sams Club a couple weeks ago. I wanted to replace the almost 5 year old Nascar battery with another, since it was bigger and had more CCA. But alas, Sams only has Energizer now. Even with proration I still had to pay about $50 out of pocket for group 35.

About a year ago I dropped about $250 with install for a DieHard Platinum for my truck. This is about the 4th battery in 7-8 years and I was tired of replacing it so often because it stays parked for long stretches. So far so good. 4 year replacement. Maybe it will die in 2-3 years and ill get another new one for free.


I did the same thing for my Festiva today. Picked a Energizer made by Johnson Controls to the replace the Everstart made by Exide. Ran $73 and they did the install free. The Everstart was 5 years old last Nov. still starting okay just really sluggish in the 0 degree temps. Could of probably made it another year just hate worrying if it'll make it one more day.
 
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