AC-Delco batteries not what they use to be.

[Rock_Hudstone]

Been shopping to replace a 6 year old group 75 AC-Delco 72 month professional series battery. I've always used Delco batteries because they were so well built.

Ended up at a GM dealer eventually because they're not available at K-mart or the chain stores anymore.

Anyway, the parts guy plops the current Delco replacement to my old battery on the counter and its virtually indentical to a Pep-boys Pro-Start battery wearing an AC-Delco decal.

No reinforced ribbing on the case, no built in green eye hydrometer, and vent caps to replace the previously maintenance free sealed case.

What a shame, quality parts is one of the things that made GM such leader at one time.

Finally went with the 60 series Delco battery just to get a vent cap free sealed case. Made in Korea no less and definetly light weight construction. Have one of these in another car that I got on clearance at RS Strauss, a year and half old, working okay so far, we'll see how it lasts.

 

[The motor guy]

The motorcraft batteries were the same thing. Atleast the one for my ford ranger. I don't know why they put the green eye in the factory batteries and then you go to buy the oem replacement and it doesn't have it. Oh well.

 

[NHGUY]

Got to remember,AC Delco is a marketing name now.Much like Mopar....stuff is contracted out to be made.Like the Champ Labs filters.Delco/Delphi plug wires are actually made by Prestolite.

 

[Bluestream]

Korean products are actully very good quailty.

Not sure why you would want the "Delco Eye" anyway

 

[SnPb]

I used to go out of the way to purchase AC Delco batteries but have found that Johnson Controls batteries last longer in my applications. As previously mentioned, AC Delco doesn't make many, if any, parts themselves anymore and are simply rebranded parts purchased from outside suppliers.

I thought that I read that the AC Delco Battery operation was sold to Johnson Controls, but I was looking at the East Penn/Deka website and saw a picture of a battery that was a dead ringer for the old AC Delco. Perhaps JCI subsequently sold the tooling to East Penn.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream


Not sure why you would want the "Delco Eye" anyway

Because it tells you the condition of that one cell and only that cell.

 

[johnachak]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Korean products are actully very good quailty.

Not sure why you would want the "Delco Eye" anyway

Except that Korean products are not made here in the USA and provide jobs for Koreans not Americans.. My Delco says USA but it is a few years old. Maybe the different part numbers are made in different factories / countries. I have seen Delco Oil filters made in Mexico and Romania. I check the filters to find the Hengst USA ones.
The Delco eye was good if you made infrequent short trips in the cold. If it was yellow I would throw it on charge overnight and it was as good as new.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: johnachak

Except that Korean products are not made here in the USA and provide jobs for Koreans not Americans..

Yes, but the Koreans take the money they made and buy US made goods like John Deere tractors and Microsoft software and that provides jobs for America.

Originally Posted By: johnachak
The Delco eye was good if you made infrequent short trips in the cold. If it was yellow I would throw it on charge overnight and it was as good as new.

I think it would charge on its own the next time you drive the car anyway...

 

[johnachak]

If you let a lead acid battery get low on charge, stress it then charge it at say, 70 amps... It is not a good thing. As for the Koreans... I would rather have Americans being able to afford the John Deere Tractors and Microsoft software... but.... there are way too many out of work to do that.

 

[Falcon_LS]

All the ACDelco batteries in this part of the world are made in Saudi Arabia. They do come with the Delco eye, but they also last just one year, as soon as your warranty's out, the battery's dead. I've been having good luck with EastPenn-Deka myself.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: SnPb
I used to go out of the way to purchase AC Delco batteries but have found that Johnson Controls batteries last longer in my applications.

I thought that I read that the AC Delco Battery operation was sold to Johnson Controls, but I was looking at the East Penn/Deka website and saw a picture of a battery that was a dead ringer for the old AC Delco. Perhaps JCI subsequently sold the tooling to East Penn.

I also went out of my way to buy the AC Delco batteries because there was nothing else really like them out there, at least so far as build quality and design was concerned.

They lasted too pretty good too, the OE Delco Freedom battery in my moms Monte Carlo lived 8 years!

I checked out the DEKA site, There was nothing I saw that looked anything like the Delphi built Delco battery.

 

[rjundi]

I had excellent luck with an AC Delco battery that was OEM in a 1995 Honda Civic. It lasted until 2003 until I left the lights on twice. I purchased another but sold the vehicle thereafter.

 

[Bluestream]

The design of the charging system has as much or more to do with a battery's life that the make or design. Not that design doesn't matter, because it does. Batteries are not something I worry about or care about; I would never check under my hood to see if its low on charge and then put a charger on it. It it get a bit of stress from the alternator, that's its problem...

Its a disposable commodity.

 

[bigmike]

Weren't AC Delcos made by Delphi and switched to a different manufacturer? I can't recall. I looked into getting a Delco as a replacement and observed how they looked compared to the OEM Delco in my 06 truck. I decided to go with an East Penn / Deka instead.

 

[Tdbo]

Ac/Delco used to make great batteries. The last one that I bought, I got 8 years out of (in a Ford.)
Anymore, nothing special. I remember reading after Delphi got out of the business, Johnson Controls were making them and sticking the label on them.
Besides, why go to the dealer and pay top price for them or go to the hassle of trying to find a retailer to buy one from? I just got on AC/Delco's website to find out where one could purchase one within 25 miles from me. The only actual place (besides a dealer) was a small shop. The second place was a wholesaler who was down the street from the small shop, who BTW refuses to sell retail.
Why spend the extra money? I just go to AAP or Wally World. Better prices and accessibility should the battery become defective during the warranty period.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
The design of the charging system has as much or more to do with a battery's life that the make or design. Not that design doesn't matter, because it does. Batteries are not something I worry about or care about; I would never check under my hood to see if its low on charge and then put a charger on it. It it get a bit of stress from the alternator, that's its problem...

Its a disposable commodity.


I agree about obsessing when people actually put a charger on a car that is driven at least a few times a week and isn't perfectly charged to the exact voltage...that is extreme...but batteries may be a "disposable commodity" but they are a darn expensive one for most people anymore...the important thing is to keep the charging system in good working order and usually the battery will take care of itself if sealed...If low maintenance make sure to check the electrolyte level monthly along with other fluids.

 

[JHZR2]

I thought they were really made by Delco-Remy in Anderson, IN back in the day. After that got sold off but some of the aspects of dopant chemistry remained. Anymore, especially after GM BK, who knows...

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Ac/Delco used to make great batteries. The last one that I bought, I got 8 years out of (in a Ford.)
Anymore, nothing special. I remember reading after Delphi got out of the business, Johnson Controls were making them and sticking the label on them.
Besides, why go to the dealer and pay top price for them or go to the hassle of trying to find a retailer to buy one from? I just got on AC/Delco's website to find out where one could purchase one within 25 miles from me. The only actual place (besides a dealer) was a small shop. The second place was a wholesaler who was down the street from the small shop, who BTW refuses to sell retail.
Why spend the extra money? I just go to AAP or Wally World. Better prices and accessibility should the battery become defective during the warranty period.


Yeah I use to really like the look and quality of ACDelco batteries. I even liked the side post and would see cars over 20 years old with the original battery cables and no corrosion. I miss the days when you bought an ACDelco part it was OE no matter where you bought it or if it was as cheap as the aftermarket brand. If you bought ACDelco batteries, ignition parts or filters at say Kmart they were the same OE parts the car was built with. Now the majority of ACDelco parts are not OES. Nowadays I just get the biggest JC battery at the best price.

 

[bmod305]

A large portion of the factory Delco batteries are made by Deka. Most of the group 78's are and the new group 34 AGM battery used in Grand Prix's & Impalas are also Deka sourced.

The grp 34 AGM battery is holding up great. We sell very few even though it has been used in the thousands of the 04 and up GP's and Impala's.

Dave

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Ac/Delco used to make great batteries. The last one that I bought, I got 8 years out of (in a Ford.)
Anymore, nothing special. I remember reading after Delphi got out of the business, Johnson Controls were making them and sticking the label on them.
Besides, why go to the dealer and pay top price for them or go to the hassle of trying to find a retailer to buy one from? Why spend the extra money? I just go to AAP or Wally World. Better prices and accessibility should the battery become defective during the warranty period.

I was looking over some paper work and my old AC-Delco battery in question is from 2003! Eight years out of 6 year battery, not bad.

I have no problem purchasing from the dealer, actually his price was pretty fair; $81.85 for a 72 month professional series. Same battery at Walmart is $79.95 with a three year replacment only warranty and $86.99 at Pep Boys with a full pro-rata warranty.

Also, I noticed AC-delco doesn't advertise their batteries as maintenance free anymore, now they are "virtually maintenance free".

This is definetly a step backwards in my opinion. The fully sealed Delco maintenance free battery was a feature going back to the 70's for GM. Quite an improvement at the time over vent cap batteries leaking acid and fumes all over the place, plus having to add water sometimes.

Abandoning side-post terminals is another dumb move, done purely as a cost cutting measure no doubt.