xtitan1 said:So do we have an up-to-date crowd-sourced opinion on "Best Replacement Battery"? or is this one of those loaded questions...
KNBlazer said:I know it's an old thread, but batteries are important...
My Die Hard Gold lasted 4 years 11 months, crapped out this morning after listening to a cd for 10 minutes... Sears gave me a $50 Pro Rate, and a new battery for 83ish after Sacramento's cut ... had the pro rate been less, I would probably have gone with a Kirkland (COSTCO), I think they're like $70 dollars for the same type of warranty...
Sparky said:This thread reminds me I should check the electrolyte levels in my batteries after all this heat we've been having recently. (Duralast Gold in the TB, and a missing label something or other in the Camaro).
Still wish I knew how the battery is in the TB.
C-ya said:I loves me some Duralast Golds!
MichEnvoyGuy said:Be careful with the Delco's - very common that after a few years, they start leaking out of the battery posts.
Let me google that for you
Anything underneath (cooler lines, wires, etc) will corrode. Happened to my first Delco in my Envoy and also the OEM Delco battery in our Saturn L300.
filthyfingers said:Face it our platform eats batteries.
Have you troubleshot your parasitic current draw problem like a bad OnStar module or LGM that won't go to sleep or a blower speed control module that's leaky? Or are you sure it's the battery because you put in a spare or swapped to another vehicle and the problem follows the battery?filthyfingers said:If the 'voy sits for more than 2 or 3 days - its dead.
the roadie said:Have you troubleshot your parasitic current draw problem like a bad OnStar module or LGM that won't go to sleep or a blower speed control module that's leaky? Or are you sure it's the battery because you put in a spare or swapped to another vehicle and the problem follows the battery?
the roadie said:Overland Journal tested batteries for offroad use, and I got what they said was a good one. It's a favorite on ORTB as well. Diehard Sears Platinum P4.
Bartonmd said:That's what I've got, got a winch hooked up to it, and it's been great (though I've only had it for about a year)...
Mike
the roadie said:Since Optima moved production to Mexico many years ago, they have had a HORRIBLE failure rate and reputation in the offroad community. Sorry to report.
the roadie said:Offroaders often get AGM for the vibration resistance when we bang about on rocks. Kyle has the Duracell. James Downing and I have the Diehard Platinum P4. I had a co-worker who almost burned up his old Suburban on a washboard road to Death Valley when it broke internally and shorted out and burst the case. Old-school flat plate unit. He was a convert to AGM and I changed my OEM battery to an Optima Red right after that. Then Optimas acquired a reputation for low reliability after a factory move to Mexico and many offroaders shunned them even after they (seem to have) fixed their issues.
HARDTRAILZ said:Still love my Duracell AGM.
xtitan1 said:Have you ever noticed yourself wanting to upgrade something just because it's more expensive, looks cool, and is supposed to be "better" but "better" cannot in any way be defined? It's driving me nuts lol but so far I have been able to restrain myself from buying anything like that lol
kickass audio said:I am pretty sure they are in house but I run XS power batteries in my truck and will never go to any other brand. I abused my S3400 (battery under the hood that is a group 34 just like our stock one) and ran my old car for 45 mins on the thruway with just batt power and it was still putting out a nice 12.8v of power even with the fans and everything running full blast. They are pretty costly but last a long time. I have had mine for going on 4 years now and they still have a ton of life in them and rest at 12.79v if sitting for 2 days in temperatures in the single digits. XS Power 12V 3400 Group 34 AGM Battery - 12 Volt AGM Batteries - AGM Batteries - Electrical
HARDTRAILZ said:Seriously... How do get this?
You are just getting your 4th battery on a 12 year old vehicle. 3-4 years is typical battery life. Hence why the they warranty them about that long.
I have an 2006 on its 2nd battery.
I never see posts on people consistently having short battery lifespans. Not here or the dead TB forum or the offroad tb forum. There is the occasional bad battery post, but nothing that says this platform kills batteries prematurely.
the roadie said:Have you troubleshot your parasitic current draw problem like a bad OnStar module or LGM that won't go to sleep or a blower speed control module that's leaky? Or are you sure it's the battery because you put in a spare or swapped to another vehicle and the problem follows the battery?
CaptainXL said:Agreed. A parasitic draw problem will kill a regular lead acid battery in no time. Too many deep cycles and it will kick the bucket in short order. Thus what appears to be the truck "eating" batteries is really just some accessory or other causing the problem. The solution is to methodically remove fuses until the draw is found.
In my case I have a small draw from my remote start that killed my last AC Delco every 3-4 days in the winter. I upgraded to the Duracell AGM and been good thus far. If you have a parasitic draw that is not too bad then getting an AGM would be the next best thing other than finding the parasitic draw.
kickass audio said:I am pretty sure they are in house but I run XS power batteries in my truck and will never go to any other brand. I abused my S3400 (battery under the hood that is a group 34 just like our stock one)
filthyfingers said:Overnight no significant voltage loss (about .1 volts). Under power, at idle the voltage is 14.4v. Too soon to declare it a bad battery?
Bartonmd said:XS are supposedly really good AGM batteries that he big-audio crew even have a hard time killing.
Mike
IllogicTC said:I was under the impression that the one that comes with the vehicle is a Group 78. Guess I could go look, I still have mine installed somehow
filthyfingers said:So far, so good. Over 24 hrs. no significant voltage drop.
CaptainXL said:What you are seeing is probably the new vs. old battery which had little reserve from sulfating.
Keeping a time vs. voltage list would be handy. And note the temperature as well.
For example even a .15 volt drop every 24 hours can drain the battery in a week or so.
.15 volts X 10 days = 1.5 volts. 12.6 - 1.5 = 11.1 volts. The battery is basically dead if it reads 12 volts.
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verbeers said:I'm looking to replace my 4 year old stock battery before winter and looking for suggestions. I live in Michigan so I'm dealing with cold temps (I don't run any other equipment stereo or other).
I would like something with Higher CCA or that will spin the motor faster. What is the best for this application Gel, AGM, Standard with removable vent caps?
Price range is up to $150.00. For this price I have found Optima Red Top from Advance Auto Parts (using coupon code), AGM from both Oreilly and Auto Zone or the Interstate Mega-Tron Plus.
mikekey said:K-Mart sells these awesome Pushstart batteries, they are super super cheap. They work great, and are by far the best. Don't listen to all those people telling you to buy $200 batteries. They're stupid, that's nonsense. A battery is a battery.
You've been had. Mike knows all that stuff. He's even a SME (Subject Matter Expert) on ORTB.kickass audio said:And what is your proof of this nonsense? Do you know the difference between AGM and wet cell batteries? The difference between quality, output, longevity, etc. I can tell you there is a huge difference in the batteries not just the price but the way it works. AGM batteries are far better than wet cell batteries but it varies on application. For me I refuse to run anything but AGM. Plus I dare you to put a wet cell battery in your truck that is not vented and see what happens.
mikekey said:K-Mart sells these awesome Pushstart batteries, they are super super cheap. They work great, and are by far the best. Don't listen to all those people telling you to buy $200 batteries. They're stupid, that's nonsense. A battery is a battery.
kickass audio said:And what is your proof of this nonsense? Do you know the difference between AGM and wet cell batteries? The difference between quality, output, longevity, etc. I can tell you there is a huge difference in the batteries not just the price but the way it works. AGM batteries are far better than wet cell batteries but it varies on application. For me I refuse to run anything but AGM. Plus I dare you to put a wet cell battery in your truck that is not vented and see what happens.