Which Battery?

[Voymom]

I need a new battery....the only thing I can find that is half decent and recommended for our truck is a Duralast(red top). I have a walmart special in it now that is only a little over a year old or so the sticker says...but it's charge is a bit low, and it took a complete crap on us doing the security relearn for the tune.

Is the Duralast decent? Or is there something better? I know it's just a battery...but I want something that is going to be worth the money.

 

[northcreek]

I like Interstate batteries.If you have a dealer near you.Go to the place and tell them that you would like a blem if they have one for your truck.My dealer gets $35 for a blem and they are as good as any.
I do like the top of the line Duralast batteries too,they have a great warranty and the dual(top & side)posts make jumping easy.I'll be needing one soon and will probably get an Interstate....blem or full price....Mike.

 

[meerschm]

Are you sure it is the battery?

 

[tblazerdude]

Walmart batteries have a 3 year no question asked warranty. I would take it back to Walmart and get a new one for free.

 

[CaptainXL]

Costco batteries are a great deal as well. Just the other day I asked about their 800 CCA battery for $75 in our size. The ACDelco is a 670 CCA for $130. Can't beat that.

Do yourself a favor and get one even if you have to shell out for the Costco membership if nothing else just for the battery. You'll end up shopping there for lots of other stuff too anyway.

The Everstart battery sold at Walmart is claimed to be one of the best, along with the Kirkland. Costco has the best warranty in the industry.

http://www.bestcovery.com/kirkland-signature-car-battery

"Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts." – Source Consumer Reports

 

[Voymom]

Are you sure it is the battery?

Yes we had it tested....


I would need a receipt to get the walmart battery replaced under warranty, and I don't have that because the battery is what came with the truck when I bought it in January. I will have to pay full price, as I have already asked about having them replace it. I don't have an issue using walmart batteries, I just heard from a few people that they had issues with theirs, I didn't realize they were all practically the same lol

Captain, we don't have a costco here.....We barely even have a walmart lol I'm sure Iowa has a costco, but I would likely have to empty a tank or 2 of gas just to get there and back home

If walmart batteries are just as good, or better than an autozone battery I will just stick with that. I just want to make sure I'm getting a decent battery for a decent price.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[CaptainXL]

Yes we had it tested....


I would need a receipt to get the walmart battery replaced under warranty,

I beg to differ. Walmart doesn't need a receipt if you show them your drivers license. You can do a no reciept return with a drivers license a few times a year. The date is on the battery. My cousin works there and people regularly return tv's and stuff with no receipt. Just don't tell them you are not the original owner. If you get a problem associate ask for an assistant manager.

 

[Voymom]

I beg to differ. Walmart doesn't need a receipt if you show them your drivers license. You can do a no reciept return with a drivers license a few times a year. The date is on the battery. My cousin works there and people regularly return tv's and stuff with no receipt. Just don't tell them you are not the original owner. If you get a problem associate ask for an assistant manager.

Yeah , I know their return policy as I used to work there as well. It's 3 times a year with no receipt....

But...it never hurts to actually try it instead of asking. Most of the customer service associates don't know diddly about TLE(auto) unless they work in that department. I may take it by tomorrow. I did happen to ask the Walmart in Burlington today and not the hometown one although their policies should all be the same.

 

[NewfieEnvoy]

Mom there's a few good points in this thread:
http://gmtnation.com/f23/battery-choices-3588/

 

[Matt]

Everstart Maxx FTW. I did have one that crapped out about a month before the warranty and it was replaced, no worries.

 

[CaptainXL]

Everstart Maxx FTW. I did have one that crapped out about a month before the warranty and it was replaced, no worries.

While both are 800 CCA. Walmart replacement warranty is 3 years. Costco is 5. So verdict is for the Kirkland Costco battery.

 

[navigator]

My son's battery had a post go bad the other day, it was about 30 mos old. he took it to the Tire/Lube express and they gave him a new battery and a $42 gift card because his old battery cost more than the new one. He had no receipt.

I don't think all of their batteries have a 3yr, the cheaper ones only have a 1yr.

 

[The_Roadie]

For offroad vibration-resistance, most of us use an AGM unit of some kind. Used to use Optimas before the quality reduction problems. Now the DieHard Platinum P4 is the top-end one if you have the budget. But if you're not offroading, I would hit up Costco, too. Too bad they're so sparse.

View attachment 24437

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Got Duracell AGM battery couple weeks ago. (78DTAGM) Rebranded Deka that is made by East Penn. Made in US with US parts.

Specifications

•20 amp hour rate:55
•BCI Group Size:34/78
•CA at 32 degrees F:955
•CCA at 0 degrees F:775
•Reserve Capacity:120
•Volts:12
•Core Charge may apply

Warranty

36 months Free Replacement

Features:
Superior starting power, high reserve capacity, and long lasting life, there’s no match for these intimidating AGM BATTERIES. Advanced AGM technology with dual purpose design makes it great for quick starts and plenty of competition-quality accessory power for • stereo systems • boats & RVs • hydraulic lifts • winches • on-board electronics • and many other power demands. The tight-pack plate and separator construction provides added power for resistance against hard-hitting stereo, competitive racing, or off-road wear and tear vibration. Along with a more efficient design, it also has the same case/cover configuration used by original equipment manufacturers for an easier fit into more applications. No elaborate marketing gimmicks or hold-down retrofits, just decades of experience to provide a better fit, more power and longer life.

Was about $120 at Sam's club. Has great reviews with the RV, boat, and offroad crowd. I really wanted the vibration resistance and dual terminals for the winch. I removed a perfectly good Everstart MAXX and stuck it in my dads S-10.

I had it out playing music by a campfire playing music with subs on and interiors on and prolly hit the remote to turn on headlights a dozen or more times(looking for firewood) over 3 or 4 hours and it started like it had not been running anything. I figured that would at least phase it a little, but it did not.

I am quite satisfied so far.

 

[C-ya]

DuraLast Gold is the only battery I buy for any vehicle. Just put one in my TB. Have used them in my '97 Isuzu Hombre w/ both it's 2.2L and 5.7L engine (that same battery drove my sis-in-law's car out of my drive when we sold it - 8 year old battery from FL, ME for a year, back to FL, then to MI for 3 years), my '97 GMC C1500, and the wife's '04 Impala.

8 year warranty - 3 yr 100%, 5 years prorated.

 

[oh05ext]

i work for autozone and johnson controls and east penn make our batteries.i would buy whatever one has the best warranty and most cca.when our battery dies im getting a 34dt-dlg battery for the dual post option.agm batteries are the best out there if you can afford em

 

[CaptainXL]

Got Duracell AGM battery couple weeks ago. (78DTAGM) Rebranded Deka that is made by East Penn. Made in US with US parts.

So I guess the moral of the story goes...if you aren't doing any off road stuff then a regular flooded lead acid battery will be just fine. And I have read that AGM batteries have less of a useful service life and don't tolerate incorrect charging very well.

So even after brushing aside the negatives I still would rather save the cash and buy a 800 CCA Costco battery for $75 with a 5 year 100% warranty.

 

[de3jr88]

The Interstate Megatron Plus 800 has a 6 year warranty I believe. I have it in both of my vehicles and it is possibly the best battery I have ever used. Its amp-hours are excellent with no charging, and is excellent in all weather conditions. I started using it several years ago in another vehicle because consumer reports rated it as the best extreme cold weather battery on the market. They are probably on the upper end of battery prices, but in my opinion you are getting what you pay for in a battery. Plus the local distributor warehouse honors corporate discounts so I got mine for 35 percent off.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

So I guess the moral of the story goes...if you aren't doing any off road stuff then a regular flooded lead acid battery will be just fine. And I have read that AGM batteries have less of a useful service life and don't tolerate incorrect charging very well.

So even after brushing aside the negatives I still would rather save the cash and buy a 800 CCA Costco battery for $75 with a 5 year 100% warranty.

Not just offroad but stereo or lighting upgrades benefit.

No battery tolerated incorrect charging. You just need to understand what you b

Never saw that they have less life. Can you share where you found that?

Most dont need the benefits but I did. Just figured i would share my experience n reasoning.

 

[Voymom]

I don't do any major off roading yet, but I do have about 50 things plugged into every single accessory pug in the truck during the summer months for storm chasing...not including the minor mods I have done and will be doing.

I THINK I will go with Walmart for now....I want to rule out a charging/draining issue caused by a faulty ground or wiring somewhere in the truck before I get to involved with heavy duty expensive batteries.

 

[Phantom]

Went to walmart and told them what was going on. One guy said that it sounded like a dead battery and asked me if i had the paperwork for it. I told him i didn't and he said if theres no paperwork on the battery thats as far as they will go. So I had them test it and the test said that the battery was good needs to be recharged. Has 12.4V with 631 CCA instead of 800 CCA that the battery is rated for. so I now will try to charge it. we will see

 

[CaptainXL]

Went to walmart and told them what was going on. One guy said that it sounded like a dead battery and asked me if i had the paperwork for it. I told him i didn't and he said if theres no paperwork on the battery thats as far as they will go. So I had them test it and the test said that the battery was good needs to be recharged. Has 12.4V with 631 CCA instead of 800 CCA that the battery is rated for. so I now will try to charge it. we will see

They didn't charge it all the way.

Battery state of charge:

12.2 VDC = 50%
12.4 VDC = 75%
12.6 VDC = 100%

Do the following to see if the battery is good. Remember to check connections for corrosion and any stripped/corroded bolts or battery threads.

[video=youtube;tsJUuLu1cw0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsJUuLu1cw0&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[Voymom]

They didn't charge it all the way.

No they didn't....because they didn't charge it at all They are leaving that up to us. They won't touch the battery unless of course we pay $$ because we don't have any proof or paperwork for its purchase.

We may just replace the battery anyways. I feel like this truck is purposefully trying to drive me crazy

 

[CaptainXL]

No they didn't....because they didn't charge it at all

Then they didn't do a proper load test because a load test requires a fully charged battery. I would go to a different walmart. I am 100% sure you could get a new battery out of this no charge. Would hate to see you spend your money needlessly. Go to Autozone or Advance Auto and have them test it. It requires leaving the battery for a few hours or overnight if the charge is low. But in this case it appears to be near full.

 

[Voymom]

Then they didn't do a proper load test because a load test requires a fully charged battery. I would go to a different walmart. I am 100% sure you could get a new battery out of this no charge. Would hate to see you spend your money needlessly. Go to Autozone or Advance Auto and have them test it. It requires leaving the battery for a few hours or overnight if the charge is low. But in that case it appears to be near full.

I didn't know that...I will be taking it to a different one tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know!!

 

[CaptainXL]

I didn't know that...I will be taking it to a different one tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know!!

Lets say the battery won't charge to 12.6 volts. In that case it would be a bad cell.

If after doing a load test at 12.4 - 12.6 volts the CCA is well below spec then the battery has sulfation. It would be your call weather or not to get a new battery.

The battery would have to outright have a bad cell for Walmart to replace it. They also require the date on the battery to be within 3 years of manufacture.

So if the battery is bad and older than 3 years you might be out of luck for a 100% replacement but proration is possible. Good luck.

 

[Phantom]

The battery sticker is 9/11. So it is a little over a year old.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Return that bitch. Ya got a warranty.

 

[Phantom]

The battery was in the truck when we bought it. I was told that if I didn't have paperwork then there was nothing they could do.

 

[CaptainXL]

The battery was in the truck when we bought it. I was told that if I didn't have paperwork then there was nothing they could do.

Right. Normally if you aren't the original owner there isn't much you can do. But if you don't mind pretending you are the original owner and just lost your reciept then you should be able to get a new one for free. All they need is your drivers license. This is all assuming the battery tests bad. I wouldn't expect them to help you out if the battery tests good.

 

[Taz6056]

Diehard Gold here. If I remember correctly. Local Sears wanted another $150 for platinum, and the CCA's were only another 50 or 100. Not double as the price would suggest.

Marc.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Diehard Gold here. If I remember correctly. Local Sears wanted another $150 for platinum, and the CCA's were only another 50 or 100. Not double as the price would suggest.

Marc.

I hope you realize the batteries are not price by cold cranking amps alone there's far more technology and other things that affect the price

 

[RichieT]

I used to get Diehards but when researching new batteries I found they weren't as dependable as they used to be. The Costco batteries were rated pretty high. I bought 3 over the last couple of years, one for my sons' S10, my wifes' Impala, and last year one for the TB. Had no problems with any of them.

 

[CaptainXL]

I hope you realize the batteries are not price by cold cranking amps alone there's far more technology and other things that affect the price

Yeah. I have decided that when the time comes I am going to Costco and Sam's to compare their AGM batteries. Got memberships for both. You just can't beat those prices. But I will be looking at other batteries as well based upon warranty length. If the AGM batteries don't have better warranties then I might skip the AGM for now.

 

[NewfieEnvoy]

Just put a Costco battery in last night. Don't think it can really be beat for the price, $80. 3 year warranty plus 3 pro rated. Great reviews everywhere on line.

 

[NJTB]

Costco batteries are a great deal as well. Just the other day I asked about their 800 CCA battery for $75 in our size. The ACDelco is a 670 CCA for $130. Can't beat that.

Do yourself a favor and get one even if you have to shell out for the Costco membership if nothing else just for the battery. You'll end up shopping there for lots of other stuff too anyway.

The Everstart battery sold at Walmart is claimed to be one of the best, along with the Kirkland. Costco has the best warranty in the industry.

Kirkland Signature Car Battery Review – Bestcovery

"Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts." – Source Consumer Reports

Years ago I serviced/repaired emergency generators. One of our customers needed a battery for his that we didn't have in stock, so the company sent me to CT to get two from a manufacturer. I walked up to the counter, told them who I was and the guy asked me what kind of battery's do I want.
This surprised me a bit, and he had to explain to me that they manufacture several brand of batteries, and did I want a Die Hard, Dekka, etc. etc. Then he walked to the back and got a sticker and placed it on the battery.
When I questioned him about this, he told me there were only about 8 battery manufacturers in the US, and the vast majority are made by these companies. If I remember correctly, (at the time) Interstate was the only one that built it's own.
This was in 1998.
The batteries (2-4D) were going into a 2500HP diesel and were HUGE, about 120lbs. each.

 

[Mark20]

No they didn't....because they didn't charge it at all They are leaving that up to us. They won't touch the battery unless of course we pay $$ because we don't have any proof or paperwork for its purchase.

We may just replace the battery anyways. I feel like this truck is purposefully trying to drive me crazy

WalMart is wising up on people swapping out batteries that are just a few years old. I had one that had a dry cell due to crack in the case, only 2 or 3 months old. Noticed it didn't start the Voy with as much umph as the original did and as the cell went completely did wouldn't start the Voy at all. Even with the paperwork, they ran a charge test that took 30-45 minutes. When it failed that they replaced the battery. They did attach the test report to the old battery.

 

[C-ya]

Years ago I serviced/repaired emergency generators. One of our customers needed a battery for his that we didn't have in stock, so the company sent me to CT to get two from a manufacturer. I walked up to the counter, told them who I was and the guy asked me what kind of battery's do I want.
This surprised me a bit, and he had to explain to me that they manufacture several brand of batteries, and did I want a Die Hard, Dekka, etc. etc. Then he walked to the back and got a sticker and placed it on the battery.
When I questioned him about this, he told me there were only about 8 battery manufacturers in the US, and the vast majority are made by these companies. If I remember correctly, (at the time) Interstate was the only one that built it's own.
This was in 1998.
The batteries (2-4D) were going into a 2500HP diesel and were HUGE, about 120lbs. each.

I'll back you up on this. I recently installed a sulphur (sulfur?) analyzer at a battery manufacturer. I was given a tour of the facilty and I asked those same questions - "Who do you build for?" and "What are the differences in batteries?" I was told they get a spec sheet, submit a sample and if they meet the original specs and are good on the price, they get the contract. I was told that the contracts are usually multi-year, and they could go to different manufacturers depending on how the bidding process goes/went upon expiration.

Kinda like oil - there are only a few refineries making the oil.

 

[Hypnotoad]

I need a new battery....the only thing I can find that is half decent and recommended for our truck is a Duralast(red top). I have a walmart special in it now that is only a little over a year old or so the sticker says...but it's charge is a bit low, and it took a complete crap on us doing the security relearn for the tune.

Is the Duralast decent? Or is there something better? I know it's just a battery...but I want something that is going to be worth the money.

I just went through the same thing in the past 2 weeks of replacing the battery in my VW Passat and my Trailblazer. I bought a Duralast gold for the Passat. 2 weeks later I bought my battery for the Trailblazer at Walmart and the batteries are made by the same manufacturer (can't recall which one off the top of my head). While at Walmart, I looked at the battery for my Passat they had on the shelf and it was exactly the same one I had just bought at Autozone with a different sticker. It was rated at the same cold cranking amps too.

I don't know what the difference is on the inside, if there is any, but the outer case is exactly the same.

 

[northcreek]

Seemed as though it cranked slightly slower at cold start so I went to my Interstate guy and he said that my 800cca ACDelco was only 2 years old(prev. owner).Went to AZ and they checked it,said it was bad.Went back to Interstate,he did comprehensive test and said that it was weak.I bought a blem from him,top of the line 800cca,Megatron plus for $40.00....this is a $138.00 retail unit.
I'm happy that he had a blem but,a little pissed that Delco's best battery only lasted 2 years.It has a 30 month warranty (which is about as useless as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest) but only to the original purchaser...Mike.