Time for a new car battery...

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Time for a new car battery...

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:06:23 AM EDT

My 4-Runner need a new battery. I was thinking Sears Die Hard, but then remembered Interstate makes good batteries too. Any advice on which one to purchase or maybe suggest a brand I forgot about? Right now it has the "factory" battery still in it.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:11:14 AM EDT

[#1]

How much do you want to spend?

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:12:38 AM EDT

[#2]

Well, my dad spent 139 ( maybe a shade more ) bucks on an Optima in 97.....I think he finally replaced it last year because he was bored. He still uses that battery to run little projects in his garage.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:12:49 AM EDT

[#3]

Optima. Get it at Costco or Pep Boys. Many others carry them. 3 yr free replacement. Expect to get 10 yrs out of it. I am running 2 of them right now.

I went through a bunch of DieHards when I was building cars. They are junk and I think they lost a class action lawsuit over them. I rarely got more than a year out of them. A cell would go bad on every one. Total POS. Great warranty? Yeah, they sure as heck need it!!!

FYI Interstate is somehow affiliated with Optima, as I have seen their name on the batteries. I don't know what that relationship is.

I saw that Optima is now making an 1180CCA battery now, maybe bigger too. I use around an 800-900cca to spin up a Tilton superstarter on a 454 Chevy. It will crank a long time too!

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:15:32 AM EDT

[#4]

I've had pretty good luck with Wall-Mart batteries. They got check rated status for CU(Consumers Report) when they were last teste 2 years ago. The thing is you have to install yourself or take it to some place for them to install.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:16:21 AM EDT

[#5]

The Optima ones have been getting cheaper.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:39:14 AM EDT

[#6]

height=8

Quoted:
The Optima ones have been getting cheaper.

????

I used to get the red top for about $130.00 now they are close to $200 at my local stores.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:46:06 AM EDT

[#7]

Lead acid batteries tend to last about five years... four to five years, and I replace mine.

Posted: 2/27/2007 9:49:21 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The Optima ones have been getting cheaper.

????

I used to get the red top for about $130.00 now they are close to $200 at my local stores.

Are those the gell cell ones?

We have gell cell batteries in some of our diesel trucks at work... They are a bitch to start in part due to low batteries in extremly cold weather. The mechanics swear by the old wet cell lead acid batteries.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:00:04 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I've had pretty good luck with Wal-Mart batteries.

Me too. 3+ years and counting with no problems.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:04:03 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've had pretty good luck with Wal-Mart batteries.

Me too. 3+ years and counting with no problems.

And add yet another one. I also get my bike batteries there.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:05:13 AM EDT

[#11]

Some of the Walmart ones are ok, seen alot of problems when people get the cheapest one of the neverstart brand they got.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:37:08 AM EDT

[#12]

Interstate, Exide or AC Delco.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:38:44 AM EDT

[#13]

just pour water in and charge that old battery.

squeeze out another life out of it

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:41:34 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I've had pretty good luck with Wall-Mart batteries. They got check rated status for CU(Consumers Report) when they were last teste 2 years ago. The thing is you have to install yourself or take it to some place for them to install.

If you cannot change the tire or battery out on a car you should not be driving one.

About the only exception I can see is something like a stupid Chrysler Sebring... you have to CHANGE THE TIRE (well remove it at least

) to get to the battery! What freaking engineer came up with that bright idea? Of course you should still be able to do both...

Right now I'm using an Autozone storebranded battery with like 700CCA. I paid $75 I think. I probably should have checked here first since I remembered that there were a couple of brands that came highly recommended but I forgot which, but I was downtown and away from a computer when my battery took a crap.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:48:17 AM EDT

[#15]

Optima. They are cylindrical cells that have much better vibration tolerance. They are not gel.

Gel cells are quite rare, most SLAs are glass fiber matt with recombinant technology to deal with produced hydrogen.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:51:57 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Optima. They are cylindrical cells that have much better vibration tolerance. They are not gel.

Gel cells are quite rare, most SLAs are glass fiber matt with recombinant technology to deal with produced hydrogen.

Do gel batteries offer any real or significant advantage over lead acid? My buddy pushed me pretty hard to get one but I didn't really have the extra cash to shell out for one at the time when I needed one badly.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:54:32 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The Optima ones have been getting cheaper.

????

I used to get the red top for about $130.00 now they are close to $200 at my local stores.

Still at that price point at Pep Boys and Costco.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:56:14 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Optima. They are cylindrical cells that have much better vibration tolerance. They are not gel.

Gel cells are quite rare, most SLAs are glass fiber matt with recombinant technology to deal with produced hydrogen.

Do gel batteries offer any real or significant advantage over lead acid? My buddy pushed me pretty hard to get one but I didn't really have the extra cash to shell out for one at the time when I needed one badly.

They don't leak and can be mounted in any position. Much less outgassing and my terminals don't seem to corrode at all. The significant advantage is the much longer life expectancy. Skip the fast food for a week and get an Optima.

Posted: 2/27/2007 10:59:19 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Optima. They are cylindrical cells that have much better vibration tolerance. They are not gel.

Gel cells are quite rare, most SLAs are glass fiber matt with recombinant technology to deal with produced hydrogen.

Do gel batteries offer any real or significant advantage over lead acid? My buddy pushed me pretty hard to get one but I didn't really have the extra cash to shell out for one at the time when I needed one badly.

If your battery is under the hood then there's no significant advantages. Get the Optima. If the battery is in your trunk like with an older Vette or Miata then a gel cell is a must.z

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:02:39 AM EDT

[#20]

So it sounds like an Optima available at Pep Boys or a WalMart brand battery are the best?

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:04:52 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
just pour water in and charge that old battery.

squeeze out another life out of it

How do you do that with a maintenance free battery? Drill a hole then put a self-tapping screw in it to keep it from leaking?z

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:11:36 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
So it sounds like an Optima available at Pep Boys or a WalMart brand battery are the best?

Quoted:
Interstate, Exide or AC Delco.

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:13:10 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Optima. They are cylindrical cells that have much better vibration tolerance. They are not gel.

Gel cells are quite rare, most SLAs are glass fiber matt with recombinant technology to deal with produced hydrogen.

Do gel batteries offer any real or significant advantage over lead acid? My buddy pushed me pretty hard to get one but I didn't really have the extra cash to shell out for one at the time when I needed one badly.

They don't leak and can be mounted in any position. Much less outgassing and my terminals don't seem to corrode at all. The significant advantage is the much longer life expectancy. Skip the fast food for a week and get an Optima.

No no you don't understand. My car battery took a dump while I was out and about. I managed to get it jump started and went to Autozone. I had like all of $80-$85 to my name at the time (some weeks I cut it close pay check to pay check yadda yadda). I didn't have the cash period and didn't want to borrow any money. I simply didn't have the money for a gel battery. And I don't eat typical fast food like ever though.

I do eat at Blimpie once a week or so which does add up though.

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:13:36 AM EDT

[#24]

Interstate, Exide or AC Delco.

where does one purchase these brands?

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:16:05 AM EDT

[#25]

Optima, if you expect that the battery will find itself in precarious positions (offroading, for example).

Otherwise...just put a cheap battery in it of sufficient amperage. My last battery was like $40. Don't overthink this. It's a battery. Replace it every couple few years, and call it good.

Posted: 2/27/2007 11:22:24 AM EDT

[#26]

I put a new battery in my '88 F150 today. Sears Die Hard. $80 OTD.

Posted: 2/27/2007 5:43:28 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

Interstate, Exide or AC Delco.

where does one purchase these brands?

AC Delco - GM dealer

Interstate - Interstate's website

Exide - Walmart's carry them their website says, Orschelin Farm stores carry them....
Exide Find a Dealer

Posted: 2/27/2007 5:49:21 PM EDT

[#28]

Go to your local Caterpillar dealer. They have the majority of sizes for automobiles as well. Cat batteries are built by Johnson Controls to Cat specifications, which means they are designed to take a beating.

Or go to Costco and get their $50 or $60 battery for your car. They have a 36 month free replacement now and don't even check to see if it is bad. So every 35 months put a new battery in your car and be done with it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Time for a new car battery...

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