Suggestions on Car Battery?

T

twopu

New member
My car died in the parking lot, fortunately a guy pulled up and helped me jump my car. The battery in my 2000 Honda Accord has never been changed so I think it's time. I read in Consumer Reports that Interstate($90) was the best rated for my car (I think it's Group 21 or 24) and that Everlast($45) was a best buy. I don't have a system and need a battery for the four seasons in Jersey. Any thoughts on these batteries or suggestions?

Thanks
 
The Interstate probably won't last twice as long as the Everlast, but the convenience of longer life might make it worthwhile to you.



Either way, $45 or $90 is not a lot of money to spend on a car. It's like a tank or two of gas...
 
I don't know much about car batteries but it makes sense that the convience of having longer life. My only thing is if I'm going to spend $90 why not spend the the extra for the Optima. I really don't want to pay that much.



I haven't checked out the Autozone but I will now. There are not many places online to find reviews about car batteries.



Any thoughts on Exide or Die Hard?
 
I bought a battery at wal mart 6 years ago for my firewood hauling truck and never had a problem with it..even in sub zero weather.......I got rid of it last year..and the battery was still cranking like new...5 years old...I paid 49.00 ..it was a 72 month battery with a 3 year replacement..I found info on it online somewhere on a car info site..they are made by a top battery company...forgot the name..



AL
 
i've had a sears diehard battery in my last car and it worked great. my mechanic is all about interstate batteries...
 
martinager said:
optima yellow top is my choice.
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That's my first choice for keepers, especially cars that don't get driven all that often. But they don't make 'em to fit every application.
 
Autozone Gold. I got 4 1/2 years out of one in my Honda and I've never had a battery here or in Arizona make it past 3 years. Plus the damn thing had 1000 cranking amps, 800 when cold.
 
I guess I could chime in here since I worked at an Interstate Battery store for about a year, but I'm not going to push brands.



I've pointed this out in previous threads concerning batteries, so I'll mention it again. You shouldn't necessarily pick a battery by the label because of all industries, it seems that batteries in particular are big on private labeling. The "big 3" of automotive batteries right now are Johnson Controls, Exide, and Delphi. Those 3 combined probably private label for roughly 1,000+ names (including dealerships, tire places, and non-consumer applications).



Each company has its own way of designing batteries and for the most part, you are getting a good product from any company. Delphi seems to love manufacturing maintenance-free batteries, while Exide and JCI stick to low-maintenance. The difference is obvious, but if you are curious about how your battery is performing, then go with low-maintenance so you can remove the vent caps to hydrometer each cell.



The BIG point when you buy a battery is the type of warranty it comes with and how knowledgable XX company is about troubleshooting battery problems in the future. It seems the standard warranty is around 65-75 months for a middle line model, usually with a free replacement period somewhere in there and the rest is pro-rated for a new replacement. If you go shopping, I'd make sure to fully understand the warranty and get an idea of the pro-rate prices per month. Basically, if you're on the very last month of the pro-rate, don't expect there to be a >$10 difference between going with the pro-rate or buying a new one at retail.



Depending on where you buy your battery, you may want to get a 2nd opinion from another employee on what battery you need, or check the book yourself (speaking from an employee standpoint, it is easy to overlook the reversed terminals, especially when you're a new employee). Since you have a import, the terminals are probably reversed and as you mentioned a group 24, but it could be a 35 (same height as 24, not quite as wide), or even a 51 (these seem to be more in Civics). You can either have them install it or you can do it yourself; in either case, get the clamps cleaned of any corrosion, and it wouldn't hurt to spray on some corrosion protector.



As for the Optimas, that's really your call if you want to spend the money. I'd personally go with a Red Top in a regularly driven vehicle because the Yellow Top is a waste of money if you don't actually plan on running high-drain electronics off it. I guess the media has people thinking the Yellow Top is king..



Just remember that heat is the biggest enemy of a car battery. If your factory battery came with a fiberglass heat sleeve, USE IT-- there's a gradient of typical battery life in the US, and the numbers just get smaller as you go from Montana to Texas.
 
Scottwax said:
Autozone Gold. I got 4 1/2 years out of one in my Honda and I've never had a battery here or in Arizona make it past 3 years. Plus the damn thing had 1000 cranking amps, 800 when cold.
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Exactly. People always say this one or that one, but in Texas it doesn't matter what you get it ain't gonna last too long.
 
I run Red Tops in all my vehicles. Never had a problem with them. You do need to do a little measuring to make sure it fits.

Try Remy Battery, they have great prices and no tax unless you live in WI.
 
I work at AAP, sold about five AutoCraft Silver and Titanium batteries today.



My next battery will definitely be an Optima.
 
Thanks for all the input. Truzoom that's some great info, I had no idea that the battery industry had a big 3. The two batteries I am leaning towards are manufactured by JC. I really think Optimas battery is overkill for my situation but I could be wrong. I only live 2 miles away from my job so from what I've read short trips cause a lot of strain on the batteries. Also living in South Jersey the hot summers and cold winters seem to be a factor. Any way I'm basically leaning towards the WalMart Everstart and Autozone Duralast? Since they are made by the same company I would guess that they are basically the same battery with the same specs. I would guess that the only difference would be price, right? Now with my short trips and four seasons should I spend the extra money on the 3 year full replacement battery or just go with the cheaper, by about $25, 2 year full replacement battery? Duralast or Everstart? Thanks again everyone for your input.
 
Can Wal-Mart test batteries, because if they can't how would they ever know that a battery was dead? Couldn't someone just go up before their warranty expires, present a reciept and say it's dead? Not that I would go through the trouble, but I wonder if they would know.
 
twopu-



I honestly don't think you'd have much trouble getting the cheaper battery as long as it hasn't been sitting on the shelf for more than half a year and as long as you keep the receipt (some places seem to require the receipt for warranty, while others simply rely on the heat stamped date code). Just make sure you keep the terminals clean and try not to leave it discharged for long periods at a time. You could actually take that extra $25 you save and buy an automatic trickle charger to keep the battery topped off and warmed up during the winter time.



As for testing batteries, the only true way to test a battery is after it has been fully charged, which at my old job meant hooking it up to a manual charger at around 4 amps for however long it took for each cell's hydrometer reading to show 1.28 and for overall voltage to be 12.85V (up to 2 days on larger group 65 or 78s). Then, it was put on the load tester to see if it was handling OEM CCA specs and if any internal straps were broken. Of course, this takes a lot of time, so many places that service batteries will use a handheld computer tester or put it on a quick 1 hour charge - both of which are totally useless unless the battery comes in fully charged.
 
Maybe you should also invest in an on-board battery trickle charger. 2 miles daily or a lot of short trips isn't going to fully recharge your battery. The biggest battery drain will be from the engine startup, not to mention some car manufacturers tend to test the O2 sensors when the car isn't in use (turned off)...so there is a slight battery drain whether one knows it or not. Just plug the trickle charger in once a week (or more often, esp during the winter)...overnight or longer...to fully recharge it. Here's an example of one: http://www.shop.com/op/~SCHUMACHER_...d_Charger-prod-33485508-43780970?sourceid=298

You can find the same model/design sold under different brand names. Walmart used to sell them under their Everstart line. The cost of the on-board trickle charger is about the same as a longer battery warranty and the small size means it can be used in about any application. Just run an extension cord to it and plug it in and close the hood or run the cord under the car up to the battery charger.



Paying extra money for a longer battery warranty is just that...buying/paying for the extra coverage. You have to decide whether the warranty is worth it or not, especially if the battery specs are the same. Check the size of your battery tray. You could buy a larger battery with more capacity...just have to cross check the length, height, and width dimensions with your current battery, some OEM battery trays can accommendate a longer length battery, but are height and width are restricted due to clearances under the hood. That's where the Optima, Odyssey, and Exide Orbital come into play since you can place those batteries on their sides as well as traditional postions and not worry about leaking.
 
Update:

Well I went up to Autozone ready to buy the Duralast gold battery and was very suprised. They actually told me that I shouldn't bother with the gold but instead to buy the red. Before selling me the battery they checked my car using some sort of diagnostic tool and found that the corrosion on the battery was so bad that it was preventing the charge. They told me that I didn't need a battery and just sold me the supplies to clean/protect the terminals. I was really surprised and impressed with their service. My only concern is that the guy who jumped my car yesterday told me that he replaces his battery every 4-5 years and that it probably the reason why my battery died. The battery is six years old and winter is coming. Should I change it in the winter or just hold off?
 
It wouldn't hurt to change it out after that long, but then again 6 years could be the average life of a battery up in your region of the country. Basically what happens is the heat from summer really stresses a battery, but it's the freezing winter that actually makes it obvious that the battery is bad.
 
twopu said:
.......The battery is six years old and winter is coming. Should I change it in the winter or just hold off?
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Your battery is probably very close to the end of life. It has been *my* experience that before the "maintenance-free" or "low-maintenance" batteries you could tell that a battery was slowly dying. With the new batteries you get in the car and head to the store and it starts just fine. 15 minutes later when you go to leave the battery won't turn over.



It's your call on if you replace it now or later, but if it were me with a 6 year old battery, and I was going to the trouble of pulling the cables to clean them, I think I'd go ahead and replace it before winter sets in.
 
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