Car Batteries

[Scorpio64 5,156]

The battery in my wife's car gave up the ghost today.  I guess 10 deg was too much for the previously owned in Florida car.  So I'm shopping around and boy is there a wide gap in prices for essentially the same size battery.

 

I know there's a bunch of car guys here so help me out please.  I don't think I need a $225 battery but the last one I got for my Caddy was a dog.  I made a bad decision and don't want to repeat it.

 

The car takes either a size 24, which it currently has, or alternatively a size 35.  What brand under $125 would you recommend?  Is there any benefit to going up in size to the 35, no extra electronics, the car is a four banger bone stock Camry.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

I buy whatever one has a longer warranty from advance auto for my daily cars. My mustang gets optima

 

 

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[Handyman 5,682]

Go to Costco and look. I have always bought there without a hitch.

[SW9racer 262]

Go to Costco and get an Interstate battery

[Malsua 1,422]

Just make sure you get a Johnson Controls battery and not an Exide, except the Optima batteries.  They are problematic.  There are essentially only 3 car battery makers, Johnson Controls makes the better ones.

 

Also, the Walmart Evermaxx batteries do very well.

 

I run an Interstate battery in my 2004 Dodge.   The factory one lasted 5 years, the replacement went in mid 2009 and died a month ago(5.5 years).

 

I've found Interstate batteries to just be great until they aren't, then they are just done.   Other brands I've found tend to get worse over time until they just won't start, whereas any car I've ever had with an interstate simply gave me no warning and just died overnight.   They tend to give great output their whole lives but die suddenly.  Shrug, it's what I run in my V8 and it started this morning at -6F without any drama.

 

Battery warranties are essentially useless so don't buy based on that.  

[T Bill 649]

Look up coupons for Advanced Auto and then purchase the battery on-line apply coupon. Pick up at local store and drop off old for core credit.  I have been unable to beat this deal anywhere else.

[Njbanshee 9]

I buy Bosch

[Scorpio64 5,156]

Just got off the phone with Costco.  They have an Interstate in my size for $83.00, hard to beat. 

 

Thanks for the help.

[Vlad G 345]

I've gone to using Optima's Yellow Top or other AGM batteries. Not only do I find that they last better, but also they can service as a deep cycle battery if the need is there.

 

If you plan to keep that car for a few years I really think they are worth the price permium.

[siderman 1,138]

Go to Costco and look. I have always bought there without a hitch.

 

 

Go to Costco and get an Interstate battery

 this is what I do-easily best prices

[John Boy 6]

What brand under $125 would you recommend?

Buy the Bosch ... from the Pep Boys website.  You get a 15% purchase price reduction plus a $20 mail in coupon to Bosch.  Then click the link to have it installed the same day

 

Buy the battery as a walk in at the store - No 15% PB credit!  PB's is pushing folks to order from their website

[PD2K 115]

I usually buy Sears DieHard Gold

 

- Edit- just saw you bought the Interstate

[mustang69 505]

Walmart batteries seem to do well in tests done by Consumer Reports, [plus the warranty is good at evey Walmart store across the country.  Lest I looked they were made by Johnson Controls...

[Zeke 5,504]

Batteries plus. I get a business discount.

[fishnut 2,358]

I buy Bosh or Interstate. I used to be a huge fan of Optima's but when they sold out to the Chinese or Japanese ( I don't remember which) QC has gone way downhill.  

[Scorpio64 5,156]

All said and done..... $63 and change with core trade in.

 

Now the fun part.  The bolt on the connector for negative cable is locked up good.  I gave it a soaking with WD40.  Well see what happens.

[Handyman 5,682]

All said and done..... $63 and change with core trade in.

 

Now the fun part.  The bolt on the connector for negative cable is locked up good.  I gave it a soaking with WD40.  Well see what happens.

 

That might not do it. Try some penetrating oil. Get ready to wire brush the heck out of the clamp...

[Zeke 5,504]

Baking soda and water? Or Coke or Pepsi

[Krdshrk 3,877]

I went to Advanced Auto - bought online and used one of their coupon codes and picked up from store.  Autocraft brand.  Does the job.

[Scorpio64 5,156]

Problem solved, the bolt snapped in twain, ran to Advance Auto and got some shiny new bolts for a few bucks.  Wife's car is back in business, wife is happy, I'm happy.

[W2MC 1,699]

Problem solved, the bolt snapped in twain, ran to Advance Auto and got some shiny new bolts for a few bucks.  Wife's car is back in business, wife is happy, I'm happy.

 

 

Congrats on the easy fix.

 

When you are looking at batteries, you want to know two things.  

 

First is the size - its gotta fit in the car.  You already know the car will hold a type 24 and a type 35.  Those numbers indicate the case dimensions, the terminals, and which side the positive terminal is on.

 

Second is a rating called "CCA" - that means Cold Cranking Amps....its really is a rating of how much power the battery can put out at zero degrees F for 30 seconds.  The higher the number, the more overall guts the battery has.  (Make sure you are comparing apples to apples, tho...there's another rating - "CA" - Cranking Amps - which is tested at 32 degrees,...and results in a higher number than the CCA rating.)

 

I also agree with several commentors.....Walmart puts out a pretty good battery for the price.

[bry@n 195]

Optima batteries are nothing like they used to be. I'd pass.

 

Interstate batteries have always worked well for me.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

But they look pretty under your hood at car shows

 

 

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[varna 9]

Congrats on the easy fix.

 

When you are looking at batteries, you want to know two things.  

 

First is the size - its gotta fit in the car.  You already know the car will hold a type 24 and a type 35.  Those numbers indicate the case dimensions, the terminals, and which side the positive terminal is on.

 

Second is a rating called "CCA" - that means Cold Cranking Amps....its really is a rating of how much power the battery can put out at zero degrees F for 30 seconds.  The higher the number, the more overall guts the battery has.  (Make sure you are comparing apples to apples, tho...there's another rating - "CA" - Cranking Amps - which is tested at 32 degrees,...and results in a higher number than the CCA rating.)

 

I also agree with several commentors.....Walmart puts out a pretty good battery for the price.

 

 

 

 

 

I can't believe it took this many posts to finally address the "size" of a battery. This post is absolutely correct. When comparing batteries the outside dimensions are meaningless to the batteries "power".

[SW9racer 262]

I had an Optima Red in an Oddy minivan, those power doors suck the juice. Left the interior lights on overnight and the battery was dead. It would not take a charge after that, did get it replaced for free.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

The red tops are for more power cranking motors. The yellow are for electronics and running low and recharging.

 

 

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[weekend_junkie 129]

Let me help beat this horse a bit...

 

My 2008 Jeep Wrangler fits a Sears DieHard Platinum. In short, it's an Oddesey but at a cheaper price. This is an AGM and I will always put these in my cars from now on.

 

I used to replace motorcycle batteries every 2 years until I finally got an AGM. Since then, I've been able to get 7 years out of a motorcycle battery. The technology is superior and worth it, IMHO.

[[email protected] 57]

I go to electro battery in pompton plains. They fill and charge battery right then n there

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Gotta replace the battery on my FIL's Mercedes S430...  I think Sam's Club has Duracell batteries which look like they're made by East Penn, which are supposedly really good.  We'll see how it goes.

[weekend_junkie 129]

Gotta replace the battery on my FIL's Mercedes S430... I think Sam's Club has Duracell batteries which look like they're made by East Penn, which are supposedly really good. We'll see how it goes.

East Penn, aka DEKA is top grade. They engineer & manufacture a lot right in Reading PA. Many of their products are relabeled, as you found out.