What battery to use in my daily driver recommendations
- Thread starter krazykuda
- Start date
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72Duster440
Well-Known Member
I went with a Deka, I've have a few of them and they seem to last a long time. I used a Duracell as well with no issues, which I believe is made by Deka.
Like everything made today. Technology is there TO make everything truly better and longer lasting but in reality everything is going the other way... Made not as good and charge more for it anyway. Smaller packages that cost more anyway, etc.
Sometimes not even that long. Then they give you enough static in trying to honor the warranty as to make people like us throw our arms up in disgust and just buy another because simply just buying another is sometimes less hassle than trying to get them to honor it
It don't personally cost these counter people a penny but they act like they're personally having to pay for your warranty replacement out of their own pocket.
It don't personally cost these counter people a penny but they act like they're personally having to pay for your warranty replacement out of their own pocket.
MDchanic
Connoisseur d'Junque
Same as ProStockTom and ToolManMike.
I buy from the Big W because they're all over and they're open most of the day.
I used to buy from Sears for the same reason.
I haven't had any problems with WalMart batteries, the prices are from good to okay, and they tend to have whatever size I need in stock.
I did have one go bad a couple of weeks ago - "Someone" left the driver's door of the Subaru unlatched, and the dome light killed the battery, and it wouldn't recharge.
I checked, and it was 2 years and 11 months old, and had the 3 year full replacement warranty. Took it down to WM, guys said, "Sorry, I've got to test it first," he took it back, came back a few minutes later, said "Yup, it's dead," and gave me a new one, now with a 90 day warranty (which makes the original 3 year warranty a 3 year and 2 month warranty). No fuss, no problems.
- Eric
I buy from the Big W because they're all over and they're open most of the day.
I used to buy from Sears for the same reason.
I haven't had any problems with WalMart batteries, the prices are from good to okay, and they tend to have whatever size I need in stock.
I did have one go bad a couple of weeks ago - "Someone" left the driver's door of the Subaru unlatched, and the dome light killed the battery, and it wouldn't recharge.
I checked, and it was 2 years and 11 months old, and had the 3 year full replacement warranty. Took it down to WM, guys said, "Sorry, I've got to test it first," he took it back, came back a few minutes later, said "Yup, it's dead," and gave me a new one, now with a 90 day warranty (which makes the original 3 year warranty a 3 year and 2 month warranty). No fuss, no problems.
- Eric
Perfect. I had one that went dead and they tested it and found it was low on electrolyte. Overcharging in my tool truck) They still replaced it under warranty.
Jarlaxle
Well-Known Member
The cheapest one Walmart offers in the correct group size.
Jarlaxle
Well-Known Member
Serious question: is there any way to top it off?
Pull the caps. It was maintenance free but not sealed.
Jarlaxle
Well-Known Member
That was my question-the last WM batteries I saw WERE sealed.
Some of the ones for newer car models may be sealed. The one I bought for my 66 wasn't. Pulled the caps and stickers and dressed it up.
MDchanic
Connoisseur d'Junque
Hey, wait. That's cool.
Where'd you get those caps? And the decals?
I've seen a lot of decals for sale in different places, but I don't recall ever seeing the caps.
And they just fit in the modern-battery holes? I had no idea.
- Eric
Waiting in line at the car wash right now. The link is in the electrical forums as a sticky thread. The kits are Wescar and sold on E Bay
MDchanic
Connoisseur d'Junque
No point washing it now - It'll just be covered with salt before you're over the curb!
Found the link. Thanks! Now I've got more things to spend my money on!
Mopar battery dress up kits and cap color chart
Mopar for sale | eBay
- Eric
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I know, It was white from all the salt brine.
MDchanic
Connoisseur d'Junque
I overthink this a bit:
Car washes recycle their water. You know they do. Environmental regulations wouldn't let them just discharge all the oil and stuff that comes off of hundreds of cars, plus water isn't free, and they use a fair amount of it in those things.
If they recycle their water, they have to filter it, but how effective is their process going to be at removing salt, when the runoff from all of these hundreds of white cars would probably preserve a fish?
So, with no factual information whatsoever, I never run my car through a car wash while there's salt on the roads, under the (possibly crackpot) assumption that they're just spraying salt right back onto them.
And, yes, I MAY be delusional.
- Eric
Here's why I recommend the Motorcraft Max batteries all the time. I was assistant manager at O'Reilly several years. We had a customer come in one night with an old pre Powerstroke Ford with either the 6.9 or 7.3 non turbo. I don't remember which. When I went out to look at it, he HAD two Motorcraft batteries in it. He said "yeah, I bought um up here like 7 years ago, so I think it's time". I looked up his account and BAM they still had like 3 years worth of pro rated warranty left! He ended up paying a little more than half price for two new batteries. I don't think there's any other battery on the market with that kind of warranty and the best of it all is, that warranty started all back over on his new batteries. That's why there's one in my Ford truck right now.
Mattax
Just the facts, ma'am
How 'bout Advance/carquest?
Mattax
Just the facts, ma'am
Interstate doesn't seem to be what it was.
The MT series was their premium line, and I would get just about to the end of the pro-rate.
Depending on the electric loads of the vehicle, I'd say a flooded Diehard platnum could be the best $ to prorate. However as I posted here, the Group 24 size only comes in the reverese terminal 24 F.
6.5 years on a battery - new personal record!
Short story.. My dart has had some odd charging issues lately. The issue was high current in the ammeter but low voltage at the battery. I checked out everything and am satisfied the battery is the issue. Changed it and the issue went away. Now the ammeter reads slight charge right after...
www.forabodiesonly.com
I think flooded can handle high charging rates slightly better than AGMs because they have better ability to conduct heat. New vehciles may have some sort of charge rate control - in which case that would not be a consideration. My newest vehicle is an '85 so just speculatin here.
Dana got 6.5 years out of his "3 year"
6.5 years on a battery - new personal record!
Short story.. My dart has had some odd charging issues lately. The issue was high current in the ammeter but low voltage at the battery. I checked out everything and am satisfied the battery is the issue. Changed it and the issue went away. Now the ammeter reads slight charge right after...
www.forabodiesonly.com
Interstate has gone the way of Exide. I remember when Exide was THE battery to get. You could only get them at mechanic shops and gas stations....you know.....full serve stations. Then, they started showin up at KMart and Walmart and that was the end. Then, interstate followed. Kinda like Poulan chainsaws. Back in the 70s and early 80s, they were the best saw you could buy. THen they started poppin up at KMart and Wally world. That was the end of them too......ALTHOUGH I have a fairly new (less than ten years old) Poulan I got from Walmart. I've run nothing but True Fuel in it and it still runs great. I always leave the gas in it, too. It's sat over a year before and it'll bust right off every time.Interstate doesn't seem to be what it was.
The MT series was their premium line, and I would get just about to the end of the pro-rate.
View attachment 1716367035
Depending on the electric loads of the vehicle, I'd say a flooded Diehard platnum could be the best $ to prorate. However as I posted here, the Group 24 size only comes in the reverese terminal 24 F.
6.5 years on a battery - new personal record!
Short story.. My dart has had some odd charging issues lately. The issue was high current in the ammeter but low voltage at the battery. I checked out everything and am satisfied the battery is the issue. Changed it and the issue went away. Now the ammeter reads slight charge right after...
I think flooded can handle high charging rates slightly better than AGMs because they have better ability to conduct heat. New vehciles may have some sort of charge rate control - in which case that would not be a consideration. My newest vehicle is an '85 so just speculatin here.
slantsixdan
=..=
I remember when batteries had longer warranties than 30 months, and I remember when well-chosen batteries used to routinely outlast their warranties. But combine "Always The Low Price…ALWAYS" type of thinking, and laser focus on maximizing corporate profit this week without anything else mattering, and the ability to engineer and manufacture products to last not an hour longer than the warranty, and the buy-up of old-line, dependable brands by private-equity/hedge fund money-extraction outfits, all add up to enshittification, battery-style.
I also remember when Mac's Batteries in Oregon would make you a battery, with removable cell caps in accord with Scripture. But that was in 1995, and the past is a foreign country.
Now get the hell offa my lawn.
I also remember when Mac's Batteries in Oregon would make you a battery, with removable cell caps in accord with Scripture. But that was in 1995, and the past is a foreign country.
Now get the hell offa my lawn.
Yeah, we had a place in Macon years ago that made batteries, rebuilt starters and alternators, water pumps, the whole bit. But as the big box stores came more into play, they were forced out.
gunbunny
Well-Known Member
I've been buying batteries from Rural King, the past couple times.
No issues so far, and they beat Wal-Mart by $40-100 on every battery I've needed.
No issues so far, and they beat Wal-Mart by $40-100 on every battery I've needed.
Jarlaxle
Well-Known Member
Depends on the car wash. I use one that does NOT recycle their water. The older the place, the less likely it's reused.
Last WM battery I bought was $68. They're beating THAT?!
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