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Car/SUV battery, what to buy . . what to avoid?

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  • TheDan

    deplorable malcontent scofflaw
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    Nice! No core charge...

    1634054943287.png
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
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    My brother owns a starter/alternator/generator shop. that also specializes in automotive electrical, and he also is battery distributor for Deka brand batteries.

    And still after all these years, the largest percentage of failed batteries he replaces are the WalMart batteries.

    The only time I would buy a WalMart battery is if I were fixing up a vehicle to sell and needed a cheap battery, or in an emergency, and WalMart was the only place that had one or was available.
     

    Coiled

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    2013 Highlander I bought used with 3.5L V6. I've put @75K miles on it and never a problem, even during February 2021's snowmagedon until today when I ran the radio for 1.5hrs and she wouldn't start.

    The battery is taking a charge and the Camroid started after just a few minutes charge at 50amps but it's time for a new battery, what do you recommend?
    An update from my post 1, I put a tender on my battery for +20hrs that night and haven't had an issue since. I also think my interior lights (4) were on during radio play but THOUGHT they turned off automatically after 10 or 20 minutes no matter door/key position. Thanks for all the input.
     

    Sasquatch

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    An update from my post 1, I put a tender on my battery for +20hrs that night and haven't had an issue since. I also think my interior lights (4) were on during radio play but THOUGHT they turned off automatically after 10 or 20 minutes no matter door/key position. Thanks for all the input.

    Good to hear. Now you have lots of info to reference back to when it IS time to replace your battery!
     

    G O B

    School of Hard Knocks and Sharp blows
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    I just replaced a 900a Duramax in my 6cyl Grand Cherokee that was 1 year old. It would not hold a charge for more than 10 days. Put an AC Delco in because that is what the local parts store carries, and they have good luck with them. This is an AGM because it is under the passengers seat. The 'old' one I kept because the core charge is 0nly $20, and I will throw it into my Suburban and use a battery maintainer. The factory battery for the Jeep is only 700A, the 900A is for the diesel, but the battery box and alternators are the same, so most places only carry the 900A.
     

    Sasquatch

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    I just replaced a 900a Duramax in my 6cyl Grand Cherokee that was 1 year old. It would not hold a charge for more than 10 days. Put an AC Delco in because that is what the local parts store carries, and they have good luck with them. This is an AGM because it is under the passengers seat. The 'old' one I kept because the core charge is 0nly $20, and I will throw it into my Suburban and use a battery maintainer. The factory battery for the Jeep is only 700A, the 900A is for the diesel, but the battery box and alternators are the same, so most places only carry the 900A.

    Nothing wrong at all with going with a higher amperage rating battery - it's what we recommended when there were multiple options. Recharge rates are similar, but the higher the cold cranking amps, the more you can crank on the thing if its having difficulty starting before the battery gets too weak. Its also good to have higher amps if you're going to run non-standard equipment, IE adding light bars, sub woofers / stereo systems, etc.
     

    Coiled

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    I used to sell batteries - you have to look at the manufacturer, more so than the brand label. Stores go with who they get the best deals from. I've seen Die Hard batteries that were Johnson Controls (Interstate) batteries, and Die Hards that were East Penn (Deka) batteries.

    Personally I would avoid batteries made by Exide like the plague - we sold Exide batteries when I first started, the warranty returns on them were just too high, we dropped them for East Penn, and the warranty rate dropped into the mid single digits as opposed to 15+ percent of the Exides.

    The last Duracel label batts I saw were East Penn, along with the last Sears / K Mart sold Die Hard batteries.

    Personally I would go with a Johnson Controls (Interstate) or East Penn battery. Like Axxe said - get the best battery you can afford - the highest CCA rating. Your Highlander should take a group 24F/24R battery. 24F's, 51R's and 35's are the most common battery sizes. FYI - most cars that take a 24F/24R can take a 35 - they're typically identical in CCA rating in their given price class, but the 35 is about an inch narrower. As long as you have long enough cables, its a non-issue. I haven't seen a Toyota that couldn't take a 35 if it was spec'd for 24F. Some Hondas, however, had cables just long enough for the exact battery it was spec'd for.
    Does anyone know how to confirm who currently makes Walmart batteries? My searching most often indicates either JC or EP but one result from April 2021 said that is no longer the case and now Exide is the supplier.

    I looked at this battery yesterday made 12/21 but no statement of who made it.

    20220106_183130.jpg
     

    Sasquatch

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    Does anyone know how to confirm who currently makes Walmart batteries? My searching most often indicates either JC or EP but one result from April 2021 said that is no longer the case and now Exide is the supplier.

    I looked at this battery yesterday made 12/21 but no statement of who made it.

    View attachment 297876

    Do you have a better picture of the casing, more so the whole top / terminals? Deka / East Penn batteries are pretty distinctive, as are Johnson Controls. They don't change up their casing mold for the different labels, only slap different stickers on 'em, and of course Interstate's automotive batteries are cast in white / green plastic mostly, while their marine / deep cycles are usually black - the casing molds are the same.
     

    Sasquatch

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    No sir, no other pics but I just noticed the SN starts with EP.
    PROBABLY East Penn but could be Everstart Pirate. ;)

    EP cases (unless changed in the last few months) are pebbly textured (kinda like kydex) and have two seams/folds running laterally across the top. The EP is probably a good indicator if the sticker covers the top of the casing.

    EP batteries also *mostly* have oval shaped vents on the outboard edges, while others had round vents. Johnson Controls batteries also have top covers, usually to access the cells, while EP batteries are fully sealed maintenance free designs and you can't access the individual cells (easily anyway)

    Exide batteries typically use smooth / slick plastic casing, they have top covers, and are visually distinct from the EP or JC made batteries, but could be confused for a JC battery if you're not familiar with the typical design appearance of them.
     

    Darqhelmet

    You had one job, one.
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    Jul 5, 2018
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    I think I saw Johnson control in the side of my wife’s battery before I put it in. It’s a Walmart AGM. I would check but because she has a Land Rover and they are stupid I would have to disassemble the battery box and cowl to get to it.

    depending on stock in your area you might be stuck like me and only have one choice for a battery
    duralast platinum was literally the only battery I could get the day I needed one in 27F
     

    gll

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    Darqhelmet linked that vid back in post #11, it's one of the reasons I'm going try Everstart if I can find my size in stock.
    Whoops!

    After looking at prices, I recently bought 5 EverStart 29DC at $89.95+core for a 60v bank to power my solar well pump. While it was doing OK on solar direct, it was running (at low rpm and production) way more than it needed to keep my tanks full. The battery system makes it much more efficient. Any other battery would have been cost prohibitive. The EverStart 29DC gets mostly good reviews...
     
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