Battery Suggestions

[EddieC]

Our replacement AC Delco Professional 42 month battery just bit the dust at 7 years old. It was acting up a year or two ago by dying from just leaving the dome light on but recharged and kept chugging until now.....3 miles from home out in the forest, 30 degrees and light snow! My wife was less than amused.

It has been a good battery but was $145 about 7 years ago so I can only imagine how much they are now.

On a whim, checked the Walmart website and all batteries are "out of stock", all sizes. Imagine that. I want something better anyways.

What batteries are you having good service and life from?

Would an AGM hold up better with minimal usage, more sitting than driving?

 

[intheburbs]

Personally, I prefer AGM. It's what I put in all the vehicles in my sig, including four in my two GMT900 trucks.

Last one I bought was earlier this year, from AutoZone, AGM, for one of the Jeeps, and it was $210.

I know AGM is better at handling vibrations and abuse, and can be mounted in any orientation. Other than that, it's probably overkill for most applications.

Given the current situation, I'd be firmly in 'beggars can't be choosers' mode, and get whatever I could find.

This is why I started buying Die Hard Platinum AGM - kind of a cool video

 

[Bill 1960]

I’m an AGM fan too. That said, any battery that lasted 7 years I would be happy to buy again. The only question mark would be have they changed suppliers or specifications since 2014?

 

[Fless]

There are only 3 battery manufacturers in the States, and one of those made the Wal-Mart battery for your truck. The EverStart Maxx isn't a bad battery.

Whatever you get, compare full replacement warranties. The higher level NAPA Legend batteries also have longer replacement warranties. Watch out for the pro-rated warranties that don't have any no-cost replacement period, unless that's what you want.

 

[EddieC]

Question on the AGM battery proponents; have you had them into a long life? The reason that I ask is that all of the ones I see listed locally have a 3 year replacement warranty and that's it. There does not appear to be any extended prorated period after that.
So I'm wondering if the AGMs only have a drop dead period of 3 years and that's all they are confident of.
The AGMs that I have in the motorbikes last a very long time but are all on trickle chargers and not sitting out in the weather.

The AGMs I see here are DieHard at Advance Auto, the Oreilly Superstart and the NAPA Legend that is not so readily available without ordering and trekking to a distant store. Funny thing that most of the NAPA stores here don't seem to handle it. There is a strong possibility that those three AGMs are the same battery other than case color. The tops and handles are the same.

The Duralast listing at Autozone is an EFB, not AGM with their AGM offerings being the ridiculously priced red/yellow tops.

I think AC Delco has one too but I have yet to call the Chevy dealer to check what they get now. The non-AGM that lasted 7 years was from the dealership.

 

[EddieC]

This is why I started buying Die Hard Platinum AGM - kind of a cool video

Ah, the ol' battery in the bed slight of hand.

 

[EddieC]

There are only 3 battery manufacturers in the States, and one of those made the Wal-Mart battery for your truck. The EverStart Maxx isn't a bad battery.

Mine wasn't a Walmart battery. It was an AC Delco Proressional Gold, 770 CCA with 42 month warranty bought from the local Chevy dealer. They had a promotion at the time.

 

[EddieC]

I’m an AGM fan too. That said, any battery that lasted 7 years I would be happy to buy again. The only question mark would be have they changed suppliers or specifications since 2014?

I just looked into that and there are several specs for varients of the same named battery with different part numbers, but it appears that the high CCA rating of my old one may still be available. I'm not sure that 40cca difference (770 vs 730) between it and all the other commonly available ones around is worth ordering.

 

[Bill 1960]

I used to correspond on another forum with a retired battery engineer, he told me the factors that determine longevity such as plate thickness and materials used internally are not published and ever changing. His advice was buy according to $/warranty. Least cost per year in other words.

He did favor AGM because it’s the high end product and tends to have fewer corners cut. His perspective was the warranty length is the most reliable indicator of quality a consumer has access to.

 

[EddieC]

I used to correspond on another forum with a retired battery engineer, he told me the factors that determine longevity such as plate thickness and materials used internally are not published and ever changing. His advice was buy according to $/warranty. Least cost per year in other words.

He did favor the AGM because it’s the high end product and tends to have fewer corners cut. His perspective was the warranty length is the most reliable indicator of quality a consumer has access to.

I noticed that DieHard at Advance Auto has a Platinum and a Gold with the same specs and similar size designations with one at 3 year warranty and the other 4 years, otherwise same cca etc, with a $20 difference. I was thinking it was just a $20 insurance policy that they were offering for the same battery.

 

[Geotrash]

I've purchased 4 batteries for 4 different vehicles in the past 2 years, all AGM. Two of them have already failed. One was a $250 Duracell AGM from Batteries+ Bulbs for our 2007 Yukon XL, which they replaced with no questions asked, and one was a $200 Autocraft from Advanced Auto for our 2005 Infiniti G35X, which they would not replace because it tested good in the parking lot on their 1990's tech tester. Never mind that I had to jump the thing for the 4th time in a month to get it there, after sitting for all of 8 hours. I replaced it with a regular old lead-acid battery from Autozone down the street and it started fine yesterday after sitting for 10 days.

So I'm not sold on AGM batteries, and am leaning on going back the other way - or only going with an AGM when it's what the car came from the factory with. I've read that older cars aren't set up to charge AGM batteries properly. Also, I'm going to skip Advanced Auto for a while.

 

[EddieC]

I've purchased 4 batteries for 4 different vehicles in the past 2 years, all AGM. Two of them have already failed. One was a $250 Duracell AGM from Batteries+ Bulbs for our 2007 Yukon XL, which they replaced with no questions asked, and one was a $200 Autocraft from Advanced Auto for our 2005 Infiniti G35X, which they would not replace because it tested good in the parking lot on their 1990's tech tester. Never mind that I had to jump the thing for the 4th time in a month to get it there, after sitting for all of 8 hours. I replaced it with a regular old lead-acid battery from Autozone down the street and it started fine yesterday after sitting for 10 days.

So I'm not sold on AGM batteries, and am leaning on going back the other way - or only going with an AGM when it's what the car came from the factory with. I've read that older cars aren't set up to charge AGM batteries properly. Also, I'm going to skip Advanced Auto for a while.

Thanks for that.
I am swaying away from AGM after reading that some don't think their vehicle fully charge the battery and we don't go long distances often and the truck sits for many days every week.
Advance Auto seems to be more expensive for batteries here so that moves them down the list.
Napa's upper end non-AGM only has a 24 month replacement term before prorating. Odd that a $180 battery only has 24 month confidence period. It's too bad because they have a 20% off store promotion now.

 

[swathdiver]

Our replacement AC Delco Professional 42 month battery just bit the dust at 7 years old. It was acting up a year or two ago by dying from just leaving the dome light on but recharged and kept chugging until now.....3 miles from home out in the forest, 30 degrees and light snow! My wife was less than amused.

It has been a good battery but was $145 about 7 years ago so I can only imagine how much they are now.

On a whim, checked the Walmart website and all batteries are "out of stock", all sizes. Imagine that. I want something better anyways.

What batteries are you having good service and life from?

Would an AGM hold up better with minimal usage, more sitting than driving?

Your battery did it's job and was telling you it was getting tired. It didn't strand your wife, you did! LOL

Walmart is out of batteries because they are changing skus and prices are doubling, an $88 battery for the Montana Saturday night was now $125 or so on Sunday. We went to O'Reilly's and put an $88 ACDelco battery in it instead. I can't imagine that car last another 18 months! But then again, I thought we'd only have her another year, 6 years ago!

Anyhow, the 42 month ACDelco 48PG is $166.99 at O'Reilly's right now and the 48HPG is $173.99. The latter has a higher reserve capacity (15 more minutes) and a little more than 6 amp hours more juice in it.

I think it great that you got 7 years out of any battery. Down here in Florida we were lucky to get two years out of them before RVC was put into the cars. My last 30 month ACDelco battery went 48 months, 48K miles and 1700 hours. It was replaced with a 48HPG last Christmas.

The charging systems in the 900s were not programmed to handle AGM batteries and judging by the comments on this and other forums, they do not last as long as they could have because, if memory serves, they like to be re-charged at a faster rate. This may be why GM uses 220 amp alternators now. ACDelco makes AGMs too, but they are not listed as compatible with our trucks though plenty of folks use them without issue.

 

[EddieC]

Your battery did it's job and was telling you it was getting tired. It didn't strand your wife, you did! LOL

We went to O'Reilly's and put an $88 ACDelco battery in it instead. I can't imagine that car last another 18 months! But then again, I thought we'd only have her another year, 6 years ago!

Anyhow, the 42 month ACDelco 48PG is $166.99 at O'Reilly's right now and the 48HPG is $173.99. The latter has a higher reserve capacity (15 more minutes) and a little more than 6 amp hours more juice in it.

I think it great that you got 7 years out of any battery. Down here in Florida we were lucky to get two years out of them before RVC was put into the cars. My last 30 month ACDelco battery went 48 months, 48K miles and 1700 hours. It was replaced with a 48HPG last Christmas.

I didn't get the chance to strand her. I offered to make the hike home but she phoned a friend down the road so I missed my chance!

I have Oreilly's checking to see if they can get those AC Delcos. They are on their website but as an "order" item.
I will definitely go down that road again if they can get them. Mine is the 48PG. I see from the chart that the HPG has quite a bit less CCA and we get a cold winter here.

 

[donjetman]

Question on the AGM battery proponents; have you had them into a long life?

I have an 8 yr old Optima red top in my Toyota FJ Cruiser. It's probably nearing the end of its useful life.

Last yr a replaced the four 8 yr old NAPA group 31 commercial wet cell mx free chassis batteries in our Prevost bus/mh. None were bad, just down on capacity. I replaced them with the same.

I also replaced the 8 yr old Duralast gp27 wet cell battery used for starting the generator. Again, down on capacity. I replaced with a Duralast gp 29.

The 3 Lifeline agm gp 8DL house batteries in our Prevost bus/mh are getting low on capacity. I'll probably change them to lithium soon.

 

[swathdiver]

I didn't get the chance to strand her. I offered to make the hike home but she phoned a friend down the road so I missed my chance!

I have Oreilly's checking to see if they can get those AC Delcos. They are on their website but as an "order" item.
I will definitely go down that road again if they can get them. Mine is the 48PG. I see from the chart that the HPG has quite a bit less CCA and we get a cold winter here.

The rating for our cars was 600-615 cranking amps but you might want to stick with the 48PG again instead of the HPG. In Florida it's not as critical.

Anyhow, 84 months on a 42 month battery, you done good! I'd say you got your money's worth!

 

[swathdiver]

I have an 8 yr old Optima red top in my Toyota FJ Cruiser. It's probably nearing the end of its useful life.

Last yr a replaced the four 8 yr old NAPA group 31 commercial wet cell mx free chassis batteries in our Prevost bus/mh. None were bad, just down on capacity. I replaced them with the same.

I also replaced the 8 yr old Duralast gp27 wet cell battery used for starting the generator. Again, down on capacity. I replaced with a Duralast gp 29.

The 3 Lifeline agm gp 8DL house batteries in our Prevost bus/mh are getting low on capacity. I'll probably change them to lithium soon.

8 batteries in the Prevost? We used to change out the Group 8Ds in the boat every two years, that was 1990s and 2000s. 108 pounds comes to mind, each! They were a bear to haul out from below.

 

[donjetman]

8 batteries in the Prevost? We used to change out the Group 8Ds in the boat every two years, that was 1990s and 2000s. 108 pounds comes to mind, each! They were a bear to haul out from below.

I feel your pain. Our ole 1996 Prevost only has 3 house batteries. The gp 8DL Lifeline house batts are 4 1/2 yrs old, 150 lbs ea, and very difficult and dangerous to get to and change. Some of these Prevost have 8 house batteries
I don't want to do this change again. Lithiums should out live me

 

[EddieC]

The rating for our cars was 600-615 cranking amps but you might want to stick with the 48PG again instead of the HPG. In Florida it's not as critical.

Anyhow, 84 months on a 42 month battery, you done good! I'd say you got your money's worth!

Yes, I'm have no complaints. Looks like I'm headed back to the Chevy dealer for $20 more than OReillys (who isn't getting back to me) but atleast they have them in stock. I had thought maybe OReillys would swap it out just to save the back strain but I'll bite the bullet and hoist it out of there.
Funny that the Advance Auto website warns that it is a difficult swap, not to do it and get a professional to do it. I guess it's rocket science to take 4 bolts out of the fender brace and use a swivel in the hold down bolt. What a world this has become.

I charged mine overnight and it immediately tested good but an hour later tested NG so it's done.

 

[swathdiver]

Yes, I'm have no complaints. Looks like I'm headed back to the Chevy dealer for $20 more than OReillys (who isn't getting back to me) but atleast they have them in stock. I had thought maybe OReillys would swap it out just to save the back strain but I'll bite the bullet and hoist it out of there.
Funny that the Advance Auto website warns that it is a difficult swap, not to do it and get a professional to do it. I guess it's rocket science to take 4 bolts out of the fender brace and use a swivel in the hold down bolt. What a world this has become.

I charged mine overnight and it immediately tested good but an hour later tested NG so it's done.

Dealer's price usually includes installation, if you have time. They also have coupons on their website every other month sometimes for them as well.