Battery Replacement Suggestions... OEM or Aftermarket?

[BacDoc]

Make sure your battery is bad before you replace... and then if you go new.. test it. don't just pick up any old battery without a test.. below is a tester that determines cranking amps.. useful. $20. Amazon.

This is good advice!

I have tested a few batteries from Walmart and they were mostly good but using the voltmeter I found a lot of variations.
I was surprised that there was a significant difference in voltage when I put the meter on them.

 

[tsuintx]

At the end of the day, the battery industry has consolidated to only a few manufacturers. These manufacturers sell to any retailers who slap their label on them and resell them. I really don't think that it makes a tremendous difference on what battery you buy, as long as it amp-hour rating is consistent with what is required for your truck.

This. Times eleventybillion.

My go-to for the last couple of replacements (my Silverado, wife's old 17 Suburban and my BMW motorcycle) have been Duracells from Batteries Plus. No issues whatsoever and prices have been reasonable. Except that of course found out afterwards that Sam's Club had them cheaper.

Wife's recently acquired 21 Suburban has a three year old battery and I'll probably go for a Duracell from Sam's or an Interstate from Costco. Prices are comparable as far as I can tell, so I'm kind of leaning towards Costco for the cashback (2% membership +2% credit card). We only have basic membership at Sam's and no credit card from them.

 

[West 1]

Batteries lose power sitting. ALL manufacturers tell you to fully charge the new battery before use. Testing voltage on shelf is not a test. Always look for newer batteries when buying. There are date codes on them that show day of manufacture. Any battery starts to die the day after it is built so try and get a fresh one. Buying one that is 6 mos old just reduces the life it will have with you after purchase.

 

[jfoj]

Also put a maintenance charge on the battery once installed every 3-6 months depending on driving schedule and conditions. Most auto parts stores have a small round colored tag on the battery and has the month and possibly the year when they last charged the battery while on the shelf.

 

[Fless]

Note that WalMart has multiple EverStart batteries for any given size, but not all sizes are available in all grades. The warranty terms are different for each.

Value - One year free replacement
Plus - Two year free replacement
Maxx - Three year free replacement
AGM (Platinum) - Four year free replacement

Note that a lot of battery warranties are a fixed number of years, or are pro-rated from the get-go. I haven't seen any lately that pro-rate after the free replacement period, but I think NAPA used to on their Legend batteries.

 

[GMCChevy]

I've been using Walmart batteries, they've been the only ones Ive used in a long time that have lasted any decent amount of time.