which battery to choose?

[tpaul]

Here's what I've found so far... "The majority of car batteries are created by 3 manufacturers - Delphi, Exide and Johnson Controls Industries. Delphi makes some EverStart models sold in Walmart and ACDelco. Johnson Control Industries makes Duralast seen in Autozone stores, Diehard - sold in Sears, Kirkland - the Costco brand, Motorcraft - which Ford sells, some of the EverStarts, and Interstate. Exide makes Exide batteries, Champion, Napa and even a % of the EverStart batteries."
I know these issues have been mentioned before, however I just wanted to reinforce this issue.
I have an email out to Johnson Controls about products, source, and quality! All I know is this; my Delco battery sucks with a car in storage. I'm hoping to find out country of orgin for all batteries as well as which is best. We'll see what happens, Johnson Controls has offices and plants in my home town. This is the same home town as AutoMeter. I'm trying to feed on this as I only use AutoMeter guages and want to help my hometown friends. We'll see what they say, I'll let you all know!

 

[Blown&Injected]

My BS Detector Is Chirping

I have been so impressed with my Optima Red Top that I will not even consider another battery when it comes time. It has been abused many times over the past 7 years and it continues to perform.

I'm not saying that nobody has had a problem, but I detect the parrots piling on when it comes to these batteries.

 

[Audie1]

I have been so impressed with my Optima Red Top.

+1.............I've personally never had a problem with them. My GN is not a daily driver anymore though. I do throw a battery charger on it, set at a trickle every once in a while just to make sure it's fully charged..........but this is just me. :smile:

 

[GNBRETT]

Historically, battery discussions on this board almost seem endless at times. However, changing technologies sometimes require issues (although heavily discussed) to be re-examined. I ran into this exact scenario when preparing for the race season earlier this year.

To make a long story short, I eventually traced a prolonging and irritating intermittent ignition problem experienced in 2008 to my 32 month old Red Top Optima. I have another Red Top that is five years old and it is still working fine in my truck. Therefore, the younger one in my GN was the last suspect in looking to resolve my problem.

After reading through many other posts on this board about which battery works for whom, the most positive remarks were from those who switched to AGM (Absorbed Gas Mat) batteries. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of these types of batteries were cost, charging requirements and availability. These costs were the major reason I decided to just go out and grab a basic Die Hard from Sears for the season.

As it turns out, Sears has began to carry an AGM battery under their own "Platinum" Die Hard label. The full replacement warranty is 4 years and it is then prorated from there for another 100 months thereafter. Nobody has a warranty even close to that as far as I know of. Not only that, you can go to any Sears in the country no matter where you are and get a replacement if needed. Another plus is that it comes in the correct group size for our cars so that no modifications are necessary to use it. Unlike some other high performance batteries, this Die Hard is designed to work with our engine's charging system. The out the door price is even less than the Yellow Top's shelf price. There are a number of performance factors that would take to long to list here concerning the advertised advantages of using an AGM battery design. There is a wealth of information on the net for that now.

So far this season, it has improved my 1320 performance, cranks faster and seems just as powerful as the day I bought it. It is also noteworthy that my GN is not a daily and only gets out for racing a couple of times a month. Battery drain has not been a problem. Take it for what it is worth; I am impressed so far. This is comming from someone who swore off Die Hards ten years ago.

Link: DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT - Model P-3 at Sears.com

Good info. Gonna check that out.

 

[salvageV6]

My yellow top is over 11 years old now working fine on a daily driver with stereo and a ton of other added electronics and factory alternator. :smile:

Had a red top go bad so I bought a yellow top for the GN which is 3-4 years old now.

Sears Die Hard Golds lasted a maximum of 3 years in my car, that would be three of them, in the 80's, I'll never use another one of those that's for sure.

 

[SuperCPA]

Good info. Gonna check that out.

I had forgotten about this thread. My GN has been down and sitting for two months for brake repairs. As an FYI update, it cranked over and fired Sunday (06/21) like I had just dropped the battery in for the first time. I was surprised because it has not even been on so much as a float charger during that time. This battery reguardless of who makes it, continues to impress me.

 

[GNBRETT]

I'll never use another one of those that's for sure.

That's what I say about Optima.

 

[SuperCPA]

My yellow top is over 11 years old now working fine on a daily driver with stereo and a ton of other added electronics and factory alternator. :smile:

Had a red top go bad so I bought a yellow top for the GN which is 3-4 years old now.

Sears Die Hard Golds lasted a maximum of 3 years in my car, that would be three of them, in the 80's, I'll never use another one of those that's for sure.

I was like you as well. I had swore off all Sears batteries from my 80's era experiences too. However, this fairly new Sears AGM Platinum seems to be a whole different animal.

I also have a Red Top that is now six years old and it is still working perfectly in my truck. By contrast, the Red Top that was giving me problems was only a couple of years old. I have a friend that has warrantied out three in the last two years. With all the recent problems people have been reporting lately, it makes me wonder if there was a change in their supplier of source materials, design or manufacturing standards. From your experience, however, it sounds like the Yellow Top may be a whole different animal as well.

With that in mind, side by side, the cost, the length of warranty coverage and the ability to replace it at any of the 1000's of Sears locations in America makes me still lean toward the Sears AGM for now.

 

[jcawley3]

I have a interstate in the Buick with no problems for almost 3 years now....and it was a year old when I got the car.... however I was going through 1 interstate a year in my ski boat...I guess it can't take the radio abuse I put it through on the water...just put a blue top in the boat a couple weeks ago.. we will see how it stands up to stereo system....it better it cost enough!

 

[Gnx6]

need a little help trying to decide, i fouund this web-site which have a list of batteries. if you notice the

gold duralast -model #75dt-dlg has dual terminal 700 cold cranking amps and 875 cranking amps. and cost $89.99


the other is the Optima Battery / Battery Part Number: D75-25 ( yellow top -i wish it was blue to match the engine bay ) this battery has Dual terminal *** 650 Cold cranking Amps (810 Cranking Amps) *** -> both have 3yr
free replacement but this one cost $209..00

but cost less, is there a reason the yellow top cost that much more? thanks in advance

AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection | Year

I have 2 yellow top batteries, one is in my GN since 2004. The other yellow top was in my Z24 in 2002, car was in an accident and was transplanted into my 2002 Monte Carlo SS in 2004. Now it's mid year 2009 and they are still kicking. The most important point, Optima's will not leak acid when they get old like traditional batteries. They can take the heat and abuse much better as well.

 

[Boost231]

I really like my red top optiama. I have had it for about 5 years with no problems at all. Caqr isn't a daily driver as it sits most the time on a battery tender

 

[dr_frankenstein]

tell you what that honda sized NeverStart I got from wally world is still ticking and going strong.

cost me 35 dollars and its been 5 years.

A.j.

 

[BlackBandit]

I put a duralast in the gn back in 03 or 04. It sits for long periods, never gets a maintenance charge, I don't even remember the last time I actually cleaned the terminals. What I do know is that it still works like a champ every time I hit the key.

 

[Darkcyde]

I have put Diehard Gold's in my cars for as long as I can remember, with no problems whatsoever. I put a Diehard Gold in my GN on the day I brought it home.

FYI, Diehard batteries and Interstate batteries are both made by Johnson Controls......

John

ftw, i worked at sears as a tech for awhile. their gold batteries are top shelf for sure. excelent point about the Johnson controls. I love golds! Ac delco has worked great too, but I have much more experience with the gold DH.

 

[GNRick]

Historically, battery discussions on this board almost seem endless at times. However, changing technologies sometimes require issues (although heavily discussed) to be re-examined. I ran into this exact scenario when preparing for the race season earlier this year.

To make a long story short, I eventually traced a prolonging and irritating intermittent ignition problem experienced in 2008 to my 32 month old Red Top Optima. I have another Red Top that is five years old and it is still working fine in my truck. Therefore, the younger one in my GN was the last suspect in looking to resolve my problem.

After reading through many other posts on this board about which battery works for whom, the most positive remarks were from those who switched to AGM (Absorbed Gas Mat) batteries. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of these types of batteries were cost, charging requirements and availability. These costs were the major reason I decided to just go out and grab a basic Die Hard from Sears for the season.

As it turns out, Sears has began to carry an AGM battery under their own "Platinum" Die Hard label. The full replacement warranty is 4 years and it is then prorated from there for another 100 months thereafter. Nobody has a warranty even close to that as far as I know of. Not only that, you can go to any Sears in the country no matter where you are and get a replacement if needed. Another plus is that it comes in the correct group size for our cars so that no modifications are necessary to use it. Unlike some other high performance batteries, this Die Hard is designed to work with our engine's charging system. The out the door price is even less than the Yellow Top's shelf price. There are a number of performance factors that would take to long to list here concerning the advertised advantages of using an AGM battery design. There is a wealth of information on the net for that now.

So far this season, it has improved my 1320 performance, cranks faster and seems just as powerful as the day I bought it. It is also noteworthy that my GN is not a daily and only gets out for racing a couple of times a month. Battery drain has not been a problem. Take it for what it is worth; I am impressed so far. This is comming from someone who swore off Die Hards ten years ago.

Link: DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT - Model P-3 at Sears.com

I almost thought I was reading an advertisement from Kirban at first. Anyway, well written! :smile:

 

[Bruce Urie]

Battery for Grand National

Have Duralast Gold in all of my cars, including my Vette and Grand National. GN sits for quite a while, working on it, , but it's Duralast is over one year old and fine (I keep a Battery Tender Jr. on it) On the Vette and Buick Lesabre, works just great, no problems. On my '89 Jeep...Premium Sears Diehard, two years old, already showing one bad cell. Just what's been going on down here...I swore off Diehards years ago, nothing but problems...Duralast Golds have been great so far.


Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[SuperCPA]

I almost thought I was reading an advertisement from Kirban at first. Anyway, well written! :smile:

:biggrin: Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment.

 

[Roger]

I also bought the Sears Die Hard Platinum & it is pricy. It has always cranked the TR even after 3 weeks.

My Redtop would not crank after 2 days, however my "teenager" is using the red top in his Typhoon with no issues.


DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT

 

[Blown&Injected]

+1.............I've personally never had a problem with them. My GN is not a daily driver anymore though. I do throw a battery charger on it, set at a trickle every once in a while just to make sure it's fully charged..........but this is just me. :smile:

You put your Optima on a charger?!?!?! That is high maintenance. I have found my Optima dead due to lights left on in a vehicle for weeks! - Ten minutes on a charger and it is like BRAND NEW!

I must have one of the Optima's from the special twin turbo FBI cars or something like that there.

 

[aminga]

The redtops seem to be intolerant to discharge. I've had 2 in my truck. Done something stupid like leave the radar detector plugged in and they're toast. THe last one wouldn't even take a charge.