Was installing my amp yesterday and saw a sticker that said september, 2006 on my battery and the terminals are lookinga little corroded soi know that I'm on borrowed time. Looking for suggestions on what to pick up when it finally goes. I may buy in advance so I have it ready to go.

 

If I were you, I would go ahead and install whatever you buy when you buy it. No sense in letting it sit around and discharge. You're also eating up your warranty as it sits and does nothing.

Personally, I've been running Costco (Kirkland) batteries in all my family vehicles lately. No complaints. Good price, meets CCA requirements, and great warranty. Plus, since Costcos are just about anywhere, if I ever do have to warranty one out, there should be one close by.

Mike

 

No Costco here. May check out Sams Club.

 

Farm & Fleet Platinum in mine. I replace quite a few "never-start" (everstart) batteries where I work.

 

Buy what is cheap & easy to get. There are only 3 battery makers anyway & they make batteries for everybody. Exide, Interstate, & Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls makes the most if I remember right they made NAPA, Auto Zone, etc.
I run NAPA batteries, the most. but also have had good luck with Interstate. But it is a crap shoot. The battery brand you have now with 7 years, if you buy another it might last 7 years or seven months.

Craig

 

I'd go with a Motorcraft Battery I have gotten 10 yrs of use out of 2 of them and I run them in all 3 of my trucks plus they have a 8 yr warranty

 

That sounds promising. I'll let the one in there hold out as long as possible and I'll go get a new one then. Fortunately I can take my wife's car.

 

I believe Motorcraft batteries are JOHNSON CONTROL also.

Craig

 

I run the NeverStart (Johnson) batteries... ain't ever had a problem with one. I always buy the NON maintenance-free ones, where you can remove the cell caps and add distilled or rain water if needed to top them off, and eyeball the condition of the plates inside.

Replace them every 3 years or so, depending on how much I abuse it and how the plates look.

I ran a marine deep-cycle in my Ranger, it came with the truck. Left it in there to try it out, and I loved having it! Didn't seem to mind the daily use of the starter motor either... even though it wasn't made for it.

 

DEKA (East Penn Manufacturing), Interstate, Motorcraft

 

My truck has a pair of Motorcraft batteries in it, no complaints here. Supposedly it's only the second set of batteries for this truck. I don't know the dates on them, and I refuse to check, I don't want to know

The Lincoln is running an AC Delco battery, 4 years old and pretty abused (been jumped 4 times, headlight switch issues at the time). No idea what's in the Chevy, but it's been in there since we bought the truck in '05.

As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem to matter what battery you get. They either last an eternity or they die early in their lives. I'd just go with whatever you've had luck with, or whatever's on sale.

 

Doesn't matter if i'm honest.

Sure some may be better than others, but i haven't come across one that's been _bad_ in a _VERY_ long time. Maintainance (as in keeping it charged & running really, on modern batteries) is lightyears more important than brand.

Have some gasstations ownbrand for like 20 bucks in my beemer, about 6-ish years old, starts every time, even when it's way too cold to go out the parkinglot and try.

 

Someone recently told me that autozone sells blemished batteries at a discount.

 

I've also had very good luck with Costco (Kirkland Signature) batteries. I believe they are made by Johnson Controls.

Costco doesn't sell the size for my Volvo, so I get them at Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart EverStart (Johnson Controls) batteries are a crap-shoot. I've had them last 3 months, 18 months, or (currently) 3 years 1 month.

I check the date code stickers and always try to pick the freshest battery available.

Note, that in some areas (such as Phoenix), Costco sells Interstate Batteries. However, they are labeled with a big Costco sticker that says that the warranty is only honored at Costco. The tire shop guy said that the Kirkland Signature batteries don't handle the heat as well as Costco wishes, so they switched to Interstate in "select markets."

 

Well, like a lot of things (but NOT everything!), the BRAND is just the name of the place that came up with the specs to send off to one of the big battery manufacturers.

Actually that's wrong. Places like WalMart don't come up with specs, they don't have an engineering team. What they do is get in touch with Johnson and say "I wanna sell your batteries, private label, and I'm going to pay you x amount for this size battery."

Johnson figures how to get the cost down to what WalMart is willing to pay while still trying to maintain reliability, and puts the NeverStart sticker on it. It goes to the local Walmart DC, and from there to the actual stores that you and me love to be stuck with as the only store that's open after 10 PM.

Sometimes the end product is junk (original Ford Festiva, made by Kia), other times it's good (Motorcraft oil, made by Conoco-Phillips). I ain't ever had a problem with the NeverStart Johnson batteries, but if I did it wouldn't mean Johnson batteries are junk. I'd just go find another more expensive private-label Johnson, which means the place who's name is on it is willing to pay more to Johnson for each one, therefore they don't cut the quality out of it.