Who makes a good one that will actually last?

I bought one from close to $145 from Batteries Plus it was a Duracell lasted about 1 year 3 months and wouldn't hold a charge would go dead sitting a week between startups.

Bought one from Napa last March/April 2016 its a Commerical as that's all this battery comes as and it only has a 1 year warranty listed on it. As of two weeks ago it started doing it again. Run it on Saturday, let it sit till next Saturday it drags slow but I was able to get it to start. Today get in it wont even click.

I know its not a drain as I checked it with the last battery and there is nothing in the car that is electrical that is battery hot. I unplugged the clock as it needs to be cleaned and oiled I didn't want to burn it up. Radio is original.

I'm at my wits end on this because I cant buy this battery as a diehard and only places I can buy it only give a 1 year warranty on it meaning they are in my book **** batteries.

I just don't understand it, battery in my mercury and in my truck they would sit 2 or 3 weeks and fire right up with no problem. Not to mention my truck I just recently replaced my battery earlier this year as it clicked on me at the gas station on my way home next morning wouldn't do nothing but tested good. Battery was 8 years old when I replaced it.

 

Does it have to be a group 29N? Normally I just buy the biggest, heaviest battery that will fit, with the longest warranty. I like Deka brand batteries. DieHard Gold is made by them. The very best DieHard "Platinum" is an Enersys or rebadged Odyssey (or was.. who knows) and a little spendy for something that isn't driven much, batteries need to get used now and then too for longest life. A battery tender or smart charger is a good investment. It gets hot where you live, that is what kills batteries. But it sounds a little like there is a phantom or parasitic load drawing the battery down. This will ruin them quick, too.

 

I don't know where to find that battery but you can usually find a more readily available size that will fit in the space provided. Unless you need it to be as close to original as possible, then that is the way to go.

 

I use a Interstate 29N in my 57 Ranchero which is also considered a commercial and only warranted for one year, it lasted 4 years. Batteries aren't what they use to be, something has changed, the last one lasted 8 years. I don't recall what size is in my 60 F100 now, it's not correct but fit and it's almost 6 years old so I expect a failure any day now.
I had one of those great batteries from the auto parts store in my Mustang, it lasted almost 2 years LOL.

 

 

Regardless of the battery you use, if any battery is NOT lasting very long, you need to investigate a couple of things.

1. Check your charging system. Is the charge current tapering off once the engine is started? (if it's a mechanical voltage regulator, is it "pulsing" after the battery comes back up?)
(I.E. if it's continuously charging the battery, you may be over charging which will reduce battery life)

2. Do you have something drawing current when the car is sitting? You can kill ANY battery regardless of the size if you're drawing current continuously after the engine is stopped.

Get yourself a multi-meter that will read AMPS (at least 0-10 A)

After shutdown, disconnect the positive or negative (doesn't matter) battery connection and put the ammeter in series. Does it measure ANY current? It doesn't have to be much. with a typical 100 Amp-HR (DEEP-Cycle type battery) 1 amp continuous draw (for 100hrs) will generally last approx (4) 24hr periods (1 AMP for 100 hrs)

So if you had a 100AMP-hr rated battery in your car (yours is NOT btw), and you left it for a week (7-24hr periods----> 168hrs) It would only take about 6/10 AMP (600ma) to "kill" it.

For a typical Group 29 lead-acid starting battery with a 90 min reserve capacity, I calculated an approx 38 AMP-Hour rating. ( ref: https://sciencing.com/how-8681870-co...amp-hours.html )

So for 168 hours (1 week) , it would only take about 225ma to "kill" it. That's a tad less than 1/4 AMP

If your battery is being overcharged, and there's liquid acid condensing on top of the battery, that liquid WILL provide a current path between the POS and NEG terminals, AND current will flow between the battery terminals .......slowly discharging the battery over time.


How many times have have you ran that battery down to completely dead? Every time it's run down (well below about 50% capacity) and recharged, the AMP-HR (and reserve capacity ) is reduced (and it doesn't come back)

Using a "Deep Cycle" battery will give you more cycles and will last longer.

It doesn't matter what you use for a battery. If you're drawing ANY current, it will "kill the battery if left long enough between charges (starting and driving etc)

//Rick

 

Probably out of plain cussedness I have kept the stock generator charging system. Just to see how they work. And how they work is one needs to be meticulous about clean tight ground connections and wiring connections, the voltage regulator included. There are also mechanical points internally for current, voltage and cutout. The latter in particular should maybe be called a cut-in. It prevents the battery from backfeeding into the generator particularly at idle - the field windings iirc. Anyhoo if the cutout sticks the idiot light will illuminate even when shutdown. The generator will try to motor and may catch on fire, I dunno. Gets pretty toasty. End result ruined battery, sketchy regulator, roasted generator.

These internal cutout and points vibrate 25 or 50 times a second and need to be cleaned or burnished periodically or you will have trouble. A crisp dollar note soaked in a non-residue type solvent and dragged through several times works well. This is important if it has sat for a long time, they will grow the electronic equivalent of mold.

Also keep in mind the battery ampere hour requirement of a generator equipped truck is large. The entire electrical system (unlike alternator systems) at times is supported solely by the battery - at idle in particular. This will smoke a smaller battery, even if or especially a high CCA type.

There is a school of thought that it is better to buy a cheap battery and a high quality charger, than a high quality battery and a cheap charger.
High temperatures and undercharge conditions will cause batteries to fail prematurely. Batteries don't last as long in Texas or Arizona as they do in Tennessee or North Dakota.

 

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