Keep your receipt, take a pic of it and the batteries' service date sticker. Check them again at 2yrs with a carbon pile load tester

 

Hey buddy! Sorry but like normal I show up a little late to the party. Just call me blister, I show up when the works done. I have batteries from Sams Club. 850CCA. Just recently replaced under warranty, as in 2 weeks ago. The first ones went 2 years on a 3 year replacement. How is the repair part of the truck going?

 

My lead-acid batteries usually leaked and I end up spending some quality time under the hood with my baking soda/water mixture cleaning up the battery trays and/or connections. I do off-road on a regular basis (when my truck used to actually run) so the jouncing around doesn't do me any favors with the cell lids.

I'm with Sous...AGM all the way.

 

This,,
although in Canada Costco brand is Kirkland I just get those..
Same specs and they were hardly 100$ Cdn..

My last set were 5 1/2 years old , what an upgrade in cranking ability.

Kyle

 

AGM's are just lead acid batteries that are more resistant to bumps and grinds - generally at the expense of CCA.

Waste of money unless you are running a boat over every wake on the lake. Won't have a longer service life - and less cold efficiency in automotive applications.

Get the most CCA in the appropriate lead acid battery size, check electrolyte level frequently, and you will be good!

 

950 CCA is the highest CCA available in a Group 65 size battery currently manufactured that I am aware of. And that 950 CCA happens to be an AGM battery. Can you point to a liquid lead acid battery, from any manufacturer, that exceeds 950 CCA, in the Group 65 size?

 

So we're just skipping right over this part? While 750 CCA doesn't blow my skirt up, I haven't seen AGMs sneak up on flooded batteries in price. Is this becoming a price in scale thing, were the batteries on sale, or is it possible it's a substandard AGM?

Lithium is an interesting concept, but I think it would take a special charge circuit to keep from setting the engine compartment ablaze.

Here's what I would do (and am doing)... I am going the less expensive route... so long is it's a lot less expensive. A new battery technology is on the horizon, and the AGM crowd might feel hosed for spending so much money on a battery that has only marginally more performance than the cheaper battery. The new tech is exponentially better than the flooded cells, and it will be worth the price of the AGM - if it comes in that high.

Salt batteries have had setbacks with companies falling short before the product hits the market, but salt batteries are coming. The raw materials are plentiful, and they will be cheap (sooner or later).

 

My thought exactly Rich. The batteries themselves weren't on sale. I did buy online and pick up in store at AA. It is normal for them to offer a %discount for doing this. I have done it several times. Even so the the regular price of the Lead Acid 850cca was $157 and the AGM 750 cca was $195 or so. When you apply the discount They are very close in price. That is why I decided to try them. I will know in a few years if they are a quality battery.

 

I am still waiting on the new bumper to arrive. It is going in the shop this Friday to get a new AC condenser, transmission cooler (it started leaking), and oil cooler O rings (I knew this would happen at some point).

 

Speaking of batteries, my almost 3 year old (Feb 2015) AutoZone Duralast Gold batteries failed me this morning. They worked all last week, when it was colder, and yesterday, but this morning at 29°F the voltage dropped to below 9V almost immediately when I turned the key, so I stopped right there. My charger is at work, so I brought them inside thinking maybe if I let them warm up they might go, but why bother? I can work from home. So I'm waiting for the little lady to come home so I can take 'em back to the store and see what I get.

These batteries were warranty replacements for the prior set, which were pro-rated warranty replacements for the set before those. So I really don't think I'm owed anything for the total investment I've made in the six batteries I've had for the price of two. But all have failed during cold snaps like this, so if they want me to buy new ones, I might go elsewhere.

 

Heading out with the old batteries back to AutoZone. If I have to buy new ones, I'm going to try Bosch Premiums from PepBoys. Same specs, but with a 36/96 month warranty, and currently $118 after a 25% discount. Anybody have any experience with them?

 

Nevermind on the Bosch batteries. The AutoZone guy explained it (I think) and I have new Duralast Golds. All good. This set was actually 5 years old and pro-rated, so I had to pay some.

 

It seems like they lock customers in with that pro-rated program. My truck came with Walmart batteries in it and they had some pro-rated life left to them when they went south but I didn't bite, I got me Interstates from Costco's. I don't know why but batteries treat me well for some reason, must be Karma making up for lost coverage elsewhere in life.

 

I was looking for the Interstates, they were $180 each at local garages. At Autozone, after the prorate, I got $56 back on each battery, so these cost me $100 each. I even earned a $20 gift card for the purchase (which got me 3 gals of RainX washer fluid). If it wasn't getting late, I thought about just returning them for the $56 plus core and heading over to PepBoys for the $118 Bosch batteries, which have a slightly better warranty. But the guy was courteous, helpful and I didn't want to waste another hour driving across town and back.

He went through my history: I originally paid $96 each in 2006 (while on the '97), with a full replacement in 2009 (in Poughkeepsie, NY). In 2012, however, what I remember as a pro-rate was actually a price correction of $38 each to reinstate the new warranty by buying up to the 2012 price of $132 each (on the '99 in Marlborough, MA), getting me to today.

They don't do that anymore, so today he refunded me $56 each on my pro-rate, I then bought two at the new $157 price (so I paid $200 today). So in total, I've spent 2 x ($96 + $0 + $38 + $100) = $464 (plus tax) over the last 12 years for four sets of new batteries, beginning another 36/60 month warranty today. I'm happy with that.

 

That is one heck of a trip with those batteries, glad it worked in your favor. One has to do due diligence when buying batteries as can be witnessed here. I can get DEKA's right around the corner here for the better part of $200 ea, I don't think they're worth all that.
On the flip side Costco has the Interstates that seem to be made specially for them for just shy of $100 ea. Then there's everything in between. And when we're in a position that we need them right now we eliminate a lot of our options.