Appears I may need a new battery. IT has an Auto Club battery and I am an auto club member, but I called and warranty does not transfer.

I can go with an Auto Cub battery for $123 and it has a 3 year replacement warranty.

Or are there better batteries?

I figure that if battery goes bad it will probably be when I;m on the road somewhere, at night, in the rain!!!

With hat said, is it logical to purchase from a place that can be found just about anywhere....WalMart, Autozone, etc.....

Auto Club will drive to you for warranty and check and/or replace battery under warranty. Did I just sell myself on a Auto Club battery!

I want a battery that can withstand the rigors of RV towing and HOT climates (110F) I live in....I tow my TT year around...winter and summer

Thoughts?

 

Wal Mart batteries have served me well over the years and you are never very far from a Wal Mart.

 

There are only a couple battery makers left for the lead-acid type. I can't remember the makers at the moment.

I've been tempted to switch to AAA for replacement batteries, but have still found it faster to go to AutoZone or similar and carry it out (or get a jump start from someone and drive there to swap it in the parking lot).

I used to buy them from Kragen, but they stopped the prorate program. Basically buy the first battery from them, and replacements after that were half-price; this was because they only lasted half as long as the warranty specified.

I just match the amp/hours and CCA to the vehicle along with post type and position. Who sells it is no longer very important.

 

Walmart is not the best.. but almost everywhere and many are open 24 hours a day

or Chain auto parts stores.... Like Advance Auto...Autozone.. etc open 7 days a week.. almost every town has one.

 

I've had great luck with plain old Motorcraft batteries from the dealer. They are pretty competitive on price too.

 

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for what its worth..

the motorcraft battery in my truck is original (7/2011) with 153,000 miles.

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They are always a crapshoot, but you get what you pay for, if you're lucky. Anyway as they come off the line each battery voltage is measured, higher voltage batts get the longest warranty sticker applied, lower voltage shorter warranty sticker. When you buy a longer warranty, you pay more. They (and you) are betting you won't need it.

I've never warrantied a battery in my life. When it dies, I go buy a new one. A lot of people seem to think they are entitled to get free battery replacement for life and make a hobby out of it, no wonder they now cost $150 instead of $50. Thanks, guys.

Check the date code on the specific battery before you buy, don't want one that's been sitting on the shelf for six months. Anytime a battery is not in a fully charged state it will tend to sulfate, especially in high temperatures as this accelerates the self-discharge process. Eventually results in a permanent loss of capacity. The best thing you can do for getting the maximum life is buy a good charger and use it, keep it topped off and/or maintained. Keep the battery clean, and all grounds, connections and cables clean and tight. Modern vehicles have all kinds of gee-gaws and devices that suck power constantly and/or for a long time after shutdown, this is really hard on batteries. Charge them up and keep them that way and even a cheap battery will give good service.

 

Chuck, as with chain stores, someone makes the batteries for them as they do for Wal Mart. I have had Wal Mart batteries out last many other chain store batteries. The last set last 7 years in a 96 F350 with 7.3.

You get what you pay for. If you buy the cheaper battery in the store line of batteries, then you get a cheaper battery. I did not say cheap battery but from the store selection/grade/etc options of their batteries.

 

Motorcraft in mine is 6yrs old.

 

My factory Motorcraft lasted 7 years. I only replaced it with a generic Farm and Fleet store battery because that is where I could easily get to and it was 4 degrees and windy outside.

 

I currently have a Motorcraft going on four plus years. If it goes I'll get a Interstate from Costco.

You could go with AGM's like @Sous is doing.

 

I recently bought 2 NorthStar NSB-AGM65 batteries that were at my door 2 days later for $569.98. I need two because I drive a 7.3 diesel and they should be replaced at the same time if one needs replaced.

I have been running the Autozone Gold (whatever they are) for 2.5 years and they are already showing signs of deterioration. The NorthStar NSB-AGM65 are nearly identical to the Odyssey Extreme AGM series batteries and are said to last 10+ years if properly maintained. They charge faster than a standard lead acid and have great performance.

The $569.98 was a touch pill to swallow, but I looked at it this way. If I need to replace my AutoZone batteries roughly every 3 years at $150ish every 3 years in a 10 year period, including a warranty claim in there once it would be $600 plus tax. Also consider the 3 times I had to swap the batteries out, and hopefully they did not leave me stranded someplace when they finally let go.

I prefer to buy things once, and do it right the first time around. I bought the AutoZone Gold batteries 2.5 years ago because I had recently purchased the truck and I needed good batteries that day.

I am very optimistic about the NorthStar batteries due to their reputation, specifications and they are AGM.

 

Interesting....i'm planning on switching over to Northstars too for both of my gas F350's (one's just a plow truck and the other is a daily driver). I currently replace them every three years. Went to two local battery stores last week, but they don't carry thrm, so will have to order online.

 

I ordered mine directly off the NorthStar site, but a place called Impact Battery out of KY got the sale and sent them to me. They were very well packaged with 4" of styrofoam around them and a sturdy cardboard box. FedEx dropped them off at my door without any problems. They weigh in at 55 pounds each because of the increased material within them.

 

I use only Motorcraft batteries from the dealer.
My original in my 2002 E-350 lasted 10 years.