Car Batteries

[Murr1525]

Anyone have any car battery shopping advice?

My car is a daily driver of course, but also turned on/off a lot for driving around the site here. Not sure if the wear and cold is getting to it a little after 2 years or not, seems to take a little longer to turn over now that this cold snap has hit here.

But thought I'd see if anyone knows anything to look for, ask for, companies to avoid, go with...? Cant seem to find any comparisons online, dont know why.

[The Shine Shop]

Re: Car Batteries

i don't think you can go wrong with optima batteries
also if you do alot of short trips you may want to invest in a battery conditioner , i had the same problem with my m3 after 6 months.
mike

[gb387]

Re: Car Batteries

2 years sure doesn't seem like long for a battery but you never know and you sure don't want to get stranded somewhere.

I agree with the optima but they can get a little $$$....

FWIW Interstate Batteries are very popular around here, at work we have everything from golf carts to dump trucks running with interstate batteries and never have any trouble and they are priced in line with other name brand batteries.

[ronniejay]

Re: Car Batteries

I have always bought Sears batteries. I usually get the one on sale, and not the top of the line Die Hard. Service/replacement is almost everywhere.

[sneek]

Re: Car Batteries

Optima

[Murr1525]

Re: Car Batteries

I think I am going to try and pay real close attention to it for the next few days, try to see if it sounds like the battery/starter is working harder, struggling at all. I dont know how long batteries are supposed to last.

It sounds like the Optima batteris are ones to look into..

[Coupe]

Re: Car Batteries

I have an optima D34/78 yellow top in all 4 of my vehicles, yeah, thats the big one

[bob-e]

Re: Car Batteries

optima red top

[MaximusZTS]

Re: Car Batteries

I got one of these at walmart for $50



Link

I have had my buddies leave my xbox on in my car a few times and that kills the battery.

[Murr1525]

Re: Car Batteries

Interesting... so you can recharge that in your house, then plug it in to the car and give it a few minutes.

Now that the cold snap is a few degrees warmer, it seems to be getting back to normal as far as starting, so maybe thats all it was. I'll have to try and see what the cold weather perfomrance is for this battery.

On a related note, my car doesnt show a battery for it in the Optima Size selector. Are they very specific sizes/types, or could I still possibly use one?

[flatstick]

Re: Car Batteries

[quote=Murr1525;161275]Interesting... so you can recharge that in your house, then plug it in to the car and give it a few minutes.

Now that the cold snap is a few degrees warmer, it seems to be getting back to normal as far as starting, so maybe thats all it was. I'll have to try and see what the cold weather perfomrance is for this battery.

On a related note, my car doesnt show a battery for it in the Optima Size selector. Are they very specific sizes/types, or could I still possibly use one?



Not sure what car you have but Optima does not make a battery for my Trailblazer. while they are a good battery , check out the warranty on them. free replacement for 36 months . IMO that is not very good for what they cost. I have a Sears die hard in mine. came with 36 month free replacement and cost 60 dollars less than a comparable Optima and a lot less than the top of the line. the cold cranking amps on the die hard are more than enough. if you were running a very large motor in a car with high compression it would be worth it. it gets very cold where I am at.

[stealth]

Re: Car Batteries

IMHO 2yrs. on a battery isn't a long period of time. Oil viscosity is another factor affected by temperature which may cause a slower start time. Short runs won't replace the charge depleted by frequent starts. A build up of condensation in the crankcase possibly resulting in sludge, due to never reaching full operating temperature to evaporate it, can increase the oil viscosity which puts an additional strain on the starter.

[Murr1525]

Re: Car Batteries

Unfortunately, that about sounds like my daily driving in the winter....

Even my commute is only 10-15 minutes... it doesnt reach normal temp until I am 3/4 of the way there.

[STG]

Re: Car Batteries

I've got 37,500 miles on my original battery in my 2005 Legacy GT. When the car is parked at home, the battery is connected to a Battery Tender Plus. I have absolutely no problems cranking the engine after cold soaking the car for 10+ hours at -5 degrees F.

Before I purchased Battery Tenders for all my vehicles, I had the battery in my 2004 Mach1 warrantied at 15,000 miles.

Battery life depends largely on driving habbits. My mother drove her Jetta shopping once or twice a week - 2 miles each direction. She went through 2 batteries each year. Car dealerships often have to replace batteries in brand new cars and trucks for the same reason. The vehicles are test driven infrequently for short distances. More power is drained from the battery than the alternatior can replenish in a couple of miles. This is very detremental to battery life.

Short or infrequent trips, leaving the lights or radio on, using a 12V accessory while the engine is stopped are all bad for battery life.

Google "Battery Tender" and read the info for how the "Plus" model works. I'd rather buy something less expensive than an Optima and get a Battery Tender Plus (and use it religiously).

PS: I use Mobil1. It makes a huge difference in cold weather starts. (If you buy synthetic oil, get Mobil1. It is a true PAO Group IV synthetic, not semi synthetic like most other "Fully Synthetic" oils.)

[Murr1525]

Re: Car Batteries

That looks pretty cool, but it looks like I would have to be parked near an outlet to be able to use it?