quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
I'd check it with a voltmeter if you have one to be sure it's the battery and not a connection or the starter. Even if the battery terminals look nice and clean and no corrosion, the connection between the post and the inside of the terminal could have some crud you can't see and also make sure the clamp bolt are tight and the clamp can't move. Sometimes the pinch bolt on the clamp can be tight but the ends of the clamp are bottomed out and the clamp connection isn't tight.
If it turns out that it is the battery itself, about all you can do is decide how many months you want as they are only made by one or two manufacturers (Johnson Control and Exide) and labeled with a brand on the outside.

Well said ^^^

I would buy the most powerful battery that will fit in the space on your car. Buying more CCA's costs very little money.

I buy American made batteries that have a 72 month warranty. I had to replace one on my daughter's car because she never leaves town and it is not kept charged. It was almost 3 years old and there was no charge.

There are a number of reviews on Youtube you might want to look at.

I sell Interstate Para and I am not seeing decreased life nor increased failures. Perhaps you were just unlucky if in fact it is the battery at issue.

I'll check the battery connections, thanks for the suggestion.

Our go to are Walmart Everstart auto batteries which are made by Johnson Controls. At least in the sizes we need they rank quite high by all reviewers.
FWIW JC makes many other "brands" including Optima.

4 years is on the short side of normal.

I've been using Ford or NAPA batteries with very good results.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackTalonJHP:
I would look for an East Penn battery. I think they are still US made and rebranded under NAPA Gold, SuperStart Extreme and Duracell. The last one I bought came with a 75 month warranty.

This...IMO and experience, the East Penn/Deka Batteries are FAR superior to those manufactured by Johnson Controls and Exide. Batteries+Bulbs stores stock the Duracell branded version, and generally the Batteries+ guys know what they're talking about when it comes to batteries. I can HIGHLY recommend them!

Also, it's worth noting that while CCA is important, due to all the electronics in modern vehicles, Reserve Capacity (AH) is just as, if not more important. Typically there's a number of loads that continue to run on battery power AFTER you shut the engine off. Obviously Reserve Capacity is important as those loads are draining the battery when the charging system is not maintaining/charging the battery. The issue when comparing replacement batteries is that not all manufacturers calculate this rating the same, as it is load dependent. Some manufacturers/retailers also make this rating hard to find.

I drive Volvo's, and in the case of my '09 S60, the replacement battery(s) did not meet both the CCA and Reserve AH of the existing battery. The guys at Batteries+ worked a few calculations with me to confirm the best replacement and we decided to go with the battery that had the higher Reserve AH even though it has slightly less CCA than the OEM battery. Just something to consider...

Id get the original Toyota True Start and will when its time for replacement. Perhaps sooner so as not to have to deal with a dead battery. Current True Start is a 84 month battery installed in 2015. It is a starting monster and never fails. A few bucks more but worth every dollar.

I've had excellent luck with Autozone Duralast batteries. My SUV was in the shop and the battery was bad. The shop put in an Interstate battery, and it went bad very quickly. They warrantied it and it has been good so far.

Deka / East Penn Manufacturing

Got six out of my OEM although it might well have worked another two years. Wanted OEM again but AC/Delco specs changed. The shop [3rd generation] said they only install Deka. No problems in these Pennsylvania winters. I went with the 'better'.

Big fan of Walmart also. Both of my vehicles have the Walmart battery and it has been working well. As said previously, there is a Walmart everywhere and they will honor the warranty regardless of where you bought it.

I change out batteries every three years, regardless of condition. Yoop weather is hard on batteries. Its just cheap insurance. I wait for a sale on Optima or Napa batteries.

I keep on of these handy for testing car batteries:

https://www.harborfreight.com/...-analyzer-66892.html

You can't always get a true picture from just voltage.

Short trips and infrequent driving often do not keep the battery in a full state of charge. Also most modern vehicles have some battery discharge just sitting from electrical drain by circuits that are still operating. I am a great believer in battery chargers and battery tenders for home use. Corvettes are very bad about parasitic drain and if parked with a fully charged battery may fail to crank after two to four weeks of just sitting. Many other vehicles have the same problems. My niece has a Honda that she drives one mile every day to her job. The alternator will not replace the starter draw in such a short distance. She puts a charger on the vehicle about every week to top off the battery. Any battery can fail a battery test if it is not fully charged. Make sure your battery is fully charged.

thanks for the timely thread,

I need to put a battery in my 2000 tundra,

I usually go to Advanced or Autozone and get them to put in the mid level battery,

Another one who has gotten good service out of NAPA.

Most auto parts stores will do a load test for free on a battery. It does need to be fully charged for the best test. I finally bought a load tester, it comes in handy. Ant time someone has a questionable battery I charge it overnight and then test it, no more guessing.

Interstate is still the go to battery for me. Used them for decades. I have never had one that did not last longer then the warrantee, that is not the case for some other brands I or family / friends have had.

With Interstate... The thing is, they have 3 levels/grades of their batteries. Good, better, best.

I always buy the "best" but have on at least one occasion ran into an issue where the "best" version was not made in the profile/size I needed and I had to settle for the "better" one.

The top tier is called Mega-tron and is always white with a green top IIRC. If your battery doesn't say Mega-tron on it you don't have the top of the line/best they offer. I think I saw a Mega-tron II in an ad or somewhere before but I am not current on their selections because I haven't needed one in a few years so...

Optima red top for me. It has been good for eleven years (so far).

At the four year point, I'd be thinking of a new battery anyway. They don't last like they used to. Maybe I'm a bit proactive, but I don't want to be caught somewhere inconvenient and not be able to start.