2 batteries in 1 day!

[Jim Mills]

So I sold my 01 to my father in law & he called me last night & mentioned he thought the alternator went out & killed the battery since it was only putting out 12.5 volts on his meter. I made plans to check it out this morning & when I put the key in the ignition of the 07, nothing! Dead as a door nail. No dashboard lights, no beeping from the key in the ignition or anything. This was after putting just under 100 miles on it yesterday without a single sympton or issue. My father in law said the 01 was acting wierd this past week leading up to the battery dying. I put a battery in his & now its putting out 13 volts, but the charging systemn tester at the parts store gave it a pass. Couldnt believe the luck, 2 batteries in 1 day. Odd thing is, I tested both of them in November. Man these trucks are weird sometimes.



Have a great day & test your battery if you havent this year!

Jim

 

[Norm Reeves]

Replace your batt every four years and you will never have a prob...guarenteed!:supercool:

 

[Ed C]

I knew my battery was going bad because my door locks would go up and down on start up. It was also slow to start on cold days. I had the OEM battery until last year...The battery was 9 years old.



I have an Optima red now. We'll see how it works.

 

[Richard L]

USN-ret,

Replacing the battery every four years is not a guarantee....I have had several batteries that did not make it through the 3 year new car warranty.



My new 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix battery died with 2 months left on the warranty and the dealer replaced it with a battery under the warranty.



When my new 2001 Sport Trac battery died I jump started the truck and drove to the dealer and got there with just 11 miles left on the warranty...and 7 months short of 3 years. They put in a new battery under warranty and I bought a new 2003 Sport Trac a few months later.



Also, many years ago I bought a replacement battery for my wife's Dodge Mini-van. It was an Exide battery called "The Tough-one" with 880 cca and designed especially for the Texas heat. 10 months later the battery was shot. When I took it back to the store, the guy claimed that they were having a lot of problems with those batteries and did not carry them anymore. Since I had a free exchange for the first year of the battery warranty, he gave me a Delco battery and I never had any problems for the next 4-5 years until I traded it in on the 1997 Grand Prix.



So getting a new battery every 4 years is good advise only if your battery makes it for 4 years:grin:



...Rich

 

[Rodney Leary]

Just replaced mine two weeks ago after it died. Co-worker replaced his the next week and then one of our work vans the next week... bad month for batteries!

 

[EddieS'04]

Rich is right about battery life. I have had batteries last 8yrs. Then some of the same brand and spec. Die @ 18 months.

 

[kcirtap]

Battery on my civic lasted 10 years. Started every winter -30c and not a problem. I think the battery in the ST is gonna be replaced soon. Starting to act up. Debating getting a optima red top.

 

[Jim Mills]

Optima 's are great batteries if you dont mind shelling out the $'s. They are designed for rough usage and as close to indestructable as you can get for a battery. If I was only buying one I would have gotten a red top. Since I was buying 2 and still planning on buying wheels and doing a stereo upgrade I went with the Super Start extreme 1000 CA. They are made by East Penn, and a very good quality battery with a better warranty.

 

[EddieS'04]

Cranking amps are only important, that they meet the OEM requirement. For street service. Higher CCA is desirable for high compression performance motors.

What to look for and most important. Is the reseserve current.

Optima batteries are good if they are needed. For the service they are designed for. Otherwise, for normal street service. They cost too much. In many cases they dont last any longer. Than the top level battery, from most sources. Especialy if manufactored, by Johnson Controls. One for instance is Auto-Zone Gold. I think Motorcraft is also. I never had one them last less than 5yrs. Here in the heat of SE Texas. Heat is the biggest battery killer. I had as many as 4 cars at one time. My average results with the AZ gold has been. Within 12 to 18months of the warranty end survival.

I realize every one has had their own and different experiances. Different parts of the country. Same batteries are manufactored with different specs.

 

[Gavin Allan]

I don't wait for my batteries to go bad. After 3 years or so, I replace them. I don't need the hassle of being stranded or towing charge, etc. They always go bad at the most inopportune time. Only exception is my John Deere garden tractor. That battery is 2004 model OEM and still cranking.