Truck battery recommendations
treitz3
Posts: 19,004
I'm looking for some solid, experience driven recommendations for a battery that lasts. I have a '04 Chevy Silverado 2500HD that is on its 4th battery. The OEM battery lasted over 4 years. The one I replaced it with was apparently a bad decision on my part.
What I replaced it with is a NAPA Legend75, side attach battery. Now, it did fine cranking her up in cold weather. That's not the issue. What is an issue is that in 17 months and 31 days, I have been through 3 of them.
The first one lasted less than a year and it was covered under warranty. The next battery also lasted less than a year and it was also covered under the warranty. Check this out...
Yesterday, I go to a service shop to get some things done and one of the services they performed was a battery check. They said my battery tested at the lowest levels and that they had checked this twice. I knew the battery wasn't that old, so I headed back to NAPA and told them that the battery tested low. They said that they would change it back out because it was still under the 18 month warranty. It was 5:30pm and they closed at 6:00pm. After 17 months and squeaking by the tail end of 31 days....
The warranty ended in 30 minutes! :eek:
Needless to say, I won't be buying another NAPA battery. I have no idea what the OEM battery was because, well, I just didn't pay that much attention to it at the time. You know, a battery is a battery, is a battery right? Wrong. I'm looking for word of mouth recommendations from your observations of track records with a battery that cranks in the cold and stands the test of time.
Whatcha' got for me?
What I replaced it with is a NAPA Legend75, side attach battery. Now, it did fine cranking her up in cold weather. That's not the issue. What is an issue is that in 17 months and 31 days, I have been through 3 of them.
The first one lasted less than a year and it was covered under warranty. The next battery also lasted less than a year and it was also covered under the warranty. Check this out...
Yesterday, I go to a service shop to get some things done and one of the services they performed was a battery check. They said my battery tested at the lowest levels and that they had checked this twice. I knew the battery wasn't that old, so I headed back to NAPA and told them that the battery tested low. They said that they would change it back out because it was still under the 18 month warranty. It was 5:30pm and they closed at 6:00pm. After 17 months and squeaking by the tail end of 31 days....
The warranty ended in 30 minutes! :eek:
Needless to say, I won't be buying another NAPA battery. I have no idea what the OEM battery was because, well, I just didn't pay that much attention to it at the time. You know, a battery is a battery, is a battery right? Wrong. I'm looking for word of mouth recommendations from your observations of track records with a battery that cranks in the cold and stands the test of time.
Whatcha' got for me?
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
Post edited by treitz3 on
Comments
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Optima
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Interstate
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You sure the problem is the battery ? Maybe something else is draining it,can't see going thru that many batteries in that amount of time. Have the charging system checked.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
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Polk FX500 surrounds
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B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
You sure the problem is the battery ? Maybe something else is draining it,can't see going thru that many batteries in that amount of time. Have the charging system checked.
that was my first thought also -
that was my first thought also
x2.
3 different batteries in 18 months is not normal, unless it was unusually small.
-CodyMusic is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it -
Love my optima- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I've had the best luck with, believe it or not, Pep Boys ProStart batteries. Then again, I think they were made by Exide or Interstate depending on which one you needed.
The absolute best luck was with the Motorcraft battery in my Lightning. Took 9 years for it to start having hard cranking problems. 9 years, used every day with 122,000+ miles on it. I should have drained it and bronzed it for the mantel.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Optima is WAAAAY overpriced.
I've had 5 of the yellow MAXX batteries they sell at WalMart ($76) in different vehicles & they are THE BEST value in a battery. 8 year (!) warranty, work like a charm. never had a problem with one.TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
Is this something I can do myself? All I'm looking for is return voltage/amperage, right.....or is it more than that?Have the charging system checked.
I have one of those diagnostic tool things that you plug into the car for clearing codes, reading codes and whatnot. I'm not getting any codes for low/no return voltage or any other code. Would something like this [charging system failure] show up on one of these, or no?~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Charging problem or heat. Heat will kill a battery very quickly.
I had a car that ran hot. Add Dallas summers and I had a deal like yours going.
Same batteries last just fine in other cars. Note-overcharging is as bad
as undercharging."The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson -
After warm-up, the temperature runs at 210 at highway speeds, slightly higher during idle. A full coolant flush was done last year and there is a new thermistor and thermometer in her as well so I know it's accurate.~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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I have always been partial to the Sears Diehard. :cool:
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Optimas are pretty expensive, but I know of no one that has ever had any issues with them. The only problem with them is there is no warning when they are going dead like you would get with a traditional battery.
They will take the heat, cold and all the bouncing abuse a truck can give a battery and have tons of crank power. I ran one for 4 years in my previous vehicle and never had any issues.
ScottWithout music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ..... Frank Zappa -
Interstate Mega TronAVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
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Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
Rear: FXI A4
Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II -
Optima is WAAAAY overpriced.
I've had 5 of the yellow MAXX batteries they sell at WalMart ($76) in different vehicles & they are THE BEST value in a battery. 8 year (!) warranty, work like a charm. never had a problem with one.
My vote too... -
So, how do you check the charging system yourself? I don't like the idea of paying a mechanic $90.00 to tell me that it's fine. It seems like it shouldn't be that hard. Just need to know how.
Refer back to post #10 for more information.~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I do not know what one I have, but with -50 degree winters and never a problem it must be good.Michael
In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
NORTH of 60° -
Doesn't the dash voltage tell you the same thing?Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Ive always been told dash guages for voltage and so forth are more dummy guages than anything.
Advance, Napa etc will test the battery alternator for free..- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Ah, that I did not know. Sure as hell beats payin' 90 bucks for nothin'. Thanks for that little tid-bit of information, Trey. ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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No problem they usually have a big sign on a window that says FREE BATTERY & ALTERNATOR TESTING!
*Punches Tom in the knee cap*
XOXOXOXO- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Dude, they got like 25 signs on 3 windows. The NAPA store I went to this week was like walking up to a foreign owned convenience store.....It would take a half a damned hour to read everything.
*slaps Trey silly*
XOXOXOXO~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Have you ever left your lights on and needed to jump the battery? Most starting batteries are very sensitive to being drained. They loose a life each time it happens and unlike a cat they don't usually have 9 lives, maybe 4 or 5. Particularly if they get drained when it is really cold outside.
I personally am a fan of using a deep cycle battery in vehicles where possible. Especially if you spend a lot of time in your vehicle like I do in the outdoors and want to listen to tunes without endlessly idling the motor. Same as most people do when they are out boating where you go somewhere nice and hang out, fish or swim with the stereo on. The deep cycle plates are more robust and can be discharged down to 30% or so a couple of hundred times without serious damage.
The Optima yellow tops are awesome, but if you want to save some bucks and run a lead acid battery instead, I like the Trojan's. http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/Marine-RV.aspx -
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/SCS22512V.aspx
This is what I run. Going on 4 years with no problems. Good ratings on CCA 665 amps and 225 minutes of reserve capacity at 25 amp discharge rate. Once it's in your truck the cute little carrying handles are easily removed. There is one main dealer in my city for this brand and I believe I paid a little under $100.00.
I also own two other like this, one for 21 ft boat and another that is for an electric trolling motor for my 14ft small fishing boat. The trolling motor battery is going on 5+ years old and going strong. These will last while starting batteries are rated to fail within 6 months of the warranty ending. It is very predictable. One of the class room case studies that I did in MBA school. -
No. The only times I've tried to jump the truck is when the battery was completely dead. This was with the original battery and with the first battery from NAPA. No signs whatsoever that either of them were getting weaker, no nothin'.Outfitter03 wrote: »Have you ever left your lights on and needed to jump the battery?
Just tried to start it up and the truck was dead. One "click" was all I got.~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Tell ya Tom, something is draining that battery. You have any aftermarket electronics hooked up ?
Have the alternator checked out, battery cables, look for play in the belt going to the alternator, maybe a relay switch somewhere. Even a cheap battery should last 5 years. You keep throwing batteries in without checking out why is throwing money out the window.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Hey, Tony. With the exception of the first battery I purchased at NAPA after the OEM battery died, all of them were covered under warranty. Just an FYI, no aftermarket electronics or anything really, other than the battery and some cosmetic stuff on the exterior. I think we are on the same wavelength with the belt. I have 160,000 miles on that one belt so that might be what's causing it.
I'm planning on stopping by Advance or NAPA today to have the charging system checked. That should, in theory, tell me what may be going on.~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
I think the issue is that bow tie on the front- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Thinking your Alternator is bad. Do yourself a favor and find a company who can rebuilt it. Don't get it from any big national auto part store, they don't rebuilt them local.
Speakers
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Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
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