Light truck/Auto batteries

[jukk0u]

After 11 years of service the OEM battery in the Tacoma is starting to sound sluggish. Posts are clean, I'm pretty sure it's just the battery being old. Was worse in the extreme cold weather....

In the $85-125 range, is a battery a battery? Or are some more gooder than others? AGM (Absorbed glass mat batteries good? or gimmick? Amazon has an Oddessy from AGM for $113 (one of their vendors is selling for $104 - ships from TX. )

Whaddya know?

[snozzberries]

There are only 3 battery manufacturers. You want to get made by Johnson Controls, they are the best. They are carried under lots of labels. What size battery do you need? Consumer reports does reporting on them. I can get you screenshots of their ratings.

[scorpion rider]

Like snoz said, Johnson control batteries are good. I also had good luck with interstate green top batteries. I managed an automotive electrical shop for 5 years and saw every type and brand come and go.

[Guntrader]

Buy mine at Costco. Best price, best warranty. (they use Interstate).
The pair in my Silverado are 9 years old.

For my 5th wheel I bought blems at the Interstate store in Everett, half price.

I was working on a laser printer outside a Paccar boardroom back in the 90's.
Overheard some executives talking about marketing different levels of batteries at Al's Auto Supply....12 mo, 24 mo, 36 mo, etc.
Same fucking battery, just different warranty.

[jukk0u]

There are only 3 battery manufacturers. You want to get made by Johnson Controls, they are the best. They are carried under lots of labels. What size battery do you need? Consumer reports does reporting on them. I can get you screenshots of their ratings.

24f
Are they the ones that make the Costco batteries?

[snozzberries]

There are only 3 battery manufacturers. You want to get made by Johnson Controls, they are the best. They are carried under lots of labels. What size battery do you need? Consumer reports does reporting on them. I can get you screenshots of their ratings.

24f
Are they the ones that make the Costco batteries?

Yes they make Costco batteries. I bought one from Costco.

Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Each makes batteries sold under several different brand names.
Delphi makes ACDelco and some EverStart (Wal-Mart) models.
Exide makes Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart batteries.
Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts.

You can see that Johnson Controls makes all the good ones.

FYI if you have a library card at Seattle or King County, you too can access this information free of charge. You just login to the libraries website, and click the link for Consumer Reports, and it takes you directly to the full unlocked Consumer Reports website. I've posted a small limited snipit here for our discussion purposes, under Fair Use policies.

[jukk0u]

wonder why the interstate batteries got worse rating than the Die Hard if they are both made by JC

I'm on the KCLS website now... still looking fro the consumer reports link

EDIT: Found the link.. Thanks for that tip, it will come in handy

Last edited by jukk0u on Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[TechnoWeenie]

Johnson Controls 100%

I too get Interstate from Costco.

[Guntrader]

If you go to Costco, bring a wrench, some paper towels, and a Visa card.
Because they don't take American Express (reference to old commercial).

[snozzberries]

wonder why the interstate batteries got worse rating than the Die Hard if they are both made by JC

I'm on the KCLS website now... still looking fro the consumer reports link

I only have the Seattle Library version link readily available: https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/item/ ... reportsorg

[TechnoWeenie]

wonder why the interstate batteries got worse rating than the Die Hard if they are both made by JC

I'm on the KCLS website now... still looking fro the consumer reports link

Different products, same manufacturer. Also, people think that if they pay more, it must be better.

The Lincoln TownCar had many fewer complaints than the Grand Marquis and the Crown Vic despite essentially being the same car.. Same goes with Lexus getting fewer complaints than the equivalent Toyota.

[JohnMBrowning]

Check the fluid level in your battery --- you were probably fooled into thinking that it is truly a 'maintenance' free battery - especially if it is factory --- my 4runner came with a Panasonic battery with an 'eye' that said maintenance free ---- yeah, after 10 years it got kinda weak and died on me once - thats when I took the caps off to find the fluid level was below the plates. I didn't catch it in time - it was done. Top it off with distilled h2o and put a quality charger on it for the weekend --- if you're lucky, you could get a couple more years out of it. Toyota used to put some top notch batteries in their trucks --- much better quality than any costco battery.

ETA -- I learned along the way that the longer life 'maintenance free' batteries basically had more fluid capacity to account for the evap of the water leading to a longer 'un-maintained' life --- with maintenance, ALL batteries last longer --- works best to check them BEFORE they get weak.

[snozzberries]

Most batteries are now maintenance free in that you can't pop the caps, they are totally sealed.

[snozzberries]

wonder why the interstate batteries got worse rating than the Die Hard if they are both made by JC

I'm on the KCLS website now... still looking fro the consumer reports link

EDIT: Found the link.. Thanks for that tip, it will come in handy

Can you share the KCLS link? I'll add it to my favorites too.

[JohnMBrowning]

Most batteries are now maintenance free in that you can't pop the caps, they are totally sealed.

It is/was my understanding that the only true 'maintenance free' and sealed battery is an AGM --- all flooded batteries are shipped dry and filled at point of purchase (or nearby). Most of the 'un-serviceable' looking batteries have 3 gang pop caps that only 'look' like they can't be opened.