1FastBrick

iTrader: (17)

Don't count the Ac Delco's out just yet.

I got sick of replaceing Intersates battery's under warranty at the shop I worked at. So I started spliting the sales up with the delco's. Not only did the delco's last longer, but I had alot less deffects over the course of a year.
My average cost of the interstate battery was $10-$15 more then the Delco's.

When the economy started to go south most people stoped buying from us and started going to wallmart, costco, or the cheap autozone gold battery's. Even a few AAA batteries.

The AAA's had the absoulute worst durabilty and warranty. They would flat out refuse to stand behind them. You were luck to get a year out of them. and they would use every excuss in the book to not honner the warranty.

The Autozone's were almost as bad. They would give you back an older battery so that if it went bad again they could say it was to old and you need a new one.

The Local interstate would stand behind it but they would often give you a hard time about why the battery didn't last.


AC Delco was one of the easyest supplieres to work with. They stood behind there warranty and almost never gave me a hard time unless the battery really looked beat up. they were the only Company that would give me special priceing on my own personal vehicals.
The shop cost averaged $10-$15 less then an interstate. If it was my own personal vehical they would knock it down to just above there cost.

I got around 6 years out of the original battery in my 2000 1500 truck. I am on the 6th year with its replacement.

One Co-worker is on 5 years with the original battery.

Another Co-worker just replaced 2 original delco's in his 05 2500HD. Thats 7 years!!!

Yet the 05 1500 I purchased had a top of the line Interstate that was only 2 years old that would not hold its charge after sitting for a week. No eletrical issues either. It was just past the free replacement and the prorate came to $35 credit on the same battery that was $95 dollars my cost. So I Replaced it with a delco that I got for $65 my cost. Starts ever time even after sitting for nearly 2 months when I was gone for training and work.

Now despite that, every one I talked to in the battery industry says the same thing. There are only a few companys that actually make the batteries. and none of the battery manufactures distrbute them, they only build the battery to what the supplier company wants. In fact some of the company's have there batteries made by the same company. It's what the individual company's spec out for the product that makes the difference. With that being said In some case your only paying for the advertising. I found out last year that the AC Delco's and the Intersate's were made by the same manufacture but that each company had there own design and spec on how the wanted there battery built.

So if there made at the same plant with similar materials then Why does 1 cost more??? Advertising!!!
I was also told that these types of batteries were designed to last at least 2 years so any thing you get above and beyond that is considered a bonus.

14psisupra

iTrader: (1)

good luck here with my yellowtop had it 4 yrs in my truck and a year before that in my jeep with a winch and every summer i play my radio for hours all the time and kill it, quick jump and its ready to go

Sc00by

Im really getting nervous about replacing my almost 8 year old Red Top. Its been a great battery and has been ran dead a few times and has been in two different vehicles. I may cross my fingers and get another Red Top and hope I don't have the issues everyone else is having.

Anyone use an Orbital battery. I remember seeing them at NAPA and they had a similar 6pack design........anyone have any luck with these????

ls six

I have had good luck with my redtop sofar, even with the alternator being on the ragged edge for a long time in my mazda. I also bought it the day before the latest price hike up to iirc $180 ish.


For folks having issues with their optimas I suggest the parallel charging strategy where you use a modern charger with a charged battery connected in parallel to the dead pattery.

Often when a glass mat battery is drained really low it will refuse to take a charge with a normal charger or possibly even from tha alternator.

I imagine its just a matter of time before agm batteries become standard on some vehicles and those vehicles will likely (hopefully) come with revised charging systems that better cope with and utilise the agm technology.

jrmchevyman

Try deka batteries. A lot of car audio guys run the deka 9a31 (deka intimidator) because they are good batts for the price.

Also the AGM sealed batts that Oreilly sells called Super Start is also made by East penn which makes Deka.

If you have a carquest in your area, the NGT extreme AGM is also made by deka / East Penn..



Now if you are looking into a secondary battery to locate somewhere else, (which might not fit under the hood) there is a brand called Datasafe which has some batteries which are pretty much the exact same thing as a Batcap 2000.

A guy on various audio forums I am registered on sells them for CHEAP.

comparable to Batcap 2000, Kinetik HC1200, XS D1200, Stinger SPV44.
Dimensions: 7.75"L x 6.50"W x 6.9"H
Threaded inserts for easy hookup with ring terminals and 6mm bolts.
Designed for a quicker discharge rate.

The guys name is Ram_designs and sells them for:
$80 shipped for one
$150 shipped for two

cttandy

iTrader: (12)

I usually go to Auto-Zone and get the best one they have for my truck. The last few times I have done this, I have gotten a 5 year warranty with these batteries. I haven't had any issues with the batteries. We have pretty drastic extreme's here in TN, weather over 100 in the summer and below 0 in the winter. I usually get about 5 years on battery.

My last A/C Delco made it one month past it's warranty and died cold turkey out of the blue.

I have a red top optima out in the shop right now that I pulled out of a car I bought. I need to charge it back up. If I can find all the related needed cables cheap, I am going to add it to my suburban as a second battery.

Zachsb3

iTrader: (2)

the oreilly brand batteries and dekas are the few still made in the usa. Xs power also makes good ones too.

lt1s10

iTrader: (2)

I am a DEKA dealer and I can tell you there is a huge difference in the quality of batteries sold now. Since we signed on with them our warranty claims have been non existant.