Need a battery...

[PICKUP6772]

I got lucky with mine. We were using Road Hawk's here at the bus co., but we have a new supplier now, that sends us Motorcraft. I'm still using the 65 amp alternator, but I've upgraded the cables to 1 gauge wiring. And I don't mean using the cheap. bolt-on teminals!!!. I have all new soldered on terminals, and copper end lugs. And all my ends are covered in heat shrink tubing, and the cables in correct sized wire loom. I have a group 65 battery in the car, too. Very nice, when you leave your headlights on for a few hours, and the car will start right up. I also run the stereo during my lunch break, when I'm taking a nap.

[Grandmarchris]

I have a Neverstart MAXX in the 92'..But as soon as that one shits the bed I be getting a Duarlast Gold from Autozone..Those batterys are teh shit

[Tiggie]

But as soon as that one shits the bed I be getting a Duarlast Gold from Autozone..Those batterys are teh shit

I'm running a 6-year old Duralast Gold in my Ranger and it's still like new.

[gabegt90]

I have a interstate magatron group 65 I need a new battery before the winter because the hydro rading for the cells says the battery is bairly 75%

[saiyaneye]

I just got the biggest battery WalMart offered, I don't recall the specs. It was the same price as the 800CCA one, and I am running quite a bit of power in the trunk as well.

[phayzer5]

I got the highest ca rated MAXX battery i could find at walmart. cheap 3 year full replacement and any number of 24/hr walmarts across the country isnt a bad deal

[Grandmarchris]

I just got the biggest battery WalMart offered, I don't recall the specs. It was the same price as the 800CCA one, and I am running quite a bit of power in the trunk as well.

99.9% of all batterys are made by Johnson Controls the only difference is the bluepriny of the battery they are told to make by wallymart,autozone,interstate,exide etc. etc. My boss at autozone worked as a manager at wallymart TLE in California he said that they had a 75% return rate on all of their Everstart batterys. I saw alot of dead Everstarts (a few right off the rack!!!) when I worked at Autozone...

The 3 worst
1.) Wallyworlds-Neverstart
2.) Oreilly's - Super Start
3.) Ac Delco-(chebby battery nuff said)

The 3 Best
1.) Motorcraft
2.) Autozone- Duralast
3.) Exide

[OVERKILL]

99.9% of all batterys are made by Johnson Controls the only difference is the bluepriny of the battery they are told to make by wallymart,autozone,interstate,exide etc. etc. My boss at autozone worked as a manager at wallymart TLE in California he said that they had a 75% return rate on all of their Everstart batterys. I saw alot of dead Everstarts (a few right off the rack!!!) when I worked at Autozone...

The 3 worst
1.) Wallyworlds-Neverstart
2.) Oreilly's - Super Start
3.) Ac Delco-(chebby battery nuff said)

The 3 Best
1.) Motorcraft
2.) Autozone- Duralast
3.) Exide

Any particular reason that Optima isn't on the list?

[Mercmarquis]

price probably

[Grandmarchris]

I dont like Optima

1.) They are overpriced
2.) Shitty Warrenty
3.) They have to be charged differntly being that they are of AGM construction

[Freshmeat]

How do they have to be charged differently? I've had the same yellow top in three vehicles and haven't had a problem. The Samurai alternator went out a couple months back to the point the Optima wouldn't even click the starter. I put it on the charger and three days later when I had a chance to check it again the battery was done. No special charging.

[saiyaneye]

Optima Red Top 4tw!

My brother has had his Red Top I suggested him to put in his car for about 4 or 5 years now (unsure how long).

[Grandmarchris]

You are fine as long as you use a slow charger..You cannot use fast chargers on those batterys

[OVERKILL]

You are fine as long as you use a slow charger..You cannot use fast chargers on those batterys

You can charge an Optima the same way you would charge any other battery, that is as per their instructions. They are often used in conjunction with like 200A alternators and function without issue. There are no special charge instructions for their batteries that differ from a traditional lead-acid battery.

Recharging ANY battery (with a battery charger) at a high current rate (like 15 or 25A) can boil the electrolyte...............

I have a red-top in my Mustang/Capri and I have been very impressed with it.

[OVERKILL]

From: http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

AGM batteries have several advantages over both gelled and flooded, at about the same cost as gelled:

Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken. This also means that since they are non-hazardous, the shipping costs are lower. In addition, since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.

Nearly all AGM batteries are "recombinant" - what that means is that the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine INSIDE the battery. These use gas phase transfer of oxygen to the negative plates to recombine them back into water while charging and prevent the loss of water through electrolysis. The recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost.

The charging voltages are the same as for any standard battery - no need for any special adjustments or problems with incompatible chargers or charge controls. And, since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. The Concorde (and most AGM) batteries have no charge or discharge current limits.

AGM's have a very low self-discharge - from 1% to 3% per month is usual. This means that they can sit in storage for much longer periods without charging than standard batteries. The Concorde batteries can be almost fully recharged (95% or better) even after 30 days of being totally discharged.

AGM's do not have any liquid to spill, and even under severe overcharge conditions hydrogen emission is far below the 4% max specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The plates in AGM's are tightly packed and rigidly mounted, and will withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery.

Even with all the advantages listed above, there is still a place for the standard flooded deep cycle battery. AGM's will cost 2 to 3 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. In many installations, where the batteries are set in an area where you don't have to worry about fumes or leakage, a standard or industrial deep cycle is a better economic choice. AGM batteries main advantages are no maintenance, completely sealed against fumes, Hydrogen, or leakage, non-spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes. Not everyone needs these features.