scottb Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 I am looking for opinions on car batteries. A little back ground first, I have two vehicles, a 2003 Monte Carlo and a 2002 Durango. I bought the Monte Carlo used in 2003. The Durango was purchased in 2004. The Monte Carlo has a Duralast battery ( not an Ac Delco like I would have expected) that was already in it when i bought. Not sure why the Monte battery was replaced BEFORE it got the car. The Durango has a Mopar battery in it, I assume original.Neither vehicle has any sign of starting or charging problems. I am thinking of replacing the batteries in both vehicles before winter, just to be on the safe side and based on age. It seems that car batteries can just fail at any time, due to temp or vibration. Probably true for new and old batteries.From the internet, I found:<<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>>In the past, I have always purchased Ac Delco batteries. Delphi makes the batteries for the Delco brand. Johnson Controls makes the optima and duralast brand.So, opinions on which to get, Delco or Duralast? Either brand battery costs around $90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohdaho Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Thats kinda weird about just 3 manufacturers. I know theres alot of bad reviews for Diehard on some internet forums, yet good reviews for Duralast and Interstate. I just replaced my OEM Interstate in my Nissan Pathfinder this past week, that lasted me nearly 10 years before it finally died. I just replaced it with a Duralast from autozone with a 3 yr replacement warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmagicglock Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 optima ftw! http://www.optimabatteries.com/home.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that dude Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 duralast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gump Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Exide is junk. We sell US Battery. But it all deep cycle stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTM Brian Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Johnson Controls.Sold automotive batteries for 10+ years. You can not go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serpentracer Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 (edited) nothing has lasted as long as a ac delco battery for me. that's the only batteries I will buy.here in cincy there is a store called bills battery they sell ac delco batteries for cheap. without a core return I got one for less than $60.I've been working part time at a used car lot and see a lot of dead batteries and the majority of them are duralast and interstate.I refuse to buy any battery with a cap to fill the acid. those are NOT maintenance free batteries...I don't care what's printed on the label. the true maintenance free batteries are 100% sealed and seem to last a lot longer. if you can't get at least 5+ years from a battery then you are doing something wrong. Edited December 20, 2009 by serpentracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawlins87 Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 deka or carquest NGT series. same thing as the deka (agm style) but cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hue jass Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 I had a Duralast go 7 years. From what i've read, you should never let the battery go dead. If it does, charge it back SLOW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted December 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Thanks for all the feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad324 Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 From all my experiences the 2 best batteries I've had are Optima and Duralast. My last car had ridiculous amount of electrical issues and it had a duralast which was an absolute of a battery even when it was drained dead many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 Thats kinda weird about just 3 manufacturers. I know theres alot of bad reviews for Diehard on some internet forums, yet good reviews for Duralast and Interstate. I just replaced my OEM Interstate in my Nissan Pathfinder this past week, that lasted me nearly 10 years before it finally died. I just replaced it with a Duralast from autozone with a 3 yr replacement warranty.Just because one company manufactures batteries for several companies doesn't mean that they're all the same! Each company has a different set of specs that they have to be built to. Kind of like the Ford Explorer and Firestone tires deal. The tires that failed were those that were built to Ford's specs, by Firestone.We carry Interstate at work, and the warranty is great. We also get SOME Carquest batteries. Both do very well.I AM questioning the Interstate that's in my car however, as my tester (not just a load tester) is saying to replace it, although it's still working well, even with having some extended cranking on it the other day to build oil pressure to the timing chain tensioner from having it apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted December 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 Good point about the different specs for each company...So for me it be based on what battery is in stock, either Delco or Duralast.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Just an update. I ended up buying batteries for each vehicle at NAPA for $70 each. With the new battery in the Monte Carlo, it fires right up, and I do not hear the annoying "dragging" noise as my gauges sweep at start up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitzburgh Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 optima ftw! http://www.optimabatteries.com/home.php+1 especially if you have some aftermarket accs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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