Car batteries: Walmart any good?

I tried that for a while, and got bit taking stuff in for warranty replacement over, and over, and over, and over.... "Lifetime warranty" usually means "you'll spend the rest of your life exchanging this piece of crap trying to get one that works as advertized."

Nowdays "country of origin" is my first criterion. If its China, I look long and hard for an alternative product. :-/ If its US, Mexico, Canada, or Europe, I feel pretty confident.

Reply to
Steve
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Likely. I've also been wondering if the fact that their sales volume at any given outlet is pretty low translates into "sat on the shelf a long time." :-/

I've had utter confidence in buying new Optimas up until *this* thread :-p

Reply to
Steve

But there are (or at least were a few years ago) a surprising number of low-volume battery builders. Neil already mentioned "East Penn." One brand that I had *really* good luck with in the ast was Continental out of the Dalla/Ft. Worth area. Their specialty was batteries built specifically for the desert southwest and south. They had a wider plate spacing, weaker acid blend, thicker plates, and several other minor tweaks to give the best life and performance in hot weather. The downside was that their sub-zero temperature reserve capacity was a bit lower than other batteries, but it wasn't uncommon to have a Continental last 5-7 years here in Texas where they were at their best, and they had plenty of capacity when winter temps were anything above 10 degrees F.

Reply to
Steve

I remember when Made In Mexico meant it was junk. I guess compared to the stuff coming from China nowadays...

Reply to
ray

Where the hell did they get those prices??:runaround: Around here the Delcos sell for no more than $60 to $70 from the A C Delco warehouse that sells to garages as well as retail.I paid $51 for my 75 series Delco just last summer.:screwy:

Reply to
'97ventureowner

Only a couple of years old.

The battery in my boat (something from costco) used to start the boat after sitting 9 months. Don't think I've ever left a car sit for more then a month.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

Since in my experience batteries don't make it past 3 years what I do it get the best warranty I can get for a decent price at CostCo and if I"m heading out of town around the 3 year point just take the battery back and get a new one under warranty. CostCo doesn't waste time checking the battery like some places do. I've had too many batteries that were on their last legs but that would hold enough charge for an hour to look ok on a tester.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

That's how all my batteries die too. Find when you park the car at night, dead when you head out to work in the morning. Charge it up and almost always the same thing will happen again within days. A new battery and you're good to go another three years.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

The automotive batteries are made by Johnson Controls. I now have three. JC makes a good battery.

Reply to
clifto

Agree

And the reason I went with Walmart this time..... i.e. availability.

Reply to
me

I'm only just now getting over "made in Japan" equating to junk! Nowdays, its hard to find any good ol' "made in Japan" stuff. Take a look at a few dozen Sony products next time you get a chance. Almost all come from China now.

Reply to
Steve

I believe Johnson is also, once again, the maker of the highly regarded Diehard series batteries sold by a chain store.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

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Reply to
Steve W.

That's what I hear. There was a period of "bad years" for the DieHard, which happened to coincide with the period of time when Sears gave the contract to Exide (I think) rather than Johnson Controls.

Reply to
Steve

Everything I've heard and read agrees with you, although I was told that years back the DieHard Gold was made by Delco. I do know when I got stuck with an Exide DieHard, just before they changed the warranty to the crap they offer now, I traded up to a Gold from my third dud Silver and my problems went away; but for all the world, it could have been an old-stock Gold, so that's not exactly a data point.

Reply to
clifto

Wal Mart auto batteries are as good as any other brand names of batteries.I used to work at a factory that manufactured auto/truck/lawn more/old style six volt batteries for old MG cars.Except for the MG car batteries,,, we used to put whichever decals on those twelve volt batteries, depending on whichever stores those batteries were being shipped out to all over America.Don't let the brand names of batteries throw you.Buy whatever batteries you like the price of. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

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