What's the current recommend on batteries?

They are a total crapshoot.

I the past I have had good luck with Johnson Controls built product and to a lesser extent, Exide.

There are so many private brands that are built by either that the choices are staggering.

Currently, my '99 chevy p/u has a "yellow" wallie's mart, JC made one in it.

The Wife's Trailblazer has a NAPA Exide. Both are about three years old and are performing well in Michigan (-14f yesterday morning).

Al

We have the opposite problem here in Texas due to the heat. I have never had one last 5 years. At three years I have noticed a definite decline in reserve power. i.e.: lights on for one hour kills the battery. I have tried a lot of different brands and settled on cheap Wal_Mart because it seems like there is a Wal-Mart in every little town in the USA and I carry the warranty papers with me: jump start, drive to wal mart, get a new one,

I think there are only about 3 or at the most 4 battery manufacturers and they just put the label on the battery for whatever company they are making it for.I know there is a place about 25 miles from here that makes the plastic cases for most all the manufacturers. IMO, get one from a local place that will stand behind it the best.

When I bought my new old 1983 Dodge van last year, the engine (318 engine) was very slow about starting.I went to Autozone and I bought a new battery.The battery was manufactured by Johnson Controls company.I think it is a good battery.In my opinion, Interstate batteries are very much overated.I have bought them (Interstate) before.Too much money for the amount of bread.I will never buy another Interstate battery. cuhulin

I live in Texas, and do the same. I am not saying they are the best batteries available, but they offer convenience and reasonable lifetime.

I've had good luck with several Costco house-brand batteries, which for some reason I think are made by EverReady, or at least were back when I bought them. I like their price and their no-nonsense attitude about honoring warranties. That having been said, I've also got an Interstate and a pretty old Diehard in the family fleet.

Remember to not only choose the correct battery, but also keep the terminals on the charging circuit clean and tight, and make sure they're well charged. That, plus correct choice of ratings, may be more of the game than choosing the "right" brand.

Charging-related matters are especially worth some attention in the winter, when those lights-defroster-and-low-speed commute slogs tend to challenge the alternator's ability to keep them charged.

If shopping for a new car battery right now, I *would* be tempted to try one of those completely sealed, spiral-wound Absorbed Glass Mat jobbies. They seem to have both electrical and mechanical advantages over the traditional kind.

Lots of good stuff (some of it related to non car applications) at

--Joe

The Nov. 2008 Consumer Reports gave top ratings to $180, completely sealed batteries from Sears and Optima.

I don't leave my battery in my vehicle all the time, I am scared some night a crook might try to steal my battery.I hardly ever drive anywhere anymore.What I do is, I bring my battery in my house and I hook up little Sears battery minder/charger thingy to my battery.When I need to go somewhere, I stick my battery back in my van and I twist the battery cables onto the battery post and I crank it up and go.I also keep my phone unplugged except when I want to use it.Nobody here but little doggy and I

I will give you a dollar for every time Consumer Reports has lied. cuhulin

Lie? Harsh word.

I have seen them, in the past, give excellent reports on truly terrible products. Might have been their shortterm (and shortsighted) evaluations.

It takes time to see if a product will hold the mark or not. Initial surveys or product reviews mean diddley s....

I don't think I am harsh.I used to be a Tomcat, now I am only a Kittycat.

Last Interstate battery I bought, I paid about eighty something dollars for that battery, that was over ten years ago.That Interstate battery and other Interstate batteries didn't last any longer (actually, not as long) than any other cheap batteries I have bought before. cuhulin

Take my Advice, Lay off of Interstate batteries.I used to work at a auto/truck battery factory in Florence,Mississippi.(that old factory opened in 1961, closed down a few years ago) Metinks I know a couple of thingys about batteries.And Joyce Creel (Magee,Mississippi, battery factory) too.Go to Autozone and buy a battery made by Johnson Controls and leave that sissy greasy kidstuff alone. cuhulin

Johnson Controls owns a percentage of Interstate.

When can I start collecting my money?

Back a few year now they did a big article on vacuum cleaners. They tested about 10 "different" machines. The ratings showed no ties for any of them. What was wrong with that you ask? Three of the units were made by the SAME plant and other than color and decals were the EXACT same unit inside!

Or how about when they were saying how great the Toyota Matrix was and in the same test they said that the Pontiac Vibe was a sub standard vehicle. Neat trick since the only difference in them was the badges!

Or way back when they rated the Geo Prism as a poor vehicle. And in another issue they rated the Corolla as a great car. Care to guess what the Prism actually was? (if you said a rebadged Corolla, you move to the head of the class.

I really love the battery ratings. I can show you a LOT of folks who have bought the Optima hype, and discovered that the reputation is just that HYPE. It's a lot like the K&N crap.

The only battery I've had in recent years whose performance varies from "the norm" (lasting about 3 years in the Tx heat) is Optima. They're stupid expensive, though, and on lifetime alone you definitely don't come out ahead. I keep using them just because they're an AGM (sealed) battery and don't cause nearly as much corrosion near the terminals and hold-down hardware. Other AGM batteries might be just as good.

Interstate is just a brand name anymore. They haven't actually owned any battery manufacturing facilities in YEARS. And yes, AFAIK current Interstate batteries are Johnson Controls batteries.

Don't you have to have a special charger for the Optima though? I seem to recall reading something about special charging procedures if they happened to get discharged.

nate

I didn't know before that Johnson Controls is part of Interstate/whatever. Oh well, I hope my Johnson Controls battery I bought at the Autozone store last year last long enough to suit me. cuhulin

The only battery I've had that held up to Texas was the OEM Nissan battery in my '97 I30t. Don't know who made it but it came from Japan with the car. It lasted 6.5 years. Every other battery I've had since '72, regardless of mfr has never made it to the third year in Texas.