Battery Time.... which brand?

[kcpolk]

I have about 35k on my 2012.... she still has the stock batteries. They are working great. However, the temp extremes here in AZ take a toll on the batts. I am thinking I should start looking to replace them soon. I've had great success with Interstate Mega-Tron batteries in my Travel Trailer. I have also used NAPA GOLD Batteries that seemed decent. I'd be interested to see what you are using. THANKS!

 

[Got HO?]

Interstate AGM's in mine. Have been great. Spendy though.

 

[seafish]

East Penn Battery, is a domestic made battery using virgin instead of recycled lead. They a make Deka brand batteries, which are the oem supplier for CAT equipment, which STILL means something in this day and age of cost cutting and materials scrimping. In short, CAT relies on Deka batteries for their equipment to start. I also have had very good funciton and longevity from the Deka batteries that I have chosen to run in my vehicles and equipment. The two in my JD450 dozer are over 15 years old and STILL start it up every spring afetr a long winter sitting with no charger (knock on wood!!! lol)

 

[jhenderson]

X2 on Deka. No core charge at the local Deka supply house. Mine were great in my 3rd gen. I didn't have much luck with interstate. The one in my new dump trailer went south at 6 months. The local interstate dealers wouldn't honor the warranty. They wanted me to back to the trailer dealer. Unfortunately , that dealer was 400 miles away. It's got a Deka now also.

 

[Got HO?]

I'm not sure about the 2012's, but my 2014 requires AGM batteries. Found out the hard way when Interstate supplied non AGM replacements initially, and I had message after message display on the EVIC for Battery Saver Mode. Installing the correct batteries took care of it.

 

[Mingoglia]

I have about 35k on my 2012.... she still has the stock batteries. They are working great. However, the temp extremes here in AZ take a toll on the batts. I am thinking I should start looking to replace them soon. I've had great success with Interstate Mega-Tron batteries in my Travel Trailer. I have also used NAPA GOLD Batteries that seemed decent. I'd be interested to see what you are using. THANKS!

On my offroad rigs, I only use AGM. On my tow rigs (I'm in GA now but lived in AZ up until last year), I always just ran the Checker/OReilly Gold batteries in my 2nd gen. The last two sets literally lasted right up to just before the warranty expired and I ended up getting a new set for free. So although they didn't last as long as I'd hope, I didn't pay for 2 sets of batteries. With that being said the reason they likely didn't last is because my truck would sit the majority of the summer out front without being started. I used my truck primarily to go back and forth to the dunes with my toy hauler or to pull my Jeep trailer, neither I did during the hot summer months so my truck batteries sat there baking and slowly discharging.

 

[BILLUA]

Cat batteries are great, I had them in my 2005. Do they have a size that will fit our 4th Gens?

 

[bpep]

Walmart H7 EverStart , 3 year free replacement , 5 year warranty. $150.

 

[jhenderson]

I' had a very bad experience with Walmart. I purchased a battery for my wife's car there. In less than a year it developed a bad cell. 3 trips to 3 different walmarts and each time they tested it they said all it needed was a charge and refused my warranty request. When I tested it on a local repair shops load cell it showed 400 amps on a 750 amp rating.I put in a Deka and haven't had any further trouble. I'm not saying all Walmart batteries are junk. I'm saying if the warranty isn't honored the battery isn't worth buying.

 

[Newsa]

Advance Auto Parts said the battery warranty isn't real. They wouldn't even give me a few dollars off for the pro-rating

 

[Kry226]

Odyssey is all you need.

 

[jhenderson]

Where do I go for warranty on an Odyssey battery? A lot of big stores sell them but won't accept one from another retailer for warranty purposes. Same bat, different part numbers. I can go to any Deka retailer and get warranty.

 

[Kry226]

Where do I go for warranty on an Odyssey battery? A lot of big stores sell them but won't accept one from another retailer for warranty purposes. Same bat, different part numbers. I can go to any Deka retailer and get warranty.

Good question. I've never needed service, but here's a clip from the warranty certificate: http://www.odysseybattery.com/documents/US-ODY-WS-12_0212_000.pdf

To obtain warranty service:
1. Return the Battery to the original supplying wholesaler or dealer.
2. If the Battery is determined by Manufacturer, in its sole discretion, to be defective for material or workmanship under terms of this limited warranty, it will be replaced.
3. Manufacturer's acceptance of any items shipped to Manufacturer shall not be deemed an admission that the items so shipped are defective. Any items shipped back to Manufacturer, shall in Manufacturer’s sole discretion, become Manufacturer’s
property.

 

[jhenderson]

My point was made in the first line. " Return to the original wholesaler or dealer". Any other name brand can be returned to any authorized retailer for adjustment or replacement. All batteries of the same description under that name carry the same part number and can be dealt with by any supplier. It's bad enough to have battery trouble away from home. I don't need any additional inconvenience.

 

[Kry226]

My point was made in the first line. " Return to the original wholesaler or dealer". Any other name brand can be returned to any authorized retailer for adjustment or replacement. All batteries of the same description under that name carry the same part number and can be dealt with by any supplier. It's bad enough to have battery trouble away from home. I don't need any additional inconvenience.

So don't purchase additional inconvenience. Personally, a quick Google search for Odyssey battery problems yielded almost zero relevant or recent reports (didn't see much for Deka either) of problems (attributable to the battery) and I've never had issues with this battery either. IME, only the folks who insist on batteries from Walmart, Interstate, or Autozone, etc. are the ones who need to be worried about battery warranty.

 

[ScottLewis]

I just replaced my 2 with Interstate batteries from Costco. They were nearly $40 each cheaper than Les Schwab and $30 cheaper than the dealer. Still good batteries. I've had good luck with interstates in the past.