Good aftermarket batteries??

[jwilliams3]

Besides Optima's what is a good aftermarket battery readily available at a decent price??

 

[TowPro]

Your requirements were

Good: Everstart, made by johnsoncontrol, the makers of Optima

Readily Avalilable: Every Walmart has them

Decent Price: Repeat, Every Walmart has them



I run them in everything. I buy the Yellow ones and have not had one fail, but if it did, take it back to any walmart.

 

[RustyJC]

My 1996 3500 V-10 failed 2 of the factory Mopar/Exide batteries due to vibration. I finally got tired of being stranded and tried one of the Wal-Mart Everstart gel batteries with the thought being that, if it failed, I could get it replaced just about anywhere. It never failed.



Rusty

 

[CMNS PWR]

Odyssey Batteries

 

[Smokin Dodge]

Justin did you leave your lights on :-laf JK but if they really are dead they should be under your factory warranty.

 

[Grizzly]

I buy batteries at Costco. May not be the best batteries, but they are about the lowest price and they have the best warranty.

 

[BHolm]

I second the vote for Odyssey batteries. Unfortunately they are not cheap and have to be mail ordered. On the other hand I expect them to last the 10 year life cycle with ease



IMO Optimas are pure hyped junk. I have tried them in trucks, cars, boats, and my motorhome. I have had a bunch go bad. I learned my lesson. I would buy a regular old Interstate long before another Optima.

 

[jwduke]

According to CU, Interstate is the one to buy.

 

[Rockcrawler]

Any Gel battery is worthy- optima and odyssey are more recognized- sam's (don't know about wal-mart) carries a $100 ish optima lookalike with similar construction- 6 spiral cells looks like a 6 pack.



When I batteries, it's one of the above-only.

 

[Regcabguy]

Optima Junk?

I second the vote for Odyssey batteries. Unfortunately they are not cheap and have to be mail ordered. On the other hand I expect them to last the 10 year life cycle with ease



IMO Optimas are pure hyped junk. I have tried them in trucks, cars, boats, and my motorhome. I have had a bunch go bad. I learned my lesson. I would buy a regular old Interstate long before another Optima.

I had great luck w/my Mopar stock batteries but one thing I noticed: my truck sits for days and sometimes weeks at a time. With the stock Mopars the truck would start fine here in the arctic climate of San Diego, Ca but the wipers would barely move for several seconds and the ampmeter would be way over to the left side forever and gradually recover. Upon installation of the Optimas the same truck under the same conditions(brutal climate here) would start the same, but wipers would respond quickly,headlights would barely dim as the grid heater cycled, and ampmeter was unfazed w/needle barely moving to the left and compensating quickly. I know of a certain DTT installer in the Phoenix area that swears by these batteries as the only ones that work in the desert heat. Stock Mopars last 1-2 years at the most. I guess everybody has a different experience.

 

[BHolm]

Different climates may have an effect. My folks live in Indio, CA and have to replace batteries in cars just like you say, every couple of years at the most.



I installed an Optima red top in my wifes BMW when we lived in northern Minnesota. I think it lasted a month. I got a free replacment and I was just never impressed by how weak it seemed trying to crank that V12 in the cold. I still have a pair of yellow tops in my motorhome. They seem to drain very quickly and take a very long time to recharge. I have fought with them and had to freeze at night because they didn't have the juice to run a blower fan for even one night. The lead acid batteries they replaced were much better. We don't use it enough now to justify another $300 worth of Odyssey's. I had a blue top in my boat, that one failed after one summer too. I honestly think Optima has a great ad campaign, thats about it. Non-spillable is nice but if they don't hold a charge, what good are they? Simply didn't work for me in any application.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Interstate.

 

[jwilliams3]

Jesse,

I can't take my truck to the dealer.

The rattle from the dual disc would shake the walls at the local dealership. :-laf :-laf

 

[rbattelle]

I second the vote for Odyssey batteries. Unfortunately they are not cheap and have to be mail ordered.

Actually, if you have a "Batteries Plus" store near you they carry Odysseys... and at a great price.



-Ryan

 

[Got Smoke?]

Justin whatever you do don't buy Everstart's from Wal-Mart.



I had one (or two?) go bad in my old white truck.

 

[MMeier]

Justin did you leave your lights on :-laf JK but if they really are dead they should be under your factory warranty.

I thought batteries are considered normal maintenance items and as such , are not covered by warranty. Have 97. 4 k on my originals with 2 brand new Optima's waiting to go in.

 

[DPKetchum]

Battery's are covered under the 3/36 warranty

 

[RClark]

For Bajabob. The low VOLTMETER reading right after the start, and slow wipers, is caused by the grid heaters still being on.

 

[Regcabguy]

grid heaters

For Bajabob. The low VOLTMETER reading right after the start, and slow wipers, is caused by the grid heaters still being on.

Yeah,I'm aware of the grid heaters cycling causing slow wipers,dimming headlights,voltmeter readings,etc. My observations were that these symptoms were greatly minimized by the addition of the Optima batteries. It indicates to me that these batteries have greater reserve or resistance to starting or grid heater drawdown than the stock ones. There was a Consumer Reports test of these batteries after I purchased them and they didn't rate that high. I think Sears Diehards were top rated along with a couple of others. I guess if these died tommorow I'd probably replace them with Wallyworlds as these seem to perform well with the guys in cold climates. So far,so good on these and no H2O worries. I just wish Wally would share the wealth with their workers. I always feel guilty entering that place and their admitted goods of 80 percent Chinese content. The owners are cleaning up.

 

[DPKetchum]

"WE" wife and I try to buy nothing from Walmart. We avoid them for the most part and for a number or reasons.