Need To Buy Batteries. (Gasp)

[GrantP]

6 month free replacement on Costco batteries if used for commercial vehicles or diesel applications. Pro rated replacement looks meager too. I guess you can just bring them in and not tell them.

Well, Here's the warranty. Diesels in a car or pickup are ok.

"If a passenger car battery is used in a commercial vehicle, diesel vehicle (not including passenger automobiles and pickups), truck with a carrying capacity of more than one ton.....the limited warranty is reduced to a free-replacement period of six months and a pro rata limited warranty period of one half the indicated life for that battery."

What doesn't make sense is the "truck with a capacity of more than one ton" part. That would include the majority of full size pickups on the road. They must have a different definition of a "truck" vs. a "pickup" but it isn't stated anywhere. I'm not losing sleep over it.

 

[EDankievitch]

Just an update on my battery situation. Rock auto made good on the warranty. A bit of a pain to not be able to talk with a real person you have to do everything by email and they don’t offer much in communication options. But they did ship and honor warranty.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I think Costco is 3 year free replacement, no pro rating.

 

[Tuesdak]

My current pair, the Batteries-Plus X-Treme 950 CCA house brand AGM are now just under 6 years old. By Arizona desert standards, they are antiques.

Looking up this battery it's a relabeled Northstar AGM battery. Northstar was bought out by EnerSys in 2019. So you are (now) getting an Odyssey battery. Maybe just get the Odyssey brand label. Extreme if you can get it.

Edit : Check warranty as Batteries-Plus appear to offer a 5 year warranty, or did in the past.

 

[Regcabguy]

Well, Here's the warranty. Diesels in a car or pickup are ok.

"If a passenger car battery is used in a commercial vehicle, diesel vehicle (not including passenger automobiles and pickups), truck with a carrying capacity of more than one ton.....the limited warranty is reduced to a free-replacement period of six months and a pro rata limited warranty period of one half the indicated life for that battery."

What doesn't make sense is the "truck with a capacity of more than one ton" part. That would include the majority of full size pickups on the road. They must have a different definition of a "truck" vs. a "pickup" but it isn't stated anywhere. I'm not losing sleep over it.

Thanks.

 

[pdfiddler]

Truck is considered cab & chassis

 

[Diesel Gunner]

I have Diehard Platinum AGM Batteries in my truck that I bought in 2009. They are still cranking, but I believe that I am running on luck. I have searched high and low for the P2 model which is what I have and apparently they are not made any more. Does anyone have any recommendations on an equivalent or better battery? 930 CCA @ 0 degrees, 135 MIN RC

I tend to get far away from cell service and paved roads. Not really interested in going backwards and am not tooo concerned with price within reason.

 

[Matt42]

930 CCA is high requirement, but I understand your reasons. All I am finding are the Northstar Group 27 with 950 CCA. It's here on Amazon, but the vendors don't get good reviews. It's also available in a Odyssey with 950 CCA in Group 65, also on Amazon. Expect to pay $360 and up, each. Using Group 65 batteries instead of a 27s requires modifying the battery boxes and new hold-downs. I was able to do so with only minor aggravation. I bought lesser batteries at a lesser price.

I like to buy batteries locally when I can. When things go south, I have a face I can argue with.

 

[Tuesdak]

Northstar is now just a relabled Odyssey as Enersys owns both and supposedly changed Northstar over to the Odyssey designs/technology. I purchased the Performance Odyssey at Batteries Plus because they extend the warranty on them to 5 years. They do not make an Extreme version for my 2018. The were in short supply and some just arrived on the truck and were being unloaded when I got them in the Spring. Knowing AZ I likely will use the Warranty unless they last like @Matt42 did. They at least made it through the summer here so far.

I have searched high and low for the P2 model which is what I have and apparently they are not made any more. Does anyone have any recommendations on an equivalent or better battery? 930 CCA @ 0 degrees, 135 MIN RC

The P2 was a Odyssey relabel. I suggest the Extreme is near the same spec with same CCA and a longer RC.

https://www.odysseybattery.com/products/odx-agm27m-battery-nsb-agm27m/

The Performance version has less CCA and RC.

ODP-AGM27
https://www.odysseybattery.com/products/odp-agm27m-battery-27m-850/

 

[Joe Mc]

Without reading the entire thread, I'll share my batteries experience since ownership 05/01 (truck build date 11/98). Stockers replaced fall 04 with Wallymart Maxx Starts, 2010 2nd set, 2016 3rd set, so looks like I'll be due for 4th set next fall. I used to plug it in during winter months, but for the last 10 years or so I haven't. BTW couldn't believe when I purchased the last set the price more than doubled from prior - $52 each 2010, 2016 $114 each.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Cosco. Every 5 years. Trickle charge 1.5 amp battery tender if not driving everyday High priced battery’s are a waste of money. My 2 cents

 

[Regcabguy]

Cosco. Every 5 years. Trickle charge 1.5 amp battery tender if not driving everyday High priced battery’s are a waste of money. My 2 cents

I spoke to a Ford Powerstroke owner. His truck kills batteries every two years driving city 90% of the time. He just returns them for new ones every two years at Costco.

 

[Diesel Gunner]

Well, Thanks for the replies, all. I understand both sides of the thinking on buying less expensive and using warranties and buying more expensive and "hopefully" getting the longevity along with the piece of mind of knowing that the truck will start when I am along way from help and its just my wife and I. As I said, I have 13 years on the Diehard Platinum AGM batteries. They still start the truck easily, but I have noticed that the voltmeter comes back up to 14v slower now than it used to and we are headed into the cooler months. We also like to camp in the cold weather and the truck could go for a week at a time in the teens with getting started

 

[nutter3]

I got 16 years out of a set of yellowtop optimas in Alaska in my 2000 cummins. I just replaced them with the Batteries plus Northstar rebrand. Hoping to get 16 more years.

 

[Matt42]

I got 16 years out of a set of yellowtop optimas in Alaska in my 2000 cummins. I just replaced them with the Batteries plus Northstar rebrand. Hoping to get 16 more years.

I used to get really good service from Optima batteries. Until they moved their manufacturing to Mexico. Yours may be old enough to be made in Colorado. Add to that the cold temperatures, you did well. Here, the heat. Well, the heat.

I had a colleague with a 1997 Cummins that had lived in Tonopah, Nevada, Phoenix and Anchorage. When asked which he preferred, he replied that all things considered, he preferred the climate in La Paz, Bolivia.

 

[Diesel Gunner]

Well, the X2's are in today. Label on them says that they are manufactured here in the USA. I will see if they are as durable as the Diehard Platinum's that I took out that are 13 years old. They are taller and damn if they ain't heavier! Or, am I getting older?

 

[Matt42]

Well, the X2's are in today. Label on them says that they are manufactured here in the USA. I will see if they are as durable as the Diehard Platinum's that I took out that are 13 years old. They are taller and damn if they ain't heavier! Or, am I getting older?

I hope they work for you. Taller and heavier? I noticed that also, probably for the same reasons. In Group 27, they're listed at $360 each at the local Batteries Plus. That's what I was replacing. I got six years out of a mismatched pair. That was pretty decent, really.