Replacing Car Battery..Open to Suggestions - Page 2

JohnnyDaJackal · 07-25-07, 07:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by truzoom

Good choice on the battery, Johnny. So many batteries are made by a few select companies (Uh-oh! Rebadging alert!), so your advantage is in the warranty offered by the retailer. Johnson Controls makes some great batteries that don't seem to be prone to leaking or cells going bad; at least in comparison to Exides.

If you haven't already, you may want to keep the battery post clamps clean and then cover the posts in vaseline when you're done. It's messy, but it keeps the nasty corrosion buildup away.

I bought this clear cream stuff at Autozone that's suppose to prevent corrosion and dabbed it on the clamps and terminals before installing the new one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottwax

The AutoZone gold batteries are excellent. I got 4 1/2 years out of the last one, typically I get 3 years max down here in Texas. Had enough reserve I was able to drive 32 miles home one day after my crank pulley came apart and there was no way to use the alternator belt. I still had 11 volts when I got home and my car still started!

Scott,
Before I bought this battery I did a little shopping around at all the major auto parts stores in my area. The Duralast Gold I *believe* is the same exact battery as the Kirkland Signature battery. I read somewhere that Johnson Controls makes both batteries; and the specs where identical; (625CA, 500CCA, 3 year free replacement warranty) so I bought the Kirkland since it was $30 cheaper.

SpoiledMan · 07-25-07, 07:22

Just to add, you can't go wrong with the Costco batteries. The price/product is just unbeatable.

mikebai1990 · 07-25-07, 09:31

Thanks for this thread, OP

I'll probably be replacing my batteries soon, and I had been looking for suitable/reliable brands

I have one question. We currently have an ACDelco battery in our Acura. Do you guys know if the battery "eye" is accurate? Supposedly if the battery's in good shape it's green, and if not it's black. Currently it looks to be black to me. Is this a definite that the battery should be replaced? Or should I take it to a nearby Autozone and have them check it?

JohnnyDaJackal · 07-25-07, 02:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

Thanks for this thread, OP

I'll probably be replacing my batteries soon, and I had been looking for suitable/reliable brands

I have one question. We currently have an ACDelco battery in our Acura. Do you guys know if the battery "eye" is accurate? Supposedly if the battery's in good shape it's green, and if not it's black. Currently it looks to be black to me. Is this a definite that the battery should be replaced? Or should I take it to a nearby Autozone and have them check it?

I believe the eye is a gauge of water levels? I could be wrong though. If your unsure just get it tested at Autozone it is free.

truzoom · 07-25-07, 02:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

Thanks for this thread, OP

I'll probably be replacing my batteries soon, and I had been looking for suitable/reliable brands

I have one question. We currently have an ACDelco battery in our Acura. Do you guys know if the battery "eye" is accurate? Supposedly if the battery's in good shape it's green, and if not it's black. Currently it looks to be black to me. Is this a definite that the battery should be replaced? Or should I take it to a nearby Autozone and have them check it?

The eye is a hydrometer for that specific cell, and it should be accurate since it's just a few different colored balls that float depending on the specific gravity of the electrolyte.

If it is black, then chances are you should go ahead and replace the battery, but there are exceptions. Since the specific gravity of the battery's electrolyte correlates to the charge level, you either have a uncharged battery, a dead battery, or a dead cell (the one with the eye).

If by some odd chance your AC Delco battery has an eye and removable vent caps, you can pop the caps and hydrometer each cell. Otherwise, it's off to AutoZone or I'd recommend you go to a battery store since the help will be more knowledgeable. Have them do a load test to match your battery's CCA, then if they have the tools, do a computer check on the battery and also test your alternator.

(If you own a multimeter you can actually do some of this at home-- with your car turned off, put the multimeter's leads on each battery terminal and it should read at least 12.66V; anything lower is near-complete discharge. Turn on your car and then check the battery again with the multimeter. This time it should read anywhere between 13V to 16V; if it still shows whatever voltage when the car wasn't on, then you either have a dead alternator or an electrical problem.)

Setec Astronomy · 07-25-07, 03:26

IIRC those hydrometer eyes are a bit hard to see green in the shadows under the hood, shine a flashlight in there to be sure it's "black" before you jump to any conclusions.

Good info there, truzoom!

mikebai1990 · 07-26-07, 02:47

Thanks for the tips, guys. truzoom, lotsa good info! I actually do have a multimeter, so I'll check it out. The engine is still cranking, but it seems to take a long time (~3 seconds) to get the car finally started.

edit: Well, I checked it out with my multimeter. I shined a flashlight in there per Setec's tip, and it was actually green, not black. However, when I measured the voltage (engine off) it measured 12.53 V or something. Once I started the engine, it read 15.6 V. Whaddya guys think? Replace or no?

Black240SX · 07-26-07, 03:25

12.53 volts might be ok; the fully-charged voltage varies a bit depending on the lead alloy used in the battery.

When you are starting your engine, does it turn over normally or does it sound sluggish?

truzoom · 07-26-07, 04:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

Thanks for the tips, guys. truzoom, lotsa good info! I actually do have a multimeter, so I'll check it out. The engine is still cranking, but it seems to take a long time (~3 seconds) to get the car finally started.

edit: Well, I checked it out with my multimeter. I shined a flashlight in there per Setec's tip, and it was actually green, not black. However, when I measured the voltage (engine off) it measured 12.53 V or something. Once I started the engine, it read 15.6 V. Whaddya guys think? Replace or no?

Got any plans to drive really far sometime soon? J/K.

12.53 seems to be low, but take into consideration what Black 240SX said. If you have a spare 12v float charger, you could put that onto your battery one night. I'd still go get the battery load tested so that you know it'll have enough oomph to get you around.

mikebai1990 · 07-27-07, 07:49

Thanks for replies again. I asked my dad, and he completely disregarded my suggestion, saying that I have no idea when a battery is really out of "oomph" and that the battery was fine, and all that... He kept telling me that a battery doesn't need to replaced until the engine doesn't start.... ?!?! That's a pretty dangerous choice to make, don't you guys think? Why wait until your battery's completely dead? Also, I think it will only get worse in the winter, right?

The engine does seem to take a somewhat abnormally long time to start, as I pointed out earlier, approximately 2-2.5 seconds. I'm comparing this to our new 2005 Mazda, which starts in .5-1 second. Does the cranking time depend on anything other than the battery? Maybe it's just because the car is old, and naturally takes longer to get started (it's a 1993 Acura)

Pardon my lack of knowledge, truzoom, what does it mean to have the battery load tested? Also, if I take it to somewhere like Autozone, is it free?

truzoom · 07-27-07, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

Thanks for replies again. I asked my dad, and he completely disregarded my suggestion, saying that I have no idea when a battery is really out of "oomph" and that the battery was fine, and all that... He kept telling me that a battery doesn't need to replaced until the engine doesn't start.... ?!?! That's a pretty dangerous choice to make, don't you guys think? Why wait until your battery's completely dead? Also, I think it will only get worse in the winter, right?

The engine does seem to take a somewhat abnormally long time to start, as I pointed out earlier, approximately 2-2.5 seconds. I'm comparing this to our new 2005 Mazda, which starts in .5-1 second. Does the cranking time depend on anything other than the battery? Maybe it's just because the car is old, and naturally takes longer to get started (it's a 1993 Acura)

Pardon my lack of knowledge, truzoom, what does it mean to have the battery load tested? Also, if I take it to somewhere like Autozone, is it free?

Batteries are unpredictable. You can gauge one to see where it stands between "no voltage" and "great voltage", but cells can fail, electrolyte can evaporate out, straps can break. My OEM battery was lasting me nearly into 5 years in HOT OK summers, but I switched it out for a larger new one once I started to notice my engine not starting up as smooth.

A load test for a battery will essentially put an amperage load onto a battery. This will determine that it has the capacity to start up an engine and it will help determine if the battery has any serious issues. Typically you want to load a battery to a cranking amps rating double its listed CCA, at which point it should hold steady above 10 volts. I really don't know if Autozone has load testers, although I'd assume they do.

hXc drummer23 · 07-27-07, 12:33

I recommend the Optima yellow or red top's.