Batteries

Deka for cheap AGM + RACECAR weight reduction

>used battery
That was when it was installed

DieHard Platinum until they were discontinued. Haven't needed a battery since then.

Duracell

Panasonic or eneloop

Derp derp derp

I work in a used battery shop and I load test about 100 old batteries a day. Deka batteries are the best. The ones with the flat tops like in OPs pic. They're way overbuilt and crank well even mostly discharged. Every other brand is shit.

Writing in paint pen when it was installed
Do you not have a date for on it? Can you not remember when it was installed?

If you worked in a battery shop you would know a lot of the other brands are Dekas, which are made by East Penn. There's really only 3 battery companies actually making batteries and about 50 different companies putting stickers on them.

I suppose this would be the right place to ask
I could probably do with a new battery because the one I have in it now has been in the car since I bought it a few months ago and there's no indication of how old it is, and I've accidentally stalled twice and a few minutes after starting and then its really struggled to crank over both times

All the batteries I'm seeing on eurocarparts come with at least a 3 year warranty. Can I just use the battery for 2 years and 11 months, and then go to the shop, say it's not working and they hand over a new one?

>Can I just use the battery for 2 years and 11 months, and then go to the shop, say it's not working and they hand over a new one?
They'll test it before they even think about replacing it for you. Obviously.

I do work in a battery shop. Deka is east penn and everybody I've ever worked with just calls them all dekas. By every other brand I just meant jci, delco, and exide.

can someone explain if there's a expensive battery that's also really light weight, but won't sacrifice my ability to start the car or run anything?

i don't mind sacrificing cost of course.

Deka AGM You can buy a Braille battery if you want to spend more money, but it's the same thing with a different label and double the price.

walmart brand usually.

I've bought like gold and platinum and whatever shit from parts stores, never had any luck with those batteries. They're basically shit, but you're paying for the warranty. They know they'll break down, so you get free replacements when they do.

Walmart batteries are at least half the cost of those, and last longer.

Is it possible that an old (from 2008) worn out (been ran completely dead a couple times) battery that still holds enough charge to start the car strong would consume an unreasonable amount of electricity when driving? Like it continues to charge while driving but never holds it so it wastes electricity. I'd like to know if I have to replace my alternator or if it's just the battery.

Have you taken a multimeter to the battery and read the voltages with the engine both off and running?

Oem batteries last the longest, and they're actually about a cheap as most other brands.

The only downside is you got to go to the dealership, and they almost always don't have the battery you need in stock.

The recent walmart batteries that are 50 and 60 dollars are absolute shit. Barely crank what they're rated for. Seriously people, buy the meijer pro cells and the super starts at O'Reilly's.

>would consume an unreasonable amount of electricity
It wouldn't draw anymore than it normally would to charge. But you should probably replace the battery first if you're going to need one either way. Wouldn't hurt to check the voltage either, as per .

>old (from 2008)
I still have the original battery in my '08 Honda and it hasn't given me an issue yet. I'm actually starting to wonder how it still works so well.

oem batteries don't exist. They're the same ones you get at the store with a different sticker.

I don't know about the 50 dollar ones, I only bought one of those for a car I was selling immediatly.

But the everstart maxx ones, are like half the price as any parts store ones, and I've had great luck with those.

I have top brand part store ones and those have been shit for me, and twice as expensive.

I have a voltage gauge in the car.

>not running
~11 volts
>running
~13 volts
>running w/electrical stuff on
~10 volts

Eh, I'd say that the truth is more about how you treat and maintain the battery. Dont let them run low, keep them topped up on water, make sure the charge is ok and all that.

I'm not sure what you consider OEM tho. Take into consideration that a whole lot of the batteries you see around are just different brands with the same manufacturer.

My batteries are currently 13 years old (OEM Toyota) and seem to be just fine, although I'll probably replace them sometime this winter to make sure that they won't shit out on me at the worst time possible

I think those are made by panasonic man.

Hm... what electrical stuff are we talking about here?

lights, wipers, turn signals

It's completely possible your battery is fine but your alternator is going bad. A running alternator with all the accessories on shouldn't drop below 13.3 volts.

With all at the same time, or if its just idling normally with your normal low-beams & rear lights on?

Seems slightly low, which might be killing your battery

Yeah, idling with all those on. Basically when I'm driving at night in the rain and have to wait for a left at a light.

Normal with just lights on - 13ish?

How long has the battery been like this?

>consume an unreasonable amount of electricity when driving?

Sulfated cells can charge, but since the surface is essentially all covered by sulfate, you're not going to get power out of it for any amount of time. A sulfated battery needs to be replaced.

Another type of failure is when one cell shorts out. That can happen in several ways, but the usual is enough debris has vibrated down to the bottom and is touching across the plates. Thus, you have effectively 5 cells instead of the normal 6. With only 5 cells (10.5 volts), that opposes the charging voltage LESS so even more current flows into the battery when charging. Too much charging current can cause outgassing of even AGM cells thus accelerating the demise of the other good cells.

Ausfag Battery Tech here.

American Batteries? Interstate is good stuff, along with anything coming out of East Penn (especially Deka).

Outside of America, Delkor batteries are good gear too.

Avoid Optima's, they were fantastic when they were American made. Ever since they started getting made in Mexico they've turned to shit.

Just lights drop it to 12 now, but the voltage has declined over time. It could also be the voltage regulator, the car has actually got a generator and the old regulator started going to shit, buzzing and cracking with the lights on. I replaced it a couple years ago but they only had the cheaper ones at the parts store, the new one smoked for a few days then worked fine (sources say this is normal with the cheap ones). I should probably do the regulator first, and make sure I get the expensive good one.

Sound's like your Alternator (as you say, the reg on the back of it) is clagged. We typically don't like seeing the voltage below 13.6v and no higher than 14.4v.

Why interstate? Just another Johnson Controls brand.

I like Northstar's batteries. They're private labeled as Odyssey and other brands. Replaced my Johnson Controls made subaru branded battery after it leaked acid and corroded the hell out of my terminals in less than a year. Cost almost $300, but its a well made sealed AGM with brass terminals that will last so w/e.

I'm not partial to Johnson Controls' offerings. Interstate, most dealer batteries ( I can personally confirm that ford, mazda, nissan, honda & subaru all use the same JC battery), auto-zone, advance auto, and more are all the same batteries made by them.

These batteries don't seem to be that well made and leak acid from their vent caps.

The Panasonic flooded cells I see on cars built in japan seem to at least not leak and last a very long time.

I believe the $250 replacement odyssey battery for my car will be an ok investment. It may be twice the price but if it lasts twice as long it's worth it because it exceeds the original battery specs.