Replacement Battery Suggestions

[howards11]

I have a 2000 Forester L. My current battery is a Diehard Silver and it's coming up on 5 years old. With Fall just around the corner I'm thinking of getting a replacement. I'm not having any problems but I want to be prepared for winter. I live in Philadelphia, PA.

 

I think my mechanic carries Interstate. Auto Zone, WalMart, Advance Auto and Sears are nearby.

 

Can I have some suggestions on a replacement?

 

~Howard

[zstalker]

my opinion: have a shop (or even Autozone, Checker, Napa, wherever...) test your battery with a Midtronics-type (inductance) tester. if it shows as "good", just keep it. just because your battery is getting a little older, doesn't mean it's going to go bad, just means they don't warranty it anymore. a battery can last twice that long sometimes. don't waste (up to) $100 (or more) without reason.

~Erik~

[porcupine73]

Odyssey PC1500 drycell works nicely. Optima D34 works too. In either of these cases, the + battery lead needs to extended a couple inches to connect.

[Cougar]

Being proactive on the maintenance is good but before you spend money on a new battery have you asked yourself how the current battery has worked out for you so far. If you haven't had any trouble with it you still may get a few more years of service out of it. One thing you could do is have a load test done on it to see what it shows you. You may find it is still a healthy battery.

 

I like the Sears Gold Series myself and have had great service with it.

[porcupine73]

Consumer reports (depending on whether you like them or not) has battery ratings. Different battery brands sometimes scored differently depending on groups size. I think in general autozone gold batteries were good, napa was rated pretty well....hm..have to find that article again.

 

Yes, load test is easy to do. I got that load tester in my optima pic from Harbor Freight for $10 on sale, it's a 100 Amp tester. You just pop it on there, hold the switch for 10 seconds, and then read the voltage. But the unit gets HOT so be careful. Unforunately the Optima had been sitting for about 2.5 years and failed the load test so had to be replaced.

[Petersubaru]

Odyssey PC1500 drycell works nicely. Optima D34 works too. In either of these cases, the + battery lead needs to extended a couple inches to connect.

off topic question here, but what is that hose going into the oil filler cap??

[porcupine73]

what is that hose going into the oil filler cap?[/Quote]That's the return from my engine oil bypass filter.

[fnlyfnd]

what does that do?

[porcupine73]

Engine oil bypass filters take a small portion of the oil flow and pass it through a separate filter that takes out particles much smaller than the full flow filter. They're very common on diesel trucks. I do it to help with extended oil change intervals.

[beataru]

I would buy an optima or an interstate, Interstates bake a damn fine battery for there technology, Optimas are tuffer but heavier than... uh something heavy? I have never heard of a problem with an interstate or an optima going bad too soon, also MAKE SURE your battery is secured, I am what you would call a "mechanic in training" and I have learned that Battery life can diminish severely if they are not held down well.... thats just my two cents, and thats probably all its worth

[NV Zeno]

I've got a regular "Sears DieHard Weatherhandler" in my wagon, got it in Sept 2001 for $59.99. Never any battery related concerns. Just keep an eye on the water level, and clean it off once in a while.

 

I'd get another just like it if this one ever dies:rolleyes: .

 

I have a new Interstate in my Acura, replaced an Interstate that was about 4 years old with it (Sears was too far away, or i'd have got another DieHard).

 

Just my 2 bucks

[beataru]

aww you out did me by like 1.98

[NoEyeSquareGuy]

I picked up a Bosch Silver battery from Pep Boys this past winter(they were the only one still open at the hour) for ~$86, after core return. 7 year warranty, I believe... should outlast the car.

[howards11]

Thanks to all for their suggestions. I'm going to get my mechanic to test the Diehard Silver. I haven't had any problem with it but I just don't want to get stuck somewhere in the cold during the winter.

 

~Howard

[daehttub2000]

I've learned the hard way a few times (D'oh!....D'oh!....D'oh!) that it doesn't pay to be cheap with batteries. Change them at five years if you live in snow country. My last pennywise/pound-foolish moment cost me an alternator when I tried to nurse along a 5-year old subaru brand battery. Alternators are a lot more expensive than batteries. D'oh!

 

Go with the Consumer Reports recommended brand and don't buy the no-name cheapos that don't show up in the Consumer Report tests. Trust me. I've learned the hard way.

[porcupine73]

Another possibility is carrying a spare battery with you. When I start to worry that my battery might let me down, I buy the new battery and carry it in the vehicle as a spare. If you get a sealed type battery such as the Optima or a drycell such as the Odyssey there is no risk of leakage. Of course the battery must be secured in the vehicle since you don't want it coming to visit you in an accident.

 

However, load test the battery when you get it to make sure it's good. The Optima I carried as a spare for 2.5 years then failed the load test and the cell under the ground terminal gets hot. It could have been bad when I got it, but since I didn't test it I don't know and of course now the warranty is up.

[beataru]

I know that In down here in Az most Wet cell batteries dont handle the heat well, they generally last about 3 years, 5 if your extreemly lucky.

[avk]

Delco batteries are very good, or at least they were before the Johnson Controls acquisition (the current maker of DieHard btw). Something did change, because they no longer have their green "eye". The one I have will be 7 y.o. in October, and is still going strong and completely dry on the outside.

Besides GM, they are OE on US-made Honda/Acura, under Delphi name.

A DieHard Silver in another vehicle, date coded 2004, is seeping from under the covers and the positive post.

I'll probably replace it with an AGM battery.

[OB99W]

Delco batteries are very good, or at least they were before the Johnson Controls acquisition (the current maker of DieHard btw). [...]Besides GM, they are OE on US-made Honda/Acura, under Delphi name.

[...]

It's hard to not buy a battery made by Johnson Controls. The Optima, for example: http://www2.johnsoncontrols.com/bg/products_brands.htm

 

You can choose from brands at autobatteries.com ... : http://www.autobatteries.com/brands/index.asp

... but it's not exactly an unbiased source of information: http://www.autobatteries.com/about/index.asp

[OB99W]

Automotive wet-cell batteries don't do well when stored. Even if no load is attached to them, they self-discharge over time, and undergo a process known as "sulfation" (check Google for more info on that). The batteries that have lasted the longest in my experience are those which are fresh, so learning how to read date codes can help.

 

I've also found that "mid-line" batteries tend to do better, on average. Cheap batteries are, well, just cheap. High-end batteries will usually provide lots of reserve, but that's gotten by packing in more plate material (for the same "group" size); the problem with that is the higher density makes it more likely that a shorted cell will develop (again, in my experience).

 

If you want an automotive battery to have a chance at a long life, make sure it doesn't get over-charged, don't let it get highly discharged (car batteries aren't "deep-cycle" type), don't leave it in a discharged state, keep the electrolyte level up if it's not a sealed type, fasten properly to minimize vibration (as already mentioned), etc. I've had several mid-line batteries last 12-13 years, but they were treated well. I've also seen high-end ones die in as little as 1-2 years when ignored.

[beataru]

Automotive wet-cell batteries don't do well when stored. Even if no load is attached to them, they self-discharge over time, and undergo a process known as "sulfation" (QUOTE]

Yeah, Thats why way back when, when you bought a battery they filled it with a pre mix of acid and water when you bought it.

[avk]

It's hard to not buy a battery made by Johnson Controls.

I know, and the Autobatteries site is theirs.

Besides Exide, whose Orbital battery should be noted, one other independent manufacturer is EastPenn.

Their Deka batteries are sold to repair shops but they also make them for the CarQuest chain.

[OB99W]

I know, and the Autobatteries site is theirs.[...]

Yes, that was my point and why I previously gave those links, including the last one: http://www.autobatteries.com/about/index.asp

 

In case there's any confusion:

1) The "flaming" is not meant for avk, but for Johnson Controls and their autobatteries.com "Consumer Power Resource" tag line.

2) I'm not questioning the quality of Johnson Controls batteries, just noting that the "Consumer" doesn't really have as much choice as there might appear to be.

[porcupine73]

Here's the Odyssey web site in case there's any interest http://www.odysseybatteries.com/ Says they use "Absorbent glass mat (AGM) technology", not sure what that means.

 

The largest odyssey that will fit the Subaru is the PC1500T (with extending + cable a few inches). It's a group 34. SummitRacing has the PC1500DT, it has both side and top posts. Don't need the side posts for Subaru of course.

[avk]

Does size 34 fit the factory tray, and the cables reach? It sure will fit height-wise, because it's lower than stock. If it does fit, it's great news, because 34 AGM "Intimidator" battery is available from EastPenn, and Autobarn sells it for $120, with only $10 shipping (shipping is free with orders over $125 so you might want to get wiper blades or something). Remy Batteries (a popular source for Optimas) has the same battery at a lower price but with higher shipping. The reason I know is because 34 is the size for my minivan. There are fewer choices with the stock 35, maybe it's not considered a heavy-duty application.