Battery Replacement

T_Hase89

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Now that cold weather has struck, I noticed my battery is really struggling to crank the jeep over versus warmer days. Looks like some random Walmart brand was put on this jeep is the PO life. What y’all recommend? Don’t want optima, too many friends have tried and have issues with their quality now a days. Looked at this, but it’s probably overkill for only having a winch that sees very rare use. Not opposed to spending the money but if something is as good for half the price, why not.

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Well for what it's worth, when I bought my Jeep the PO had an Interstate Megatron 2 in it. Life expectancy for a battery what? 5-7 years? This thing was still going strong over 10 years later. I replaced it for piece of mind. I wanted to put another one in but I couldn't find it in my area.
 
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Bought an Optima when they were a newer brand. Must be 20+ years ago. It got welded to the hood of a CJ-5 because I didn't bother to strap it down. Has been in a half dozen different vehicles and now is in my smaller diesel tractor. Still cranks every time even after glowplugs.
So I had bought 3 more in the 10 year to 5 year ago timeframes. They have all had easy lives, yet all have had to be replaced years ago. Seems the company was bought out and went from pure virgin lead to some sort of recycled scrap formula. Yet the price still goes up every year.
Wouldn't recommend them to anyone. Odyssey is (supposedly) a top performer still. Interstate is another that is still highly recommended. Sears sold off their Craftsman brand long ago too.
So either one I suggested or a cheap Walmart (which I bought one in a pinch and have had zero problems with in over 5 years) is where I'd put my money. Do a good look over of the battery cables while you are there. They are a leading cause of battery and starting problems.
 
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Superstart at Orielly's. Its a Deka brand, AGM size 34. I want to say I paid $190 for it. Has top posts and the front side has a spot for side terminals. 800 CCA. Its been great for me the last 4 years with a winch on for maybe 2 years.
 
I’m running a Champion from PepBoys. They usually have good deals on batteries. Champion batteries are 25% off right now. A new 850cca cost me $105 after returning my core, 3yr warranty.
 
I had a due hard platinum for years, but there weren't any Sears still open close by when I replaced it a few years back. That was a great battery.

Now I just have a Duralast gold in there. Don't have any complaints with it.
 
From a previous battery thread discussing AGM batteries:

A quick Google search revealed this:

"East Penn makes a lot of conventional, calcium AGM batteries. At Auto Zone, the DuraLast Platinum is a calcium AGM, while the DuraLast Gold is a flooded, maintenance-free battery. At NAPA, the Legend is a calcium AGM. At O’Reilly, the Super Start Platinum is a calcium AGM."

The article from which the text is quoted has a great discussion of the different types of AGM batteries and their application to police vehicle use. It also explains the differences between "thick plate calcium AGM batteries" such as the offerings by East Penn, and "thin plate pure lead AGM's" which include Northstar, Odyssey and Optima. The article concludes:

"Both the calcium AGM and the pure lead AGM crank longer and are more tolerant of deep cycle drains than OE maintenance-free batteries. That said, there is a performance difference among these two types of AGM battery. Since the thinner plates in the pure lead AGM have more surface area contact than the thicker plates in the calcium AGM, they are more efficient during both discharging and recharging. The calcium AGM is 'better' while the pure lead AGM is 'best.'"

See: http://www.hendonpub.com/law_and_order/articles/2015/04/agm_battery_technology

It appears from the article that in the hierarchy of AGM's the Napa Legend is better than a flooded lead acid battery but not in the same category as a pure lead AGM battery such as Northstar, Odyssey and Optima. It also explains the substantial price difference between the East Penn offerings and those of the other AGM manufacturers.


If you are looking for a conventional flooded lead acid battery it is hard to beat the 800 CCA Interstate Group 34 battery from Costco (Item # 850241). It is exactly the same as the Interstate MTP-34 but costs substantially less and is covered by a Costco 42 month "no questions asked" full replacement warranty.
 
I would go with Interstate if money is not an issue.
Duralast from Autozone is good too.
Almost all batteries in the US are made by either Johnson Controls or Exide, of which a JCI is much better than exide!
 
If you can afford the Odyssey, you won't regret its purchase. I definitely would not purchase a store brand. My previous battery was made by Odyssey and it lasted over ten years of hard use and winching.
 
I have a Bosch AGM in both my Jeep and Magnum. Under $200 from Pep Boys online, but you can pick them up from a store after ordering it, and both have been outstanding batteries. I've had my Jeep sit for well over a month at a time, and it fires right up as if I had started it the day before. I forgot to add that the one in the Jeep is easily 4 years old now, if not older, and still performs like new.

I just checked Pep Boys and don't see it any more. They have this Champion AGM, but I don't know about it.

https://www.pepboys.com/champion-agm-battery/product/2071624?tab=tab4
 
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I would go with Interstate if money is not an issue.
Duralast from Autozone is good too.
Almost all batteries in the US are made by either Johnson Controls or Exide, of which a JCI is much better than exide!
Johnson Controls means nothing positive to me. They bought Optima Batteries and moved their entire manufacturing line to Mexico. It wasn't long after that their reputation started tanking due to the Mexican batteries failing prematurely due to them going to a less pure lead from what an Optima distributor told me. I had three Optima batteries in a row fail prematurely. And AutoZone's store brand Duralast? I wouldn't touch anything with Dualast's name on it.
 
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Johnson Controls means nothing positive to me. They bought Optima Batteries and moved their entire manufacturing line to Mexico. It wasn't long after that their reputation started tanking due to the Mexican batteries failing prematurely due to them going to a less pure lead from what an Optima distributor told me. I had three Optima batteries in a row fail prematurely. And AutoZone's store brand Duralast? I wouldn't touch anything with Dualast's name on it.
They used to be the best in the market. I didn't know the details about Optima and moving to Mexico.
It's hard to keep up with brands in general nowadays with everyone buying everyone else. You dont know who owns what and where they are made anymore.
 
Pick up a Group 24 instead of a 34 if the price difference is small. The Group 24 has moderately more capacity and has the same footprint as a 34, except it is an inch taller. A group 65 might also fit, but a 65 is usually slightly smaller than a 24 and may interfere with A/C plumbing.
 
I never worried about a larger capacity battery than a Group 34, that size was always more than enough even for lots of winching. I even winched my TJ off the trail on the battery alone several times when I couldn't start the engine. No jump start was needed afterward. 😊
 
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Johnson Controls means nothing positive to me. They bought Optima Batteries and moved their entire manufacturing line to Mexico. It wasn't long after that their reputation started tanking due to the Mexican batteries failing prematurely due to them going to a less pure lead from what an Optima distributor told me. I had three Optima batteries in a row fail prematurely. And AutoZone's store brand Duralast? I wouldn't touch anything with Dualast's name on it.

Johnson Controls sold the battery(power solutions) division around this time last year. New company is Clarios I think.

I’ve always bought mid tier battery from advanced or O’reilly.
 
From Forbes, dated 11/28/18:

Earlier this month [October 29, 2018], Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) announced an agreement to sell its Power Solutions business to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. in a cash transaction valued at $13.2 billion, expected to close in June 2019. . . The sale seems to be the final step in the company’s plans to become a pure-play building technologies and solutions provider, following the spin-off of its automotive interiors unit in 2015, its seating division in 2016, the sale of its safety equipment business to 3M last year, and the merger with Tyco in 2016. . . .

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greats...ntrols-power-solutions-business/#4cf19e8e37c1