Batteries dead again...

[diesel4me]

I wont argue the "value" batteries may well suck,but at least Walmart offers a 1 year warranty vs 90 days for the cheapest bnatteries at all the other parts stores around here...and they want $80 for one vs $49..

Its unknown who makes Walmart's "Ever-Starts" now,it used to be Johnson Controls,but I've read they were bought out by some Canadian company,now supposedly Exide or Eastern Penn (who also makes Dekka),is supplying their batteries,or some of them at least--the marine ones supposedly are Exide's.

Doesn't really matter because all those companies can make batteries to whatever specs the retailer wants--a Die Hard may get better insulators & lead,while the "economy" batteries may get recycled lead and insulators with a shorter life span..even Interstate batteries have lots of poor reviews lately,and Johnson Controls used to make them too..

The weight of a battery is a good crude indicator of how powerful it'll be--I can remember picking up a cheap battery and a 5 year battery at work when stocking shelves,and the cheap ones were much lighter than the others with the longer warranty....the batteries I got the other day weigh nearly 35 lbs each,compareable to most of all the other brands..

 

[diesel4me]

Welp.I guess I'll be playing "metal fab" all day tomorrow..
Spent 2-1/2 hours this afternoon on the truck,after it fired up,stalled,and failed to re-start with only the one Interstate battery in it..fudged me plans to pay my Verizon bill and see a friend..

It snowed 4" here yesterday,heavy wet gloppy crap,all the trees and wires were plastered and bent over--one large branch snapped off a maple where I usually park,it would have busted my windshield if I hadn't parked the truck further back near the garage Thursday!..

Went to install the new batteries,and the passenger side battery tray,which I had patched previously maybe 2 years ago,has the patch completely rotted away,I was able to remove it with my fingers..could not believe how rotted it was,and there isn't much left of the tray part,the braces are still there,but the inner fenders on this truck are mostly made of galvanized sheet metal patches...

I need to get this done tomorrow while it is supposed to be 50 out,rain is coming in around 3 pm and monday winds up to 50 mph with rain is expected.....