Good replacement battery?

[nutt7]

My duralast gold has been going strong for six years here in phoenix and it has died at least 5 times in that period, but it has always sprung back. I have a feeling it will die soon.

When it does, I plan to get another like it, unless you have better ideas about which batteries are good nowadays. I hear stories of good brands going to crap and was looking for insight to a quality battery.

I have windstar fans that are on with the AC (so quite often) and I have a decent sized amp for my sub. I also have the headlight wire mod and off road lights coming soon. Currently my lights dim with the windstar fans on, but that's probably the alternator. Dual batteries will be planned for future mods (but not yet).

Thanks!

 

[Blue85]

The top of the line Die Hard battery is good. AC Delco professional is pretty good as well. AC Delcos used to rule, but they haven't made any batteries in several years. They were re-stickered Johnson Controls for a while - I don't know who makes them now. Most of the brands are really just JC or Deka batteries.

 

[TerryD]

Have you upgraded your alternator? It should be carrying the load, the battery is just a buffer while the engine is running.

I have really good luck with Advance Auto's Autocraft Gold stuff. I ran one in my Jeep for almost 8 years. It was still kicking strong when I sold the Jeep in February off this year. Our Suburban has two of them in it, my Sierra has one as well. Dad's 50hp Kubota tractor has had one in it for almost 10 years now too. My K5 and Camaro both have the Autocraft Silver batteries in them as well.

 

[diesel4me]

I have two Duralast batteries in my 82 K2500 diesel,that were in it when I got it in 2003,one is a "gold" and one is the regular one..they have only gone dead once or twice and the truck sits idle for weeks too,and the few times I killed them trying to start it in frigid weather hasn't seemed to affect them so far...

The old Die-Hard in my Contour was in it when I got it too,and I suspect its at least 10 years old too,its only had to be recharged twice during the time I let the car sit most of the past 2 years..

Now that I posted this,I'm sure all 3 of them will croak any day now..

Hard to say who "makes" a good battery today,with so few manufactuers actually "making" them,its only a few companies producing them for 100's of retailers with slightly different specs and stickers to put on them..

I think battery prices are insane today...used to be able to buy a good one for 40 or 50 bucks,now they cost 70 for the cheapest POS at most stores...I shop for used ones at junkyards that were just replaced not long ago from wrecks,they still get 25 bucks for one with a core too now though..used to be 15 bucks last year..

Interstate has a distribution warehouse not far from here,I heard they sell "generic" batteries in a plain black case for about 40-50 bucks for customers who cant afford a top of the line genuine one..might have to check that out..also heard they stock ALL kinds of batteries,ones for cordless tools,etc too...not just car & truck batteries..

 

[TerryD]

You have to watch wrecking yard batteries. One that was in an accident generally won't live long. The damage of the impact usually breaks them internally. They might be ok, but I wouldn't gamble on them, replaced too many when I worked at the auto parts store after the owner got them back from the body shop.

 

[evolve991]

I just bought a Duralast Gold myself this spring. I read,and read,about different manufacturers first and found it's just a cheap label on a good battery. After I dropped it in my 'burb it sat for a couple months and when I hit the key it fired after half a crank! I was sure I'd need to charge it but it suprised me.

 

[nutt7]

I haven't upgraded the alternator, but I think it's a 100a. It looks like I will replace the battery with another of the same but I will look into those others too. Hopefully they make one with top posts too.

 

[ryoken]

we run Interstates at the marina...

 

[AV8TER]

I have windstar fans that are on with the AC (so quite often) and I have a decent sized amp for my sub. I also have the headlight wire mod and off road lights coming soon. Currently my lights dim with the windstar fans on, but that's probably the alternator. Dual batteries will be planned for future mods (but not yet).

Thanks!

Where are you getting the power for your amp and fans? A 100 amp alt isn't huge but it's not a whimp either. One very common problem people do when they add items to their electrical system is hook them up to the wrong place. The battery is not the right place to add accesories. Now before you all say I'm full of it, hear me out. The alternator has three wires on it. The big charge lead, an idiot light/exciter lead and a voltage sense wire. The alt will adjust voltage to keep the correct voltage at the point where that sense wire is hooked up. You need to have all your draws hooked to one common point and the charge lead and sense lead hooked to that point also. If you have the stock setup and hook other items to the batt the alt only knows what the voltage is at the stock sense point. It doesn't know what the voltage is at the batt. The more current draw you have thru the wire between your sense wire and the batt the lower the voltage will be at the batt and the alt won't correct for it. Long story short, all electrics need to be hooked to a common point with the alt sense and charge wire there also. On a stock rig this is usually the starter.

 

[nutt7]

Tell me what you think about this: I have an aux maxi fuse/relay box under the hood. All of my accessories run out of it (fans, light mod, 12v supply to cab). I have no wires at the starter except the obvious ones to the starter and its solenoid (heat damage to wire jackets and fusible links). The lead to the fuse box is 2awg. All wires in it/through it are the appropriate size or larger. I noticed that the alt wire to the battery looks like 8awg and I thought about upping that to a 4awg but wasn't sure if it was necessary. At the battery, I have the 2awg to the starter, 2awg to the fuse box, and 4awg to the ford starter solenoid (it only powers the stock solenoid).

Thoughts?

 

[AV8TER]

The only part I don't follow for sure is the ford solenoid. What does it do? 2 awg is good size. Nice choice. I don't know where the stock alt sense wire hooks on your rig. I would hook the sense wire on the Maxi fuse/relay box where all your power draw happens. Then the alt will know what the volts are at that point. With 2 gauge from there to the batt and your charge wire on the batt the voltage at the batt shouldn't be too high. I would check it to make sure. Hook the charge wire and sense wire to Maxi fuse and that would be perfect. 8 gauge from alt is ok. Not too small if the run is short. 4 gauge is better but not needed unless you go bigger alt, or need to change wire to get to Maxi fuse.

 

[ryoken]

they read voltage from the buss bar by the vac booster iirc, so effectively no different than the starter or battery.. it's effectively at the beginning of the DC loop, thus little to no voltage loss..

no DC system should have more than the main pos cable to the battery.... multiple connections at a bat promotes corrosion...

"Ford" solenoids are either used as a way to eliminate weak signal to starter voltage, or better yet, that in conjunction with getting power off the starter lug...

 

[AV8TER]

I guess I should also ask, is the maxi fuse box and all the wire hookups you are talking about stock or parts you've added. If it's all stock you are good pulling power from where GM pulls their power. They set it up correctly from the factory.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Interstate battery and never look back. Also you need to make sure the alternator is large enough for the items that require lots of amps otherwise you'll continue to kill batteries no matter how good of a battery you install.

 

[AV8TER]

Reading voltage at the main buss is the way to do it for sure. It is different than reading at the starter or batt as the more current you draw thru those wires the more voltage drop you have. Thats why OEMs measure at the distribution point. I agree with you that one wire on batt and thats it. Except for winch wires. I suppose you could run a 2/0 wire to a term block and hook truck and winch on that.

 

[diesel4me]

I just bought a Duralast Gold myself this spring. I read,and read,about different manufacturers first and found it's just a cheap label on a good battery. After I dropped it in my 'burb it sat for a couple months and when I hit the key it fired after half a crank! I was sure I'd need to charge it but it suprised me.

I bought a Duralast for my mom's caravan probably 8 years ago now,it did finally go dead a few weeks ago after letting the van sit 2 months without being used and the clock and alarm must have killed it --I recharged it and it fired right up fine though,I bet it still has a lot of life left in it..

The used batteries I buy at junkyards are a gamble,I'll admit..most are just piled up in a heap ,so you dont know if it was in a car that got smashed near the battery ,or in the rear end...and unless you bring your own load tester,all they'll let you use for one is a hunk of 1 gauge cable or a tire iron to short against the terminals,and you judge how "good" it is by the strength of the resulting arc it makes!......
..but they'll give you another one if it proved to be junk withing a week or two,so to me its worth saving 50 bucks buying a used one VS new for my old beaters...especially when I own 2 diesels with two batteries in each truck,thats a lot of cash to blow if you needed to replace all 4 at once....more than my truck cost!...

 

[nutt7]

I guess I should also ask, is the maxi fuse box and all the wire hookups you are talking about stock or parts you've added. If it's all stock you are good pulling power from where GM pulls their power. They set it up correctly from the factory.

It's all added on. I yanked an under-hood fuse box from a mid 90s F150. It is mounted on the passenger fender well.

Interstate battery and never look back. Also you need to make sure the alternator is large enough for the items that require lots of amps otherwise you'll continue to kill batteries no matter how good of a battery you install.

Thanks, I will check those out too...I think the alternator is up to the task...the battery has lasted quite a while.

Reading voltage at the main buss is the way to do it for sure. It is different than reading at the starter or batt as the more current you draw thru those wires the more voltage drop you have. Thats why OEMs measure at the distribution point. I agree with you that one wire on batt and thats it. Except for winch wires. I suppose you could run a 2/0 wire to a term block and hook truck and winch on that.

When adding the fuse box, I believe that I shifted the main distribution point to the fender, since there is a large chunk of current pulling from there. The firewall buss by the brake booster is about 6feet of 8awg wire downstream from the fuse box. It goes BAT->new fuse box (powering new accessories) -> firewall buss. Should I move that wire to the fuse box then?

Thanks ryoken, for helping answer too

 

[AV8TER]

How big is the wire from new fuse to firewall buss?

 

[nutt7]

The used batteries I buy at junkyards are a gamble,I'll admit..most are just piled up in a heap ,so you dont know if it was in a car that got smashed near the battery ,or in the rear end...and unless you bring your own load tester,all they'll let you use for one is a hunk of 1 gauge cable or a tire iron to short against the terminals,and you judge how "good" it is by the strength of the resulting arc it makes!......
..but they'll give you another one if it proved to be junk withing a week or two,so to me its worth saving 50 bucks buying a used one VS new for my old beaters...especially when I own 2 diesels with two batteries in each truck,thats a lot of cash to blow if you needed to replace all 4 at once....more than my truck cost!...

I hear ya! I like to buy new because of the warranty. AZ heat has a tendency to destroy batteries. I have had lots replaced under warranty (or favorably pro-rated) through the years.

 

[AV8TER]

8 awg. I see that now.