beat the dead horse: battery
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Legend
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 8,058
Likes: 183
From: Fort Worth, TX
beat the dead horse: battery
18 days in a row of 100+ i think has finally killed my battery. It's been fine, then all of a sudden, it dragged this morning to go to work. Dragged as in, it clicked, banged the flywheel, dragged around, and finally got spark. Wouldn't idle for sht, had to drive to work in 3rd @ 2500-3000 RPM.
Went to go home, and it just sat there and clicked. I finally got it to spin over enough to get spark and limp it home.
I'm seeing alot of feedback on the duralast golds, right now it has a POS walmart battery stamped September of 2006. Doesn't have any kind of label on it, just the word "walmart" molded into the top, with a round sticker stuck on it for the date.
What group #/size do our trucks take? My choices are O'Reily's, Parts Plus, Auto Zone, and Firestone (Interstate batt dealer). Impartial to OR b/c they support racing, but we've had nothing but sht luck with their batteries. I'm rolling on firestones so that's no problem. Nearest dodge dealer is on other side of arlington, for the mopar battery.
All I've got is a pair of 55W driving lights and a 100W bass amp, but I'm going to be putting HID fogs on along with the driving lamps, here soon. I have a secondary switch flip-flopping the fogs and driving lamps via relays, so the most output I'll have is high beam + 35W HID, or low beam + 35W HID + 55W driving lights. Unless I creatively find a way to power the drivings and fogs both from my override switch
(I'm blind as a bat at night on surface streets...the more light, the better)
Went to go home, and it just sat there and clicked. I finally got it to spin over enough to get spark and limp it home.
I'm seeing alot of feedback on the duralast golds, right now it has a POS walmart battery stamped September of 2006. Doesn't have any kind of label on it, just the word "walmart" molded into the top, with a round sticker stuck on it for the date.
What group #/size do our trucks take? My choices are O'Reily's, Parts Plus, Auto Zone, and Firestone (Interstate batt dealer). Impartial to OR b/c they support racing, but we've had nothing but sht luck with their batteries. I'm rolling on firestones so that's no problem. Nearest dodge dealer is on other side of arlington, for the mopar battery.
All I've got is a pair of 55W driving lights and a 100W bass amp, but I'm going to be putting HID fogs on along with the driving lamps, here soon. I have a secondary switch flip-flopping the fogs and driving lamps via relays, so the most output I'll have is high beam + 35W HID, or low beam + 35W HID + 55W driving lights. Unless I creatively find a way to power the drivings and fogs both from my override switch
(I'm blind as a bat at night on surface streets...the more light, the better)
Last edited by magnethead; Jul 20, 2011 at 11:50 PM.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Clermont, Florida
Firestone/Interstate batteries are the same as the Walmart Everstart battery, and all of those are made by the same batttery manufacturer, Johnson Controls. The only difference between them is the warranty. JCI used to be really good but have kind of gone downhill on some of their batteries in the last few years. JCI also makes the Auto Craft batteries they sell at Advance.
You don't mention Napa or Carquest in your available choices but their batteries are now made by East Penn/Deka, those are a very good battery. For the money and warranty, I personally think nothing beats a Duralast Gold. They are made by JCI too but Autozone specs them to be made to much better and tougher specs and have a lot better, more heavy duty construction than the other JCI-made batteries. 8 years pro-rated warranty and 3 years over the counter exchange, that is about the best warranty I have ever heard of. I am on my second summer of Florida heat with the Duralast Gold in my truck and my gf's car and both are still starting just as quick as the day we bought them. The pos Auto Craft Silver I had before barely lasted 2 years, but the Mopar replacement battery I had before it just happened to fail in the parking lot at an Advance store, so I really had no choice. The Mopar battery was in my truck when I bought it.
I would say stay away from Mopar batteries, those are made by Exide and do not last long at all, especially in the heat. Exide is not good at all. Some O'Reilly batteries are JCI, some are East Penn/Deka. The supplier depends on the part of the country where you live. My own opionion on it is Duralast Gold is about the best battery with the best warranty for a reasonable price.
Just my opinion on it.
Jimmy
You don't mention Napa or Carquest in your available choices but their batteries are now made by East Penn/Deka, those are a very good battery. For the money and warranty, I personally think nothing beats a Duralast Gold. They are made by JCI too but Autozone specs them to be made to much better and tougher specs and have a lot better, more heavy duty construction than the other JCI-made batteries. 8 years pro-rated warranty and 3 years over the counter exchange, that is about the best warranty I have ever heard of. I am on my second summer of Florida heat with the Duralast Gold in my truck and my gf's car and both are still starting just as quick as the day we bought them. The pos Auto Craft Silver I had before barely lasted 2 years, but the Mopar replacement battery I had before it just happened to fail in the parking lot at an Advance store, so I really had no choice. The Mopar battery was in my truck when I bought it.
I would say stay away from Mopar batteries, those are made by Exide and do not last long at all, especially in the heat. Exide is not good at all. Some O'Reilly batteries are JCI, some are East Penn/Deka. The supplier depends on the part of the country where you live. My own opionion on it is Duralast Gold is about the best battery with the best warranty for a reasonable price.
Just my opinion on it.
Jimmy
Thread Starter
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Legend
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 8,058
Likes: 183
From: Fort Worth, TX
Firestone/Interstate batteries are the same as the Walmart Everstart battery, and all of those are made by the same batttery manufacturer, Johnson Controls. The only difference between them is the warranty. JCI used to be really good but have kind of gone downhill on some of their batteries in the last few years. JCI also makes the Auto Craft batteries they sell at Advance.
You don't mention Napa or Carquest in your available choices but their batteries are now made by East Penn/Deka, those are a very good battery. For the money and warranty, I personally think nothing beats a Duralast Gold. They are made by JCI too but Autozone specs them to be made to much better and tougher specs and have a lot better, more heavy duty construction than the other JCI-made batteries. 8 years pro-rated warranty and 3 years over the counter exchange, that is about the best warranty I have ever heard of. I am on my second summer of Florida heat with the Duralast Gold in my truck and my gf's car and both are still starting just as quick as the day we bought them. The pos Auto Craft Silver I had before barely lasted 2 years, but the Mopar replacement battery I had before it just happened to fail in the parking lot at an Advance store, so I really had no choice. The Mopar battery was in my truck when I bought it.
I would say stay away from Mopar batteries, those are made by Exide and do not last long at all, especially in the heat. Exide is not good at all. Some O'Reilly batteries are JCI, some are East Penn/Deka. The supplier depends on the part of the country where you live. My own opionion on it is Duralast Gold is about the best battery with the best warranty for a reasonable price.
Just my opinion on it.
Jimmy
You don't mention Napa or Carquest in your available choices but their batteries are now made by East Penn/Deka, those are a very good battery. For the money and warranty, I personally think nothing beats a Duralast Gold. They are made by JCI too but Autozone specs them to be made to much better and tougher specs and have a lot better, more heavy duty construction than the other JCI-made batteries. 8 years pro-rated warranty and 3 years over the counter exchange, that is about the best warranty I have ever heard of. I am on my second summer of Florida heat with the Duralast Gold in my truck and my gf's car and both are still starting just as quick as the day we bought them. The pos Auto Craft Silver I had before barely lasted 2 years, but the Mopar replacement battery I had before it just happened to fail in the parking lot at an Advance store, so I really had no choice. The Mopar battery was in my truck when I bought it.
I would say stay away from Mopar batteries, those are made by Exide and do not last long at all, especially in the heat. Exide is not good at all. Some O'Reilly batteries are JCI, some are East Penn/Deka. The supplier depends on the part of the country where you live. My own opionion on it is Duralast Gold is about the best battery with the best warranty for a reasonable price.
Just my opinion on it.
Jimmy
If the golds are better than the napa's, then...
Captain
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 595
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From: PA
Funny, My stock mopar has been kicking strong for 7.5 yrs...hot, cold etc. If Exide was thier supplier in 04 that is.. I have a 1000W amp, 2 10" subs, 55W fogs, and who knows. I'm going to be shopping soon, so thanks for the info on Manufacturer vs label...
Duralast gold is a good battery. My buddy just got one for his jeep and I think paid 118.00. I had a gold in my woods beater and my mom has a red in her jeep and I have a red in my cj. Im getting a gold for my truck when my mopar batt dies
Thread Starter
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Legend
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 8,058
Likes: 183
From: Fort Worth, TX
Old battery w as a walmart POS dated 9/06. wouldnt even take a charge off the racecar charger. Put it on for a 10 minute surface charge, it took all 40 amps, and still barely got the truck started. Did the swap in the parking lot, no problemo.
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From: Texas
