Dude - thanks!!!! Just saved me 40 bucks. I got the Gold 850CCA battery (best one they have other than Optimas) for $86 online for in-store pickup and I should get $12 back on the core charge when I take my old one in.

 

One thing i've noticed with dodge batteries (in my experience anyway) is they just go with no warning.

Had an 02 dakota, never a problem starting, one day, no start. Couldnt even jump it. Thankfully i worked at the dealer at the time and i was just leaving work. was only 2 yrs old, maybe 20k miles.

In my current truck, 04 1500, not so lucky. Original battery, maybe 45k miles. Took the boat out a few months back, got back to the ramp, went to get the truck, turn the key and click click click. Couldn't jump that one either. Wife had to drive an hour to the ramp with new battery.

 

Just had the hood up on my truck, my stock battery is a 750 CCA.

 

850 CCA amp battery is part of the tow package.

I have been told that all makes of batteries, Interstate, Dihard ( sears ) ect are made by one company and the maintenance free batterys are the ones to avoid, the old pop of cap style are cheaper and with a bit of old school means of maintenace will last longer.

 

I don't even know what CCA was on the old battery. But the top of the line Advance had, other than the optimas, was 850cca and that should be plenty. I thought I didn't notice any difference in the old battery cranking until I put the new one in today. It was definitely time. Would have cost me around $130 if someone hadn't posted that discount code. Got out for about $83 - love this forum. Threw the store for a loop, though, I am only the 2nd person they've ever had to buy something online for in-store pickup. Only the manager knew how to deal with it.

 

not a plug for advanced or anything, but when I purchased mine there was another guy also buying a battery and said the Advanced Gold series was in consumer reports and rated higher that die Hard and other top competitors.....not sure who make it for them buy ????....YMMV

 

Hmmm, this thread has me thinking about the 5 year old batteries in both my vehicles.

The battery in my 2001 Ram 1500 needed to be replaced before I got my 2005 Powerwagon. So, less than 4 years. That battery was strange when it died. The truck would start but would not stay running, and it was determined to be the battery, and it was.

For the price of a tank of gas, I think a new battery would be cheap insurance.

 

The battery in my 05 went after a year and a half,(Oct. 06) replaced it with an Optima yellow that was 2 years old out of one of my demolition derby cars and it is still going great. On the other hand, I just replaced the stock battery in the neon, only because it was 7 years old and had at that time 219,000 miles on it, and was only putting out 11.8 volts. It was still starting the car, though.

 

as I stated in a prior post...

This is directly off of my window sticker.

 

I still have the factory battery in my 07 with 93,000 on it