thatmr2guy

iTrader: (5)

I hit the search button... Battery is just to generic of a term for it to be effective. But sorry if I didn't find the best thread (please let me know)

As many of our cars our now over 5 years old the OEM batteries have hit their born on date.

I am looking for the perfect battery for my car. Here are my personal preferences:

1) Winter Starting/driving - no mini battery solutions
2) Fit - within reason the battery must fit the car within minimal modification
3) Weight - battery weights for group 26 - 35 range from 26-41lbs. A lighter option is nice
4) No heavy stereo or power requirements needed
5) the car is raced (autox, road race) no off road, no demolition derby so most batteries should be able to handle the vibration
6) Cost - Its a battery, not the Mona lisa.

TIA

bigben

iTrader: (4)

My 2 recommendations would be either the Optima red top or the Interstate MT-35

thatmr2guy

iTrader: (5)

Thanks, went out and picked up the red top. Advance Auto parts had 15% and another 25 dollar coupon so it was a decent deal. Looks and fits nice.

Blue Evo 8

iTrader: (40)

I highly recommend the Sears Die hard Platinum battery because its has the highest CCA rating that I could find, two, it has the longest reserve time of 100 minutes, three - its recommended for cars that are driven in extreme cold climates, or for cars that are parked for most of the week.

Being that my car only gets driven once a week, this battery fit my needs the best. The only cons I can find about this battery is weight 40+ lbs., and cost (about $200+), but you get what you pay for, and I am happy with my purchase.

MaLo EvoVIII

iTrader: (2)

Hey buddy. I just wanted to give you some advice.

Take advantage of the warranty on this battery. I am pretty sure the red tops come with a three year free replacement warranty and Advance honors that warranty.

However, you NEED to photocopy the receipt. The receipts used by Advance are thermal prints and these things fade away easily. You may think this unnecessary because the cashier asked you for your telephone number and address when you purchased the battery so that you have a history of this purchase saved on the computers. That would be pretty cool but there are two problems with that. First off, Advance does not have an interconnected network. What i mean to say is that what you purchased at one store does not show up at another. If you were to get stranded somewhere not near home because the battery failed and you managed to find a nearby Advance it would be a hassle, unless you have the receipt (that is probably all faded because it was not photocopied). If you have no receipt then the Advance worker has to find out where you originally purchased the battery and call the store, provide your telephone number and name so that they can look up your purchase history. Hopefully, they did not take your name or phone number down incorrectly. By the way, the employees sometimes are too lazy to call the other stores and will simply tell you that you have to go back where you originally purchased the battery. This is partially due to the fact that some employees happen to be douche bags and/or are not paid very well (meaning bad customer service).

Finally, i just wanted to mention that Advance does not keep any purchases saved on their system after three years. That means that if you have a prorated warranty on this battery after the free replacement period (2-3 years) and you lose the receipt you are screwed. The same applies to parts that have limited lifetime warranties that you may purchase at Advance (starters, alternators,...etc).

I hope that after you read this you photocopy your receipt.

Bobster22388

iTrader: (13)

Most of this is true. But if you don't have the receipt for a battery that is pro-rated, at Napa where I work we will just go off of the manufactured date on the side of the battery. So it isn't that big of a deal if you don't have the receipt, you just loose out on a couple months of the warranty.

dastallion951

well im personally runnin an optima redtop, i ran mini battery before didnt work well with system in trunk haha, so when i swapped my battery to trunk i went one group size bigger, due to more wiring needed to run battery in trunk, but go optima since there dry cell, no worry about battery acid leakage.

Rookie05r1

iTrader: (1)

True, the thermal paper wears out easily, I work at autzone and for any of the warranty items we sell, we put them in the system by phone number. So in the case you lose the reciept, we can look up your name and product in the computers. Also works on warranty returns, people lose the reciept, i look up the number and bam simple return, happy customer, and i dont have someone nagging me about how they want there money back

boostedmkiii

iTrader: (3)

True about Advance, I have worked there for years. Depending on where you are and who you talk to, they will be willing to help you out.

Back on topic... If you DD your car, I would NOT buy an Optima. Regardless of what you may hear/read, they do not hold up to DD conditions. Every single red top I have seen walk out our doors for DD has come back defective.

Also, nearly every single automotive battery is made by only three (3) manufacturers: Johnson Controls, Delphi, and Exide. Sure, some brands may have unique characteristics, but they are most insignificant.

So, you will be all set with pretty much anything. I just wouldn't buy any "economy" batteries or anything with less than a 2-year warranty.

thatmr2guy

iTrader: (5)

Uh-oh. Well looks like I am in for it . I am photo copying the reciept. The battery I got was 'fresh' someone had ordered it in March and No showed them. So maybe that will help. I don't know. Crossing my fingers that it will hold up for the warranty on my car.

Thanks for all the tips.

boostedmkiii

iTrader: (3)

lol. Who knows, maybe you got a golden red top that will work fine. If it were to go bad (within 3 years) you can just take it back and either swap it out or get a regular battery and pocket the difference.

Just noticed you are from Cbus! If you have any problems with Advance let me know, I used to work at the one on 23 just north of Polaris - but I am up in Michigan for school.

dastallion951

umm actually who ever said the optima red top dont last is talkin out there @$$. I have personally ran mine on my car for almost 2 years relocated to the trunk, mine works perfect no dimmage. So to make a response like that sounds typical of an auto parts worker. So you know the reason why a lot of them go bad, is due to a bad alternator. Not cuz of the battery itself, very seldom do they get a dead cell, not like the other batteries on the market today.

boostedmkiii

iTrader: (3)

A relocated battery in the trunk WILL last longer - regardless of what kind - due to significant reduction in heat.

Dimmage? The battery is strictly used for starting a vehicle. It only provides power to accessories when the engine is off or as a back up if the charging system fails.

Every red top, probably around 15-20, has been diagnosed as a bad battery. If I recall correctly, only two individuals had a faulty charging system. Bad alternators only account for a small fraction of battery failures.

The Optima Red Top is designed for extreme starting, correct? So, why would you ever NEED a red top? We are talking about a 2.0l 4 cylinder engine. The stock battery is already overkill, hence why a lot of people can get away with the smaller battery set-ups.

All I was trying to do was save a guy some cash and headaches. From all of the poor experience, I would never reccomend an Optima Red Top battery. Ever.

dastallion951

boosted,
Yea you are correct reguarding in the trunk less heat the battery is exposed too the longer it should last. As far as number of batteries gone bad, look at other manufacturers and there parts, theres not one company whos built a part, that at least a hand full of customers have had a problem with one part or another. Unfortunately most manufacturers build parts to the best of there abilities, but some parts do go bad after leaving the assembly line. But considering 15-20 failures for the how many thousand of batteries produced a year, is not bad at all from a company standpoint. Why would I need a red top, because its a dry cell not like most batteries that require a dump tube on them relocated due to the heat built up in the battery box could cause the battery to malfunction or leak. Why buy a redtop if its overkill? Same reason why someone would buy an hta35r or bigger for a DD? overkill is better then realizing your parts arent up to par with your cars demands. Better to have too much, then not enough you know. But im comin up on almost 2 years with my battery no problems, knock on wood.

andysgarage

I did the same thing.Mount the red top in the trunk with 2 gauge wire. Everything works great, now I have room for the short uicp and ram air intake.Stage 3.