With all the discussion on lights flickering, engines failing, etc., and my friend's friend who owns a tow truck company, I am thinking I need to install a new battery. According to the friend, whenever he goes to "rescue" Lexus', they need a new battery. He says the OEM battery is JUNK!

What do you all think? When (mileage, year) should a battery be replaced? Which battery/brand is the best?

linda

 

Most OEM batteries are good for about 4 years; after that, the ice gets pretty thin. However, the variability is considerable. As far as Lex OEM, the one in the 99 RX went 5 years but the one in my GS only 2.5. Regardless, I tend to agree with your towtruck co. owning friend.

There are a number of good choices. Arguably the best battery right now comes from Optima (www.optimabatteries.com), with either the red top or yellow top depending on your accessories/audio system and vehicle usage.

But the time to replace one is before it starts to give it up, which it sounds as if you're in the mood to do.

 

I've had very good luck with Interstate batteries over the years. However, I could not find one of their best (green/white) ones to fit my SC and had to settle fot the next level down (Workaholic) to get the correct fit. Interstate batteries are readily available and very trustworthy.

George

 

The Panasonic batteries that come OEM on new Lexus' from Japan are considered top-notch. As for Lexus OEM batteries in the US, they use Interstate, which has one of the best car battery distribution programs around. And Interstate batteries are made by Johnson Controls, which has the better reputation of the top 2 US car battery makers (the other being Exide). These 2 make up the bulk of the various retail brands you see here.

As for actual experience, I've also had a Lexus US OEM battery crap out on me prematurely, but this was a while ago and I don't remember if they had started using Interstate back then. The last Lexus/Interstate OEM battery lasted 5 years.

Unless you have specialized needs and know why you need a high-end battery, I don't see much point in spending 2x more for a battery that isn't going to last 2x as long under typical use.

 

My OEM battery died after four years and just replaced it with a Diehard Gold. Diehard batteries are rated pretty high in recent Consumer Report test.

 

i had luck with Interstate and AC Delco, but i put a Duralast in my mom's car :knockonwood:

 

Diehards have since changed manufactures I believe. They are not as good as they used to be. They are still pretty good. I want to say they got bought by Interstate but I could be wrong.

When my original lexus (5 years so far) battery goes I am going with the Red top from Optima. I think I will change in 2004. I had 2 in my last Powerstroke diesel and they worked great! It only needed a min of 1600 CCA to start.

My GSXR1100 original battery lasted 8 years! Not to bad.

 

Linda- Those are all good batteries, but many of them cost at least twice as much as my Walmart EverStart #24F-5.

It may not last as long as some of those mentioned, but at $29.95, and a 5 year warranty, it's probably the "best" in terms of cost per month of service life.

 

But Perry, don't you feel the pinch when someone says "let me see what's under the hood" and you open it up to a Walmart battery? Isn't it worth say 10$ more per year (or $.03 per day) to have something that doesn't spell cheap? I mean after all, we do have a standard of quality to uphold!

George

 

one side of me says: "I don't care what it says on the top of the battery as long as the engine starts when I turn the key".

the other side says: "I do not want to take a chance on a no-name battery when it is in it's later years and it is -5° outside when I am in the middle of nowhere.

I tend towards coughing up the extra ducats per day and going with a name that I know. I think putting my mind at ease is worth $0.03 per day..............................for now.

steviej

 

I was answering Linda's question, and since she lives in Hawaii there's not much chance of her encountering -5° conditions during the life of her battery.

"Walmart Everstart" is hardly a no-name- they probably sell more batteries than most of the other brands mentioned, certainly more than Optima (but I'm not saying volume equals quality). Kreativ has it right- you'd be suprised to learn that many brands share the same OEM anyway.

The Walmart Everstart was top-rated in Consumers Reports a few years back. In their most recent test a few months ago Everstart held its own, though it is no longer top-rated. It was still the most economical battery tested.

What to spend money on (and how much of it to spend) is a very personal choice, and everyone is free to do as they wish, but my mind is more "at ease" when I know I'm spending my money wisely, and not spending it just to uphold someone else's "standard of quality". My car won't go any faster or last any longer if I buy a more expensive battery.

 

So if we see an SC in the shopping center parking lot and the guy under the hood is connecting jumper cables to a Walmart battery, we'll stop and give you a boost from our A+ batteries. You're right about how you spend your money is a personal matter. I hope your tires aren't those Cornell things that Pep Boys sells!

George

 

If one's self-pride rides on the label on your battery, sure. But when it comes down to it, 2 companies (and a couple of other smaller players) produce the overwhelming majority of car batteries in the US, and market them under dozens of brands. Oftentimes the only difference between a cheaper and more expensive battery is the brand on the label. When choosing a battery, there are more important factors to consider (e.g. the OEM, how long the battery has been sitting on the shelf) than just the brand.

 

That's some funny *****, man. I couldn't agree with you more.

 

Before I replaced my battery a couple of weeks ago, my car seems to be having the flu - weird symptoms like bad idling, low lighting and just misc. other things that make the car so unenjoyable to drive. I called up my very trusty battery guy and asked him about the Optima. He told me it's kinda silly to buy a $200 battery that does the same thing as a $50 Delcor (korean made). He said look at it this way. If your Delcor craps out (he personally guarantees it for 1 year) prematurely (which would be under 2-3 years), I could buy 4 brand new Delco batteries for 1 Optima and still run prematurely dying batteries for the next 8-12 years!

That was a very good economic reasoning if you ask me....

Now with the new battery installed, my car seems to be given a new lease in life. It breathes easier, plants power to the ground better and just in general more responsive -

almost like that gf that finally got out of her drug addiction....but that's a whole different story....