need a new battery, any quality choices? Comsumer reports blew up four diehards in the same battery test BTW

 

Sams has some good prices on batteries...I purchased one from autozone but my was working there and gave me a great discount! he joined the USAF so my discounts dried up.

next time it will be from Sams.

 

What ever battery you buy look at the manufacture date. Don't get one that is more than 60 days old. I've seen some in the store more than a year old.

 

Lots of searching but I found pep boys sells a Agm group 48 battery made by deka under the Bosch brand.

east penn/mk Agm's are excellent

 

I have one from Costco (almost 2 years?)

 

Just got the Interstate from Costco for $118.00.

 

Is the interstate a deka Agm?

 

After my OEM quit on me after about 10 years of faithful service, I switched to the Interstate Megatron Plus and have had no issues, especially in the cold Chicago winters. Its a great and reliable battery, in my opinion. I do have some parasitic draw, due to my bass system (which I will remedy soon) so I unplug the battery if leaving for two weeks or more. This battery is a beast, though. Good luck in your search.

 

Hey Bob, what makes a Deka Brand Battery made by East Penn special?

I know all the big players (Interstate, Ever ready, Walmart, Energizer) are all made by the same factory, but they seem to be good batteries.

Can you let us in on the secret of East Penn?

 

most batteries fail from plate warpage. Shorts the cells out.

agm batteries plates are mounted in a solid material. Hard we to warp

east penn changed their plate mounting system several years ago and now can also pre charge the internal plates and is able to now test them prior to installation in the case.

i was in the fancy Rv biz for 32 years and a remote area user so the best engineering and quality is necessary.

mk/deka from east penn are acknowledged to have less failures and have a longer cycle life.

seems the largest auto parts place is my local source for the deka/east penn batteries under the Bosch brand.

smart of them. $120 range for a sealed lead acid. $150 for Agm.

My other engines all have mil grade optima spiral wound red tops for starting.

unfortunstely optima does not make a h6 group 48 battery.

and east penn does not make a gel that size

probably because the charging voltage is different for a gel. And was made to be run down to 50% and then back to 100%

not a car use.

 

That's good to know. So AGM is a technology that is different than the lead plates you find in most standard batteries? Is it the same technology that Optima uses in their batteries?

I like Bosch, I've owned a bunch of European cars and am rarely disappointed with their products.

 

I bough the Insterstate battery few weeks ago. Last night, I went to start the SC and found out battery went dead (not totally dead but did not have enough juice to start the car). I charged the battery overnight. Car started fine this morning. Did not drive the car, until this afternoon, the battery went dead again. Seemed like something drained the battery. The only thing I can think of is the Naviks, because I powered it with live 12V (I thought I connected it to "key on" 12V, but I did not. Anyone knows where I can get the key on 12V?) BGW, you also powered the Naviks with the Live 12V, right? Did you have any problem with the battery drainage?

Or may be I just got the bad battery? Any thought?

 

Had to comment on your prescience in your post.

i went to the pep boys and took a Agm group 48 battery off their sliding rack. Took it home and installed it. Went to turn the motor over and nothing.

4.6 volts. Battery from dec 2015.

Went back to the store today and the three others were sept or oct 2016. 12.77 to 12,96 at the terminals.

shipped date is oct 2016.

interseting is that electro pencil scratched into the negative terminals top surface was 03/16. Under the throw away protective cap....

removed vrla weighed 38 pounds. New Agm same size is 44 pounds. More lead. 770 CCA

 

I believe in another post you said that you used the trunk fuse box to power your NavIKS, if I recall correctly. I tested every space in that fuse box and they all were constantly powered when I was looking for an easy "remote wire" for my amplifier that would only turn on with the key in the ignition. Therefore, this leads me to believe that is the reason your battery was dead. I tried every single spot to add a fuse and every one showed a 12v even after the car sat for 15 minutes and no key in the ignition. If you're using it for 12v power to the NavIKS it explains the rationale you've given. I specifically t-tap'd into the DVD play harness as directed in the directions, for this reason. I don't have the direction in front of me, but I know they specifically indicated which wire in the DVD harness is 12v power and ground. If you have further questions, you can always call them. They are really helpful on the phone from my experience.

 

Shawn, you're absolutely right. I thought I used "key on" 12v but I didn't. I wonder if Bgw has same problem since he also tapped into a constant 12v.