prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (03/05/84)
My 1979 Datsun 310GX is going to be in the market for a new battery soon.
I am interested in any opinions or advice as to a good brand of battery
to buy. I see that the J.C. Penney lifetime-warranted batteries are no
longer made. As a matter of fact, I have seen quite a bit of problems
with the "sealed type" batteries. They seem to do fine for awhile, and
then all of a sudden, they will stop dead, with no warning. I would app-
reciate any opinions or advice as to what brands are best, and also, I
would like to hear about any interesting experiences that any of the
netters have had with the various brands.
Thanks,
Dennis
--
Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet
CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs
ARPA: prophet.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relayemma@uw-june (Joe Pfeiffer) (03/05/84)
We normally use Sears. So far, we haven't seen the problem of "sudden demise" you mentioned with a sealed battery-- although the standard type that came with the car (a Sapporo) did just that, six months before the warrantee expired. One comment I would make is that you should get the biggest battery you can wedge into the engine compartment, regardless of the engine size. We have a 625-Amp on that little 2.6l engine, and could probably drive to Portland on the starter motor. Really simplifies cold starts. -Joe P.
rctracy@uokvax.UUCP (03/10/84)
#R:umcp-cs:-567900:uokvax:1100009:000:2642 uokvax!rctracy Mar 8 14:06:00 1984 If there is a Willard dealer in your area, I would be inclined to give them a try. Willard is one of those manufacturers that produces batteries for the rest of the world to put their names on. Dealing directly with the manufacturer through a warehouse here in Oklahoma City resulted in my getting a LARGE 5-year battery for only $50. The nicest thing about this battery is the warranty service at this location: If my battery goes dead after 4 years, 364 days, I get another free... That's right, none of this pro- rated crap! Experiences with other batteries: (1) J.C. Penney -- (maintenance free) Fine until you get a failure under load, at which time the underside of your hood gets a sulfuric acid bath. In all fairness, I have heard that this is a fairly common occurence with maintenance free batteries due to the "sealed" design and its accompanying ventilation problems. I've gone through two of their "lifetime" (no longer available) batteries. The first one failed under load and exploded. The second one failed under load as well, but I recognized the symptoms and caught it before the explosion. The average lifetime turns out to be 4 years, which seemed to be respectable. Great battery to have during cold weather, and it will tolerate long storage periods (> 3 months) well. (2) Interstate -- Available at most service stations and/or garages. Seems to be a fine battery. I've had no complaints about the ones I've used, and the maintenance free variety doesn't seem to have the explosive tendencies of the Penney's battery. (3) Die Hard -- (Sears & Roebuck) I've never owned one because there is never a sale going on when I need one. My friends have had good luck with them though. (4) Get Away -- (Wards; maintenance free) My mother is using one of the 5-year batteries in her car, which sees maybe 4 miles of usage per day (2 miles in the morning to work and then again in the afternoon). If this battery can stay charged under these circumstances, I have to recommend it! Seems to be a good performer thus far (after two years). One rule I tend to follow when buying ANY battery is to get the largest one that will fit in the vehicle. Hang the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations unless they agree with this! It may seem like overkill at the time, but the first cold morning will convince you otherwise... My peace of mind is worth the (usually) small price difference between the larger and the smaller battery. --Bob Tracy ...!ctvax!uokvax!rctracy