Need a battery recommendation.

[C6ZZGT]

I would say - given the track record with recent AGM battery longevity, it may be worth while to consider buying from a place with a true, non-pro-rated warranty.

There really are only about 3 main places that make batteries: Exide, East Penn (Deka) and JC (Now Clarios) are the more common ones I see - and most every battery you go to buy will be a white label from one of those three manufacturers.

Read the fine print - a lot of warranties on batteries are pretty loosey-goosey now-adays. Even/especially Costco. There are decent odds your battery won't last 5+ years anymore.

When I finally gave up on my Lithium, I went and dumped on an Autozone Duralast Platinum Elite - it's probably not any better than a cheap Wal-Mart special (supposedly a JC/Clarios battery), but if/when I have issues with it, it's got a 5 year 100% replacement warranty, rather than the pro-rated thing that most places are moving to.

Actually neither FORD or GM do prorate. Ford dropped it more than 3 yrs ago.

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[timhood]

There are decent odds your battery won't last 5+ years anymore.

When I finally gave up on my Lithium, I went and dumped on an Autozone Duralast Platinum Elite - it's probably not any better than a cheap Wal-Mart special (supposedly a JC/Clarios battery), but if/when I have issues with it, it's got a 5 year 100% replacement warranty, rather than the pro-rated thing that most places are moving to.

I’d go as far as saying that one should be happy to get five years anymore.

If you got a 5-year non-pro-rated warranty for a price that wasn’t much more than the best price you could get elsewhere, I’d say that was a pretty good deal. Probably AutoZone figures there won’t be many people who will still own their cars that long, if you figure the car had to be old enough to need a battery, then five more years in the replacement. I’ll have to see what they are charging when the time comes.

 

[Phil B]

I have two of the Odyssey ODP-AGM25 batteries with the Genesis Offroad kit. Last forever but if you just want to stay with one, go with something like the 94R 850 CCA 12 V

I'll be replacing my battery soon and I've been considering this. Not sure I want to spend that much money on a battery. I have some low power radios that I like to leave running, and this would probably work well with that.

 

[Nibroc99]

My buddy with a similar situation has a Stroppe that he put an Optima Yellowtop in. Zero issues and he keeps it on a 3amp maintainer in his garage when not in use. I personally daily drive my bronco and even keep mine on a 4amp maintainer which I mounted in the engine bay so I can plug in overnight. I'm still on the original battery but also have 24/7 surveillance via a Blackvue DR770X 2ch and a T-mobile hotspot that run all the time until voltage cutoff at 11.8V. Keeping it charged most nights also allows auto start/stop to work without it complaining if I want it to (I only use it if I'm in dead-stop traffic anyway... Not uncommon with the amount of construction blockage in Ned Bedford)

 

[Wilbur's son]

Honestly, I get my batteries at Wal-Mart. Since Wal-Marts are all over the country if one fails early it's easy to replace or get a pro-rate core charge depending on the warranty you choose. Also a decent battery tender will be your batteries best friend. I have a pigtail for my tender that is bolted to the battery lugs so it's easy to connect when I park at home. Don't even have to open the hood.

I have bought several Walmart batteries for my '01 Ranger and Mom's '15 Cherokee over the years. Their batteries last the 3 years indicated on the label. Exactly. I'll probably stay with Motorcraft AGM doing the replacement when getting other service on my bronco. Parts manager said the batteries are made in Germany. JC I think.

 

[Willub]

Obviously doesn’t cover all of them but an interesting watch.

I run a lithium-ion in another car and it works well but is not daily driven. I wouldn’t use one in a daily driver.

 

[Wilbur's son]

Obviously doesn’t cover all of them but an interesting watch.

I run a lithium-ion in another car and it works well but is not daily driven. I wouldn’t use one in a daily driver.

Enlightening. Walmart flooded lead are already tired at new purchase.

 

[Nibroc99]

Has anyone used an H8 instead of an H7? Seems like there would be just barely enough room for an H8.

 

[TheKim]

Obviously doesn’t cover all of them but an interesting watch.

I run a lithium-ion in another car and it works well but is not daily driven. I wouldn’t use one in a daily driver.

I HAVE THIS LINK ON MY CLIP BOARD , haha - was just about to drop this in the comments, but I'm glad someone beat me to it. Good looking out!

 

[huey]

timely post......i'm getting close to 4 years on my truck. Can't be much longer before the factory unit says adios.

 

[Freebird32]

I would stick to AGM type battery. I got a X2 deep cycle when i replaced mine primarily due to my winch. The Batteries Plus store has these and they carry a 60 month full replacement warranty. Not cheap.
X2Power Car Battery | Group 94R | 850 CCA | Premium AGM

i have used Walmart batteries in the past but seldom got more than a couple years.

AGM performance better in a high vibration environment than regular lead acid.

 

[userdude]

Anybody remember when windshield wipers lasted years, not months?

 

[timhood]

If you have a multimeter, you can do a good, basic test to see if your battery is healthy or on its way to the grave:

• Lights on, car off for 2 minutes.
• Lights off, check voltage. Should be 12.6-12.8 volts
• Watch multimeter while car is started. Should not drop below 10.

If there's room in your budget and garage for a digital battery tester, it will give you a more thorough test of cold cranking amps, internal resistance and conductance. The AutoTool BT360 will test probably anything you need it to, from cars, trucks, golf carts, motorcycles to semis: batteries rated 20–2000 CCA, including regular flooded, AGM flat plate, AGM spiral, and gel types. I like this one because it's versatile, cost-effective, and has a 3-year warranty, but there are plenty to choose from.

AutoZone and other parts stores will test your battery with a tool like this, so you can go that route if convenient, but in my mind, after a few special trips, a tool like this has paid for itself in gas, mileage, and time savings. If you go the AutoZone route, just pay attention that they input the correct CCA so you don't get a false reading. And whichever way you go, make sure the battery isn't deeply discharged, so if it's not in a normally-used vehicle, get it up to normal charge first.

 

[Nibroc99]

Anybody remember when windshield wipers lasted years, not months?

They still do. I hjad my last pair of Bosch Envision wipers on my 2013 retired Police Interceptor for 5 years. The only reason I stopped using them is because the vehicle got totalled while it was parked overnight. Had my Bosch Envisions on my bronco since April 2025. My trick is I use RainX, and I clean the wipers with every fuel-up.

 

[userdude]

They still do. I hjad my last pair of Bosch Envision wipers on my 2013 retired Police Interceptor for 5 years. The only reason I stopped using them is because the vehicle got totalled while it was parked overnight. Had my Bosch Envisions on my bronco since April 2025.

I dunno, I've had 4-5 in 3.5 years on mine, and my Chevy gets new ones at least once a year and I never drive it. Maybe it's the Texas heat, but back in the early-mid-90's they seemed to last 3-5 years and cost a lot less. And that was in Houston. My Bronco stays in a garage (and my truck before) and I clean the windshield and wiper as soon as they get blurry or streaky (it drives me crazy). So yeah, not been my experience.

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