Battery needs replacing; what to get?

[Okki]

So I had my battery tested over the weekend and at 4 years old it's definitely not holding it's charge anymore. it's low on fluid as well; so it's time for a new one.

So 2 questions:

1) What battery to get (and why?)
2) Are there "black Friday" deals going on for batteries that are desirable for our vehicles?

I'm not running a dual battery set up (yet). I do have some auxiliary goodies running off the battery (although not all at once or all the time: Compressor, roof lights, CB). I live in Indiana (warm summers, cold winters) and do take it offroad (it gets bumped around).

Not very knowledgeable on batteries, so any input is appreciated!

Okki

 

[DannyLlama]

Kirkland, Costco battery FTW. Best warranty out of any place I checked out.

Here is a thread I had about a similar issue
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/143320-why-my-battery-out-40k.html
My stock one went oout at 40k when did yours go out?

From Spiderman, I mean [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] him self:

Although Costco batteries have the "Kirkland" label on them, they are actually Interstate Batteries. They come directly from Interstate on an Interstate Battery truck.

I know this because I was the Receiving Manager at Costco for many years.

I run them in my boat and haven't had any problems! No way you can beat the prices either.

 

[eddiebx]

Costco for sure is a great one to go with if it's conveniently located. Sears diehard gold is also very highly rated and their platinum line would pretty much be the cream of the crop if you're not on a tight budget (it's basically a re-badged odyssey battery at a lower price). And from when I last did my research, Autozone's Duralast gold is not too shabby either...

The reason I stress convenience of location is in the event of a warranty replacement, it would be much more ideal to have locations nearby and nationwide, just in case

If you're on a hunt for a black friday deal, Sears might be your best bet, they always run specials on their Diehard batteries from time to time. I think I got my platinum for like ~25-30% off, and I've read others here doing even better than that!

 

[Jeremy556]

Diehard Platinum 34M, currently on sale for $173
Or
Diehard Platinum 31M, currently on sale for $218

 

[Okki]

Diehard Platinum 34M, currently on sale for $173
Or
Diehard Platinum 31M, currently on sale for $218

Hey Jeremy.. are you running a Diehard Platinum 31M by chance? For the price difference, the additional capability seems worth it. Not sure how it compares size wise to the OEM battery (no idea off the top of my head what mine actually came with).

Okki

 

[Jeremy556]

Hey Jeremy.. are you running a Diehard Platinum 31M by chance? For the price difference, the additional capability seems worth it. Not sure how it compares size wise to the OEM battery (no idea off the top of my head what mine actually came with).

Yep, been using it a few months. It is bigger and heavier. It will not fit in the OEM tray, but it is AGM, so that isn't real important. You will have to bend the stock positive connector a bit.
I replaced my OEM terminals with military style terminals, but it is not required.

 

[Stifler]

I would say it depends on how you use your rig.

Odyssey
Costco
Kirkland


cant go wrong with any of those. I run Odyssey in every rig I own that leaves the pavement.

 

[Antman]

I would say it depends on how you use your rig.

Odyssey
Costco
Kirkland


cant go wrong with any of those. I run Odyssey in every rig I own that leaves the pavement.

Costco=Kirkland

 

[Okki]

Yep, been using it a few months. It is bigger and heavier. It will not fit in the OEM tray, but it is AGM, so that isn't real important. You will have to bend the stock positive connector a bit.
I replaced my OEM terminals with military style terminals, but it is not required.

Thanks for the details... you lost me at "It will not fit in the OEM tray, but it is AGM, so that isn't real important. You will have to bend the stock positive connector a bit.".

I guess I'll have to swing by Costco to see what they have.. can't seem to find automotive batteries online for them !?!? :brick:

Okki

 

[1engineer]

Interstate is a good replacement for the money.

 

[Antman]

I guess I'll have to swing by Costco to see what they have.. can't seem to find automotive batteries online for them !?!? :brick:

Okki

You won't find them online. The website is not an indication of what is currently in stock at the warehouses.

Costco's website is set up like a separate store (#847) specifically geared towards online purchases (duh!). Basically, items that would not do as well physically in the Warehouses sometimes sell better online. Car batteries are the opposite- and Costco will not ship them direct so they aren't listed on the site.

The biggest battery they have in the stores is the 27 group that I have, which is a dual purpose marine battery FWIW.

 

[Jeremy556]

Thanks for the details... you lost me at "It will not fit in the OEM tray, but it is AGM, so that isn't real important. You will have to bend the stock positive connector a bit.".

The battery is wider than the stock battery tray, so it hangs over the side of the battery tray by a couple of inches. Since it is a sealed absorbed glass mat battery, it won't leak acid, so the tray is not important.

The stock battery terminal wires have a 90 degree bend built into them, the 31M battery, the posts are further from the edge of the battery, so you have to bend those 90 degree terminals more or less flat to be able to reach the battery posts.

 

[Okki]

The biggest battery they have in the stores is the 27 group that I have, which is a dual purpose marine battery FWIW.

Thanks Jeff, .. so please educate me.. what's the difference in "groups". and same question as to Jeremy, does that group 27 fit in the OEM location with no real modification?

Okki

 

[Okki]

The battery is wider than the stock battery tray, so it hangs over the side of the battery tray by a couple of inches. Since it is a sealed absorbed glass mat battery, it won't leak acid, so the tray is not important.

The stock battery terminal wires have a 90 degree bend built into them, the 31M battery, the posts are further from the edge of the battery, so you have to bend those 90 degree terminals more or less flat to be able to reach the battery posts.

Gotcha, so a replacement terminal may address that. Do you have a picture of it installed by chance?

 

[Antman]

Thanks Jeff, .. so please educate me.. what's the difference in "groups". and same question as to Jeremy, does that group 27 fit in the OEM location with no real modification?

Okki

Group size is basically the physical dimensions of the battery.

The 27 does fit- but it's longer than the stock battery tray (plastic). You will have to modify the battery connectors as well because they are on the opposite side from stock. Definitely not plug and play. They probably sell a plug and play Kirkland battery - I never really checked the book, I wanted as much reserve capacity as possible.

Here's what I did- you have to compare it to your stock config as I have no "before" pics...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/92013-antmans-thread-55.html#post1496199

 

[Okki]

Group size is basically the physical dimensions of the battery.

The 27 does fit- but it's longer than the stock battery tray (plastic). You will have to modify the battery connectors as well because they are on the opposite side from stock. Definitely not plug and play. They probably sell a plug and play Kirkland battery - I never really checked the book, I wanted as much reserve capacity as possible.

Here's what I did- you have to compare it to your stock config as I have no "before" pics...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/92013-antmans-thread-55.html#post1496199

Ha! .. Sounds like what Jeremy did and what you did isn't that far apart.

I may need to take a closer look under the hood and see how easy it will be to adjust the terminals... don't have a whole lot of time left before I have to park it at the airport for a while.

Okki

 

[1engineer]

Group size is basically the physical dimensions of the battery.

The 27 does fit- but it's longer than the stock battery tray (plastic). You will have to modify the battery connectors as well because they are on the opposite side from stock. Definitely not plug and play. They probably sell a plug and play Kirkland battery - I never really checked the book, I wanted as much reserve capacity as possible.

Here's what I did- you have to compare it to your stock config as I have no "before" pics...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/92013-antmans-thread-55.html#post1496199

To expound on [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION]'s quote and maybe explain why someone would buy a different group battery than stock:
These numbers are the BCI Group number of the battery. These numbers are the dimensions of the battery case only. The BCI does not determine the Amp Hours for the batteries. Sometimes there is proportion between case size and Amp rating. For deep cycle batteries, the larger the case size usually means more capacity. That's why someone will buy a larger group battery if it will fit.

 

[leftyguns21]

youre already replacing a battery in your 2010? i have an 08' and just replaced it but i didnt need to. i only did cause i didnt want to risk another winter of cold starts and be stranded some where. i thought they were 84month batteries from the factory? you might want to check with the dealership to see if its under warranty.

i replaced mine with the toyota factory one, it was $115 plus i had 20% coupon.

 

[Stifler]

Costco=Kirkland

yep and Odyssey is re branded as well.....

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

Kirkland, Costco battery FTW. Best warranty out of any place I checked out.

Here is a thread I had about a similar issue
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/143320-why-my-battery-out-40k.html
My stock one went oout at 40k when did yours go out?

From Spiderman, I mean [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] him self:

FWIW I had an Interstate in my other vehicle for over 7 years with no issues. I ended up replacing it because I was getting worried that it might give out at some point. I replaced it with a Costo (Kirkland) battery and have been very happy as well. The vehicle sat for over a year and started up on the first try, so that was nice. Obviously there are nicer batteries out there like the Odyssey. However, for the money I think Interstate and Kirkland are great.