I believe all (standard, wet cell) auto batteries are made by just 2 or 3
companies (Johnson Controls being a major one). Plate density, construction
quality, etc. are roughly equivalent to the warranty; i.e. a battery with an
84-month warranty is likely to be better constructed with greater plate density
than one with a 36-month battery (not necessarily more than twice better,
though). I've heard good things about Optima batteries, but I've never been
able to justify the expense since I usually get 5-7 years out of a much cheaper
battery anyway.
Since our cars sometimes sit for long periods of time, consider a battery
maintainer. Battery Tender and Battery Minder are two brands. The Battery
Minder, at least, claims to use a process to desulphate the battery, and
guarantees not to over-charge (cheap chargers can overcharge--the battery will
be toast). I just bought a Battery Minder I intend to use this winter, so I can
only vouch for their customer service (excellent). Aviation magazines have
reviewed these products and found their claims to be largely substantiated
(although the Battery Tender model for aircraft was withdrawn from the market
due to a problem with sealed, gel-cell batteries).
bs
--------------------------------
Bob Spidell - San Jose, CA
I have a Duralast 34-DS from Autozone, installed in October 1999.
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC USA
Folks,
I have a BJ8 with a battery tha died unexpectedly last weekend. I can't
complain because the battery was - no kidding - 19 years old. It was a Delco
marine series 26 and it lasted 2 - 3 times longer than a regular battery. I
know a series 27 is the right size for my car, but evidently Delco didn't
make
a series 27 marine battery back when this one was installed. My
understanding
is a marine battery has thicker plates and is more durable than a regular
car
battery, which may be the reason the P.O. put it in. I'm wondering what
other
people are using in their vehicles? I tried looking in the archives, but
can't
seem to find anything even though I remember some discussion about batteries
a
few months ago. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
David Z.
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