Looking to buy a new truck battery

I think it's 4 years now as that's what I just got a couple of nights ago. I'll double check but I'm pretty sure it's 3 years 100% and then another year prorated. But fur sub-$100 it's a killer deal. When I was checking out a manager came up to do something with the cash drawer of the lady ringing me up (shift change) and she commented about how she uses the Walmart batteries and for some odd reason always starts to have issues in the 2nd year while giving me a wink and a nod. I was a bit caught off guard by the manager saying that but let's face it.... everyone hates Walmart.

Optima Red Tops are the ONLY battery I've ever had consistent issues with. It could have been bad luck but when I pay that much for a battery and go through three of them I start questioning why I paid more after the 2nd one. 3rd one just confirms it. Yellow tops I had several of and they were just fine. I've also had many other brands & types but after buying dozens of batteries I've come to the conclusion that the best bet is to buy the cheapest one with the best warranty unless you have a specific application that requires something special. Otherwise, the job is to start the car in all temperatures and most any battery will do that these days for about 4-6 years regardless of what you pay for it.

 

My '08 still has the Toyota battery , works fine . If a replacement Toyota battery is as good as this one - even better . Otherwise , I'd go for the Sears by the reviews .
No love for Optima at all , seen too many fail too easily . I like the Odyssey , but crap those things are expensive .
North Star looks interesting , but the price tag would hurt .
Sarge

 

Battery has very little to do with powering your accessories as your alternator is designed to power your truck & accessories once it's running. The battery is quite literally to act as a fuse/buffer and start your truck. Powering your accessories with your truck off isn't it's design but if you insist on doing this regularly for longer periods then you probably want an Optima Yellow Top gel battery. They're designed for what you describe. If you're having all of these issues then your battery may be trying to tell you that it's on it's way out. I'd need to know a lot more details to be able to tell you what's going on but these days most batteries have the same CCA and most are plenty capable of cranking a medium compression 4.0L over in the winter time in the US.

 

just an FYI , now that you're recommending the yellow top Optima gel , the Northstar AGM has better specs

 

I had a DieHard Platinum AGM in my Subaru. Fantastic battery. Cranked over at -10°F just as fast as if it were +60°F out.

I'll be putting one in my Tacoma in another year or two--whenever I decide I am not willing to trust the OEM battery from 2011 any longer.

 

At 2x the price, I should hope so.

I'm not even saying I'm recommending it at this point. There are some special situations where this type of battery could be beneficial but for most people a standard $100 battery will suit the needs just fine. Too many people are convinced they nee to spend money or that their car is special so it needs to cost more money. That $80-$100 Walmart battery will suit the needs of 98% of users on the road. A lot of people think they're that 2% and they aren't. If it's worth an extra couple hundred bucks every 4-5 years to listen to your radio an extra few minutes before having to start your engine then go for it. Most people are able to listen to their radio quite a long time w/o the engine running with the $80-$100 battery too I might add.

 

I wouldn't even consider -10°F a test for CCA as even a standard $80-$100 battery w/a coupe hundred less CCA would turn over just fine at those temperatures.

 

Advance Auto Platinum use coupon code UPROMISE124 for $40 off plus $20 for core charge. Online only. Just used it again this morning for my Nissan Maxima Gold Battery. It works!

I have one in my Tacoma but prior to that I had a Diehard Platinum. Both Batteries are great. I run several auxliries, winch, and sound system.

Factory battery died within 2 years, then ran Diehard Platinum for 4 yrs, and now I'm running the Advance Platinum (bought it because it had good reviews and had a $40 off coupon).

 

Sounded like a good deal so I checked into it & this battery would still be about $30-$40 more than the Walmart battery, same warranty and is rated at lower CCA. I guess they'll put 'Platinum' on just about anything these days.

 

It's OK if you don't want to buy one , I'm not a salesman

also not twice the price , the retail on the yellow top is $270

http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...7f-yellowtop-starting-and-deep-cycle-battery/

 

Fair enough.

 

"Just fine" and "at the same cranking speed as it would at a warm temperature" are two different things. Never had another battery that didn't sound at least a fraction slower trying to overcome cold temps.

 

This has to be the lowest ROI for a 'performance' increase one can spend their money on.

 

When it's a deep cycle battery that can also crank that strong, it's a plus no matter how you look at it.

 

A plus how? If -10 is the coldest it ever gets and a standard battery will start your vehicle in those temps you are literally saying that that extra half second of crank time is lowering your will to live. The deep cycle aspect is also a moot point unless it's going into a vehicle that sits w/o being started for long periods of time. Most everyone in the market for a new car battery won't benefit from either of those selling points.

 

Ah, you're one of those people who is argumentative just for the sake of being argumentative. You're trying to make a positive into a negative or neutral point. It is neither. It has the power to handle colder temperatures better, period. How much of a benefit that is is subjective. Also, where did I say -10 is as cold as it gets?

By the way, look up "deep cycle battery" because that's not what it means.

 

Does your truck have the Group24 or the towing package and Group27 battery ?

 

Is the group 27 larger demension wise than the 24? Other words can you use the 27 if you can't find the OEM 24?

 

​

Maxx-24F from Walmart. $104.96 + $12 core charge.
925CA, 750CCA

I jinxed my Optima in my car when I posted about it, so I had to go ahead and get a new battery.

 

Yes and yes

Tacomas come with both depending on a few variables