What do yall think of Everstart batteries?

Who makes the factory OEM battery mines going close to 5 years

 

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/2140423/1

 

That reminds me, my first 100 series Cruiser had the OEM Panasonic battery(US bound cruisers are manufactured in Japan) and it lasted me 12 years. Too bad they're so ridiculously expensive.
Toyota TrueStart batteries are made by Johnson Controls, right? Interstate makes good batteries, you can get their blems(crease in sticker, crooked sticker, etc) for a killer price

 

My Miata had an OEM Panasonic that lasted 16 years--it might still be going as I sold the car with the original battery. It had a few close calls in the later years but always bounced back.

 

I believe a read a while back when I was doing serious research on batteries that Toyota batteries are made by AC/Delco. There are really only a few actual battery manufacturers in this country that make them all depending on standards and quality certain names want. Johnson Controls makes a whole bunch of them as well.

 

I've been using NAPA batteries (made by Exide) for the last 20 years with very good luck.

I worked at NAPA for a year, and at Kragen for a couple of years. Kragen batteries were Exide and were delivered by the same truck driver who delivered to NAPA.

The NAPA Legend batteries are 18 month free replacement. Those and the Kragen equivalent always seemed to last the longest, out of the ones I sold. The Orbital cell batteries and the premium 2 year free replacement that we sold didn't last as long, even though they cost a lot more. The Exide rep told us there were more plates in the premium battery, so they must have been thinner? Anyway, it was a definite pattern that we saw.

Every vehicle since then I've put a NAPA Legend into when I needed a battery. I do tend to change them out at 5-6 years anyway just to avoid being stuck somewhere when it goes.

 

I've had a NAPA Legend before. I got 6 years out of it and, like you, changed out the battery for another to avoid the hassle of a dead battery. Exide is another one of the manufacturers that makes batteries for many brands.

 

Interstate has been talked about my entire life as "Used to be great, now just so-so". This goes back to the '80s and was spoken of by gas station mechanics that way. (That's usually how you got your battery back then). Since they all still last about the same time as they used to, .

Alternators, voltage regulators and other parts used to fail much more back then killing batteries with them. Glad that's pretty well over.

I like WallyWorlds because if I'm on the road and have one die, it's nice to know a replacement is in every town, any time but as they usually die right after all the prorated is either over with or so near the end that it doesn't give much discount , prob. is just superstitious on my part.

 

Used everstart for years, never a problem. My longest lasting battery ever was the OEM ac delcos in my dmax, made it over 8 years. Shortest lasting battery I've owned was an optima red top, dead in less than 5 years. I'll never buy optima again.

 

I remembered my older ever starts said Johnson controls. Pretty decent quality

 

Oddyssey is the only batteries that will ever go in my truck, f@$* Wallyworld forever, my feet don’t let me walk through the door of mom&pop store killers. I’m too fed up with those guys, but by all means everyone please take advantage of that store.

 

I bought my 99 PreRunner last may. A couple of weeks ago, I started having some issues. (which let me to become an actual member of TW instead of just a guest) The battery was the top Wal-mart 5 yr battery, and the sticker said 3-17. I'm familiar with these batteries having used them before in other vehicles. I did buy one one night at about 11 pm. The nice Lady said it was of course pro-rated but we would have to test it first. Thinking it was only 18 months old, i waited around for 45 minutes hoping I wouldn't come out of pocket for too much. I got $4.87 in credit. Turns out the first 5 yr battery was already replaced by this one in March of last year. So here is the question: a 5 yr battery was $97.00.... a 2 year was $73.00 and the economy 1 year was $49.00. What am I really paying for? All had 550 CCA. Are they made any different? Or am I just paying for the warranty?

 

They aren't bad. Was selling a car I didn't use much and went to pickup a battery, was $49 and I could say it had a new battery in the ad haha. Last I heard it's still on the road

 

Napa is now made by penn state that makes deka
Walmart is made by Johnson controls who also make interstate. The batteries you buy at Toyota now are interstates with a Toyota sticker.

 

I do not understand that math - that is not how it should be:
If the battery fails during the the warranty period you will be reimbursed by the remaining warranty. How you spend that money is up to you and it has no impact on the new battery you will be buying for that money. So for example 5 year battery prorated evenly (to make it simple) 20% a year. If it fails after 3 years, you will get 40% of the original cost and you can add 60% to buy brand new 5 year battery. The warranty for that new battery starts now, not 3 years ago. If it fails in 18 months, you should get 70% back, not 10%. Am I missing something?

 

While I will probably start looking for a new battery this winter what is your opinion on Bosh batteries? Do they even exist in USA? Bad, average, good?

 

Yeah, that's what I thought too. I bought the 2 year. If I had known that I was only gonna get 4 bucks back, I sure wouldn't have hung out for 45 minutes. But I wonder if the more expensive one is any "better".

 

They have lead, copper, and electrolyte like any other flooded battery. You'll be (+/-) a few months within the life of any other flooded battery on the market. To get more life out of any flooded battery, stay away from the maintenance free ones. Get ones that you can monitor and add distilled water and check it every few months. Brand isn't as important as not running it down, keeping it fully charged, and maintaining the electrolyte levels to cover the plates. A hot engine bay is the worst place for a battery but that's where they are.

 

Somebody at that store didn't get a memo.

I've wondered the same. Had 1 yr. ones go 5....had 5 yr. ones go 5 and 1 day. Well it seems that way.

 

Being that temperature is the biggest killer of car batteries. I think WalMarts warranty policy on car batteries is to make a compromise between the hot climate of the south, as compared to the cooler climate of the Northern states.