Battery

[04silverz71]

just trying to get opinions on which battery to get for my 04 5.3 z71,

looking at either and optima, international or a sears die hard platinum.

[omegafiler]

There's already a fairly good Battery Poll here. Covers most brands. To sum it up, AC/Delco and Optima are the popular ones.

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...c=24448&hl=

[Zembonez]

Local shops here are replacing 1 and 2 year old Optimas like they are going out of style. Apparently, the yellowtop battery can't take heat. If you life in a warm climate, I'd stay away. One local electrical shop I visited recently had about 40 of them waiting for Optima to pick them up.

[Mikeee]

I've had best luck with Auto Zone and Walmart.

[thecraft]

Local shops here are replacing 1 and 2 year old Optimas like they are going out of style. Apparently, the yellowtop battery can't take heat. If you life in a warm climate, I'd stay away. One local electrical shop I visited recently had about 40 of them waiting for Optima to pick them up.

WTF? My dad has a Red-Top thats been drained countless times and is still going strong since at least 1998. It might be older than that, I just can't remember.

 

I've had best luck with Auto Zone and Walmart.

You're a lucky man then. We've had nothing but trouble with Dontlast and Neverstart batteries.

[Lincoln30]

Interstate/Optima is not the same company that it once was (when they were two different companies). I used to swear by any Optima or Interstate Megatron battery but now I'm afraid to buy one and switched to the Die Hard brand. No problems in the Texas heat on either of my Die Hard equipped vehicles in the past 4 years.

[Rocco715]

Optima. it would probably be a different story if I had to pay for them but since my friend can get yellow and reds for free they are my battery of choice.

[Jackson]

Interstate/Optima is not the same company that it once was (when they were two different companies). I used to swear by any Optima or Interstate Megatron battery but now I'm afraid to buy one and switched to the Die Hard brand. No problems in the Texas heat on either of my Die Hard equipped vehicles in the past 4 years.

 

word. I almost verbatum what I was going to say. back in the day Optima and Interstate were the cream of the crop. you couldn't get a better battery, but now they are crap and I will NEVER buy another Optima or Interstate battery ever again. they are overpriced junk. hell, when they were cheaper they were better.

 

The Everstart Maxx batteries they sell at Wal-Mart are getting really good reviews and I have a buddy who bought one is very satisfied.

[ScottyBoy]

I've owned both the red and yellow optimas, and I've also had a die hard gold, and a die hard platinum. The yellow optima crapped out on me at exactly one year, the red almost 2 years. They wouldnt warranty the yellow top, thay sais it only has a year warranty. the red top they said they would swap it out if I paid 69 dollars pro rated fees. I said to hell with it. The diehard gold lasted about 2years and they gave me a new one because it was still under warranty. The new one lasted well over 4 years, it was still in the car when I sold it. And as for the die hard platinum, It was purchased in 2001 for my mom's astro van. She junked the van in 2005 after it was flooded in Katrina and then one of my brothers took the battery out and put it in his Tahoe, still going strong till this day. The battery sits up really high on the astro vans, the waterline was right below the terminals. My brother passed away a year ago, so his Tahoe hasnt really been driven since then. It sits for months at a time and it went dead twice ,it probably sat for 3-4 month each time without starting it(that long would drain any battery) but onced its charged again, its good to go. It'll hold a charge as long as its started every so often. So NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'D GO FOR THE DIE-HARD PLATINUM. Sears also has no problem warrantying their batteries, they even will take it out and install the new one for free if you want them to.

[04silverz71]

thanks for the help i think i am gonna go with the platinum, i live in nebraska and need something that will hold up to the cold in winter and heat in the summer time.

[Beels]

I sell Exide at my Ag dealership and have had nothing but good luck with them. Go with the 78DT-72 in a GM truck and you won't have to worry about it for a long time.

[Silverado96]

Neverstart is junk, Die hard is junk (unless it has rectangular caps!), Dontlast is junk!

 

 

Get a good battery, buy Interstate!!! If you can find a wholesale dist. near you, you can buy their "blems" at half the store price for a cosmetic defect.