New battery for my sedan

[Muse]

I bought my battery at Walmart (installed it myself) in Jan, 2014, so almost 8 years ago. I keep a trickle charger on it, drive the car ~17 miles every other week (a Thursday) on a shopping run.

The car turns over OK, but the battery isn't holding a charge like it should (unless I keep that charger on it), so I figure I should get a new battery before I go adventuring in the car anywhere if you know what I mean. Yeah, I should sign up with AAA already with my 1997 Mazda 626LX 2.0L sedan.

I paid around $100. Right now the same battery shows up at Walmart if I look hard enough but for the last year or more it shows out of stock at all the local stores.

The battery in there now:

EverStart Plus Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 58R (12 Volt/610 CCA)

Assembled Product Dimensions (L x W x H)
10.00 x 7.20 x 7.00 Inches

Searches indicate I'll pay $150 if I'm lucky now for a battery that's supposed to fit and work in my car.

I have kept looking at Walmart because no charge for not giving them the old battery (which I'll "recycle" somewhere) and more than that they'll ship it free. But OOS!

Suggestions? Where/what/how-much/how? Thanks for ideas.

 

[pete6032]

Battery prices have gone up a ton in the last 7 years. $150 is not a bad deal. You don't need to get that brand. You could stop at your local auto parts store and see if they have anything cheaper. I prefer to buy at a parts store anyway because they take your old battery and recycle it. If you really wanted to do something cheaper you could get a refurbished battery from the parts store.

 

[mindless1]

Did walmart change this "no charge for not giving them the old battery"? Last two batteries I bought there, had a $10 core charge refund when I turned the old one in. It was even after hours, automotive dept had closed so I just pulled new battery off their rack, swapped it in and left old one at the cashier isle after the manager told the cashier to do that.

The battery you linked is in stock at my local WM, possibly you could contact your local store and see if they can order one for you? Another cost competitor in some sizes is Costco.

Since you got 8 years out of that, your use can't be very demanding, probably highly due to the trickle charger that it lasted that long. You might be able to drop down slightly in capacity and then I see a group 58 at Advance Auto Parts for $85, BUT it is not in stock near me.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

Even though battery prices have risen, it still seems a bit excessive to me to pay upwards of $150 for that when I can still get a group 65 w/850CCA for $99. On that note you might check the mount method and available space in your battery tray to see if a larger group size will fit. On one vehicle I changed from a factory equipped group 59 to group 65, which is significantly higher in CCA in addition to lower in cost, comparing same Everstart Maxx brand at WM.

EverStart Maxx Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 65 12 Volt 850 CCA - Walmart.com

Buy EverStart Maxx Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 65 12 Volt 850 CCA at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

This is just an example, group 58 is smaller than 59 so it's likely a group 65 is too large to fit, but I'd do that if it will, then for a smaller engine might even consider dropping to a value line Everstart instead of the Maxx, though I can't find those on WM's site now yet I could back when I bought my last MAXX and recall the lower tier was around $60, but probably still had as many CCA as the group 58 you currently have.

Here's a list of battery group sizes.

https://www.batteryequivalents.com/bci-battery-group-size-chart.html

 

[Torn Mind]

You're on the west coast, so I don't know about availability, but Deka/East Penn) batteries(Rebranded far and wide, but Duracell and the ones sold by AAA have their signature cover) are better built. Some Walmarts do source Deka too, but I think it is regional.

I left one drained for 3-5 months, hooked it up to a battery minder, and it managed to start a car. Size 34 screw-in posts I hacked with screw-in post terminals to fit into a 1991 Honda Accord. This battery was bought used and it sat undercharged in that parts store for possible 3 weeks to a couple months. So many months of sitting "dead" and yet it came back to life TWICE.

 

[BoomerD]

Did walmart change this "no charge for not giving them the old battery"? Last two batteries I bought there, had a $10 core charge refund when I turned the old one in. It was even after hours, automotive dept had closed so I just pulled new battery off their rack, swapped it in and left old one at the cashier isle after the manager told the cashier to do that.

The battery you linked is in stock at my local WM, possibly you could contact your local store and see if they can order one for you? Another cost competitor in some sizes is Costco.

Since you got 8 years out of that, your use can't be very demanding, probably highly due to the trickle charger that it lasted that long. You might be able to drop down slightly in capacity and then I see a group 58 at Advance Auto Parts for $85, BUT it is not in stock near me.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

Even though battery prices have risen, it still seems a bit excessive to me to pay upwards of $150 for that when I can still get a group 65 w/850CCA for $99. On that note you might check the mount method and available space in your battery tray to see if a larger group size will fit. On one vehicle I changed from a factory equipped group 59 to group 65, which is significantly higher in CCA in addition to lower in cost, comparing same Everstart Maxx brand at WM.

EverStart Maxx Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 65 12 Volt 850 CCA - Walmart.com

Buy EverStart Maxx Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 65 12 Volt 850 CCA at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

This is just an example, group 58 is smaller than 59 so it's likely a group 65 is too large to fit, but I'd do that if it will, then for a smaller engine might even consider dropping to a value line Everstart instead of the Maxx, though I can't find those on WM's site now yet I could back when I bought my last MAXX and recall the lower tier was around $60, but probably still had as many CCA as the group 58 you currently have.

Here's a list of battery group sizes.

https://www.batteryequivalents.com/bci-battery-group-size-chart.html

Costco batteries are USUALLY made by Johnson Controls...one of the biggest battery manufacturers in the country. They also make most of the Ever Start batteries sold at WalMart IIRC.
For me, the only bad thing is that they come with a 2 year non-prorated warranty.

I put them in a couple of vehicles...including my motorhome over the years.

 

[RLGL]

The Walmart batteries may be a lessre quality than the top line models. I buy from Costco (Interstate brand). Their prices are in line with what my former employer was buying off the Interstate truck.

 

[maluckey1]

The Walmart batteries may be a lessre quality than the top line models. I buy from Costco (Interstate brand). Their prices are in line with what my former employer was buying off the Interstate truck.

Walmart batteries are made by Johnson, Interstate and a few others, depending on size, model number and location in the country. You can look on the battery label and check before you buy it to see.

@Muse, have you considered looking for an AGM (absorbed Glass Mat) battery? Since you already use a charger, might last longer,. No terminal corrosion, and many/most are also deep-cycle. Mine last on average about 10 years. I run them in my 3 cars and both my trucks. some are even available at the same price as traditional batteries f you shop around.

 

[mindless1]

The batteries I've bought in the last ~15 yrs or so from WM and Autozone were the top tier (for flooded cell not AGM) Johnson Controls. I expect that's a regional thing. I've had no problems with them, lasting around 6 years, 7 if I push my luck.

It seems very unlikely that WM would sell lesser quality batteries but have the same CCA rating. Sometimes you can also tell by weight (lead weighs more than water and higher tier batteries of same type, pretty consistently have higher weight) but that depends on seller accurately rating weight while I've come across some (presumably) copy/paste errors in weight ratings online.

I've not seen AGM near same prices near me, nor online, but then I already stated that group 58 flooded seems expensive for what it is at $150 so "maybe" in that case... but could be same situation that this specific group size is lower volume so they charge more.

 

[BoomerD]

Johnson Controls, Exide, and East Penn make nearly all the automotive batteries in the USA...sold under a wide variety of brand names. Interstate, Die Hard, Duracell, Sure Start, etc...all are made by one of the "Big 3" to the specifications of the company whose label they carry.

 

[mindless1]

Costco batteries are USUALLY made by Johnson Controls...one of the biggest battery manufacturers in the country. They also make most of the Ever Start batteries sold at WalMart IIRC.
For me, the only bad thing is that they come with a 2 year non-prorated warranty.

Yeah it wasn't too long ago, maybe 2-3 years now, that walmart used to have a 3 year replacement, 5 year prorated warranty. It's a shame they dropped that but only once that i recall did I have to have a battery replaced under warranty within a couple months and it wasn't from Walmart.

I mean outright replaced, years ago I used to get Sears Diehard (Gold? Something) that had a 96 month warranty and it was routine to have some of that prorating left to apply towards the next battery cost.

 

[Muadib]

I just bought a battery last weekend at Autozone. I wanted one with at least 850CCA, and they had one in stock for my Explorer. Cost me just under $200 with tax. I felt ripped off at the time, but no other place in my area had one in stock.

 

[quikah]

I have kept looking at Walmart because no charge for not giving them the old battery (which I'll "recycle" somewhere) and more than that they'll ship it free. But OOS!

What do you mean no charge for not giving them the old battery? Any store you buy a car battery from will charge you a core deposit, then refund it when you give them the old battery. Checking a random battery on Walmart.com I see a $12 core charge and $1 recycling fee on checkout.

 

[mindless1]

^ Looking through receipts for last couple WM batteries I bought, I was mistaken and it was $12 core then too, not $10, but out of curiosity I just put a battery in cart to checkout and still see the $12 core but not the $1 recycling fee so it might depend on the state charging this?

 

[NutBucket]

CA loves recycling fees. You'll find them on tires and larger monitors/TVs as well. I think on TVs the fee scales with size too.

 

[Muse]

What do you mean no charge for not giving them the old battery? Any store you buy a car battery from will charge you a core deposit, then refund it when you give them the old battery. Checking a random battery on Walmart.com I see a $12 core charge and $1 recycling fee on checkout.

You're very likely right and I wondered why I didn't see that but figured they'd likely do that. Anyway, OOS. I'm on a list for an automatic email if and when they get it but I'm getting pessimistic, still who knows? Could be on a stalled container ship.

Anyway I have the coin to buy at $150+ I just haven't because the car keeps starting (because I keep that trickle charger on the battery all the time).

In terms of the core charge, at least once I made the change in the parking lot and dropped the old one off after purchase within the hour.