new battery time!

[vshah]

My 2007 civic is still on the original battery, so it's probably 6 years old at this point, at least. as the weather gets colder it's been taking a few more cranks than usual to get started. this battery has been fully dead 3 or 4 times, I'm amazed it's made it this far.

i recall reading some threads saying all batteries are basically the same. should I just pick one that fits & go with it? there's a die hard for $95 at sears which is the cheapest i've found locally.

I often sit in my car for 30 minutes or so listening to the radio when waiting to pick up my wife. Any benefit to a deep-cycle optima yellowtop for these situations?

Thanks,
Vivan

 

[NutBucket]

I wouldn't bother with an Optima given a conventional battery has served you well so far.

And yes, most batteries are made by a few companies. Johnson Controls is a big player making them for Costco and Autozone among others. No sure who makes them for Sears but I've a couple Costco batteries die prematurely recently. I'll probably go Die Hard or Interstate next time around.

 

[WackyDan]

Optima is a waste of money... doesn't really buy you anything on that civic. Assuming this next battery is treated well (no running it flat/dead), then you should expect at least the same amount of life or more out of it.... and that probably means you won't own the car by that point.

Listening to the radio for 30 minutes doesn't even put a dent in that battery. Heck, I have a 12v Car battery powering all the lights and water pump in my camper and after a 3 day weekend's use and no charging it still could start my truck if transplanted.

 

[JCH13]

A quality replacement is worth the money, but the premium for a higher-performance battery like an optima is probably a waste of money because you have no need for it. I wouldn't get the cheapest house-brand battery though.

 

[mvbighead]

I just replaced the battery in my car recently. Best deal was through Autozone with a 25-30% off coupon. I tried costco, but they didn't have anything that was the right size for my model.

 

[tfinch2]

I just get Everstart from Walmart. If you're out somewhere and need to get a replacement, chances are you'll be able to find a Walmart close before any other place.

 

[evident]

i got a costco battery. works fine for me.

 

[vshah]

how's this one? $93.89 with a coupon:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...oup-size-51r-500-cca-autocraft-gold_2130008-p

 

[mvbighead]

Looks good enough to me. CCA are lower, but as it's a Honda Civic and not a full size car, I'm sure that's to be expected.

FYI, you'll want to bring in your old battery (either before or after) to receive $12 back as the core charge.

 

[vshah]

OEM was 410 CCA so i think 500 should be fine.
thanks all.

 

[Apex]

You really should call Costco if there's one near you, their pricing is usually pretty low, and their Kirkland batteries are good too. Johnson Controls makes them, along with Duralast (from Autozone), Diehard (Sears), Interstate, Everstart (Walmart), and a few others.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

+1 costco.

Advance is a terrible company, please don't support them.

 

[vshah]

don't have a costco membership unfortunately. I'll see if I can find a buddy who's going sometime soon.

 

[Apex]

don't have a costco membership unfortunately. I'll see if I can find a buddy who's going sometime soon.

Yeah, I think a Group 51R battery (I believe that's the size you use) is about $65 from Costco. That's not too bad for a quality unit.

 

[bamx2]

FWIW - I picked up a Duracell labelled Group 51 for about $65 at a nearby Sam's Club last weekend . The battery is rated at 500CCA , Warranty - 3yr replacement, 8yr prorated. Good enough, but it looks like it is nearly impossible to remove the cover to check the cells ( I don't go for the maintenance free hype ). Maybe the Costco batteries are different.

 

[Zivic]

why not call the dealer? especially considering you have gotten good life out of your original?

 

[Rifter]

optima batterys are a shattered shell of what they used to be, they were fine before the buyout but been going downhill since.

Personally i would buy a interstate or a diehard platinum.

 

[vshah]

FWIW - I picked up a Duracell labelled Group 51 for about $65 at a nearby Sam's Club last weekend . The battery is rated at 500CCA , Warranty - 3yr replacement, 8yr prorated. Good enough, but it looks like it would nearly impossible to remove the cover to check the cells ( I don't go for the maintenance free hype ). Maybe the Costco batteries are different.

wow, if it's only $65 there then it makes sense to pick up a membership just for that. I'll buy enough stuff for the house throughout the year to make it worth it vs paying ~$100 at sears/autozone/advance.

thanks!

 

[Baked]

I jimmy a Costco 51R battery into my friend's Honda Fit that came with 151R factory battery. Freaked my friend out when I did it, but the 51R is half the price and has more power. If you can find a compatible battery for your car at Costco, do it.