Delphi's automotive battery division actually was acquired by Johnson Controls, along with Bosch, Varta, Hoppecke, and IMSA.
And Optima batteries are indeed listed as being manufactured under Johnson Controls.

 

Figures .. Now there's 2.. Not that Delphi was all that great

 

Be careful --
Batteries made by the same company with different names may not all be equal. It depends upon the specs that they are made to.

I completely agree with the comment about battery sizes being standardized so they fit and the terminals are in the correct place
But there is a diference in cranking amps, total amps and even deep cycle vs automotve batteries. Big motors require high cranking amps.

Deep cycle batteries are designed to release power over a long time - not short time like a battery designed for starting. Deep cycle are normally used for RV lights, trolling motors, etc. Use a deep cycle for starting a vehicle and it will not last very long. Use a standard battery where a deep cycle is needed and it's life will be short.


I always get the largest battery (physically and power rated) that will fit in the space available. even if I have to pay a bit more And only use std batteries to start the car or boat - My bass boat had two batteries one deep cycle for the trolling motor and the other std for starting

 

Agree.. Its all in the specs and warranties.

 

If that was directed at me, I only want to point out to the fact that I never said that all the batteries (even under different names) made by the same company are equal. Only said that he could have bought a Duralast, saving himself another 100 bucks. A 48-DL with 875 CCA is $ 89.99

As far as "Interstate" batteries, I did use them in the past and their life span was much shorter than Duralast. Probably I bought a deep cycle one and I had no idea. Regardless, I decided that the money difference in price has no substantive basis whatsoever.

 

Not directed at any particular person ....

I have had very good cost and life experiences with Duralast.

As I said - get the biggest one with the correct terminal config that fits and the highest cold cranking amp for an automotive application. CCA and total amps are usually connected. Warantee is an indication of how good they believe it is so go with the longest warantee if possible.

The only problem with AZ is that sometimes you run across a jurk that insists you can't put a battery that is not specified by "The Book" into your vehicle. I actually had an strong discussion with a guy on the phone when I sent my daughter to get a particular battery at an AZ store near her home. He told me that unless it was specified in "The Book" he would not put it in the vehicle and would make a note on the sales slip that it was not covered under warantee. I had her go to another AZ and they put it in without a problem. I then filed a complaint with the district manager and got an apology. I think the guy is now working at McDonalds as french fry expert!

 

Dealership was going to charge me $269 for a battery. I told them to hold off - so about 3 months later and sub some sub zero weather - my battery finally was dead. I called around and most every place had battery in stock or could get it within 24 hours for $149-$189 installed. I went and had it installed at a local mechanic garage. 10 minutes later it was done but the battery light remained on after they installed it and the diagnostic codes were saying that the alternator was not charging the battery and they could not figure out why. They called the local Audi dealership to find out why - but they were not helpful- shocker. So they said I could go ahead and drive it home and in the mean time they would try to figure out the diagnostic codes from their headquarters. I came home and searched on the web and I found a piece on this website about turning ignition on for several seconds then turning off. This resets the program then everything works except radio - but I have the code for that so no big deal. The battery light is now off and the amp gauge shows normal. I took it back to the mechanic to make sure everything was cool - and after hooking it up to the diagnostic machine they said it was. Was it worth saving $80? If you have this information going into it yes - if not and you don't have time then take it to the dealership.

 

Replace at Walmart for $77. No labor charges + 3 years replacement warranty. It is quick and they do the job very neatly.

 

I replaced mine about two years ago with an 700/875 cranking amp Energizer from Sam's Club for $65.00. There are several tapped holes in the battery tray to accommodate the different battery sizes, and I had to move the clamp over two positions so this one would fit. I also had to trim a little bit off the clamp flange on one of the long sides, but it only took about two minutes to do. It was the least expensive one I could find and it's been through two winters without any trouble so far. I did have to reset the radio, but it didn't seem to affect anything else.

 

Thanks for the post and the pics! Will try to find radio codes and give it a whirl...