Well guys, it was about a high temp of 0 deg today and i think this one finally took its toll on my batteries. Went out to start the truck for lunch and it cranked slow, and slower, and slower yet. So i decided to get a jumper pack to help it alone. Did nothing. Also, every time i cycled my grid heaters, it ate more and more juice from my battery. I finally gave up and took the shop car to lunch. After work i tried the jumper pack again to no adieu. I then took the shop car, and hooked my jumper cables to it. That also didnt work as my truck was drawing so much from the car that it wasnt helping my battery charge. Finally another guy from work came out and revved the car up while i cycled my grid heaters again and it finally started.

So now, my next question is, what is about the best batteries for these trucks someone can buy. My stock batteries lasted from 2001 to 2008 and i think theres still some life left in it, just not during this cold weather. However, i need/want new batteries. So tell me whats the best!!!!

 

I just installed two new ones 2 weeks ago. I was having the same problems. Had them tested and my passenger side was not holding a charge. Replaced with interstate batteries. Bugger still doesn't like starting below 0. -12 tonight and I need it in the am. Guess I'll be laying out some serious cable tonight to plug the darn thing in.

 

I have had good luck with the Optima Reds, NTB has a "version" of the Optima that are supposed to be pretty good.

I would stay away from the super start from O'Reilly's I have had 2 of there 620 CCA go bad in less then 6 months being used on 1 ton van's.

 

If you look at the battery reviews one of the top performers for several years have been the Autozone Gold brand, I have used these myself for years. Just stay away from the dual terminal batteries with terminals on top and sides. Only get the top terminal battery in any brand.

Optimas are great if you get good ones but they have become notoriously bad for dropping cells.

 

well the closest autozone to us is 30 miles away....

 

Optima red tops here too

I will never use anything else

 

I replaced my *original* 8-year-old batteries last summer with Optima Red Tops.
The old batteries weren't giving me any problems, but I was chasing a performance problem and knowing that these electronic trucks can be finicky about having a GOOD power supply, I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet.

Even though the old batteries were still "good", I could tell immediately that the motor spun over faster and started quicker - and that was in August!

I have no regrets swapping out my "good" old batteries, and hope these last as long.

Oh yeah - I was at 4-Wheel Parts in Colorado Springs. They didn't want the old batteries, but there was a young soldier there from Ft. Carson who desparately needed a battery for his buddy's Jeep. He got 2 good batteries free for helping me with the swap. Everybody went away happy.

 

hmmmm, ok, so if the optimas are that good, what percent of the batteries put out my optima actually have the dropping cell problem. Last thing i want is to lay down 300 bucks on batteries and have a cell go back 2 months down the road

 

I can't give ya a percentage, but I can say that I have had money in hand twice now and sold on buying the optimas. Both times I was talked out of them by the shops that I was gettin ready to buy them from because of all the return problems with them.

I'm not gonna talk bad about em because I think they are great batteries when you get the good ones. It's just new technology that they are still workin the kinks out of.

 

You can get optimas at Sam's for a pretty good price.