Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:47:26 -0700
Reply-To: Doug Noganav <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Doug Noganav <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject: Re: Battery question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Thanks, good info.
I ended up at wally's because it was only $65 for the group 41 750cca. Its
their basic battery with only 1 year replacement.
You can tell when you lift it up that its not super heavy like some of the
higher warranty group 41s.
I have found most batteries to be good as long as you do not do what I did
to my old one and run it flat with a radio left drawing. It created a bad
cell according to AAA who came out and tested it. After that it would not
hold a charge well.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Poppie Jagersand" <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: Battery question
The battery question invariably brings up strong opinions about different
brands. Some swear by Diehard, some Interstate, some Optima etc...
In reality the differences are not that great. While there are many brand
names printed on batteries there are only a few manufacturers. If you buy a
battery in North America with some 90% probability it is made by Johnson
Control, GNB or Excide. I've had $200 Optima batteries, and $50 Walmart
batteries, Delco, Diehard, Interstate etc. They all last comparably long for
me. Consumer reports buys loads of batteries and does a test about once a
year. Winners vary between the years and types of batteries, suggesting that
there is no particular manufacturer that is superior to the others.
More important is to check that you get a fresh battery. Like milk they are
date stamped and go bad if too old...
Some have a clear text manufacturing date, others a code. A, B, C, D etc is
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr etc. 9 or 09 would be the year. The date stamp is often
on a round sticker. Try to find a battery as fresh as possible, and not
older than 6mo. You can also check with a voltmeter. The battery should be
12.7V Anything below 12.5 would be suspect.
Martin
--- On Sun, 10/18/09, Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU> wrote:
> From: Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Battery question
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Received: Sunday, October 18, 2009, 5:29 PM
> Doug Noganav <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
> writes:
>
> > Anybody know the least expensive battery available for
> the vanagon?
> >
> > Wally world still the cheapest?
> >
> > It looked like group 42 might also work in the box,
> not sure it the 42 is any cheaper than 41.
> >
> > looking for best deal
>
> Best deal as in you are selling the van and want to put the
> absolute
> cheapest battery in you can? Yeah it'll probably be
> Wal-Mart.
>
> Best deal in that you can start the van on a cold winter
> morning? I'd
> go with Interstate. They have never let me down.
>
> Allan
> --
> 1991 Vanagon GL
>
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