What's the current wisdom on a battery for the CRD? Need to replace mine.

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The more CCA the better. If you don't mind trimming your battery tray you can fit a 65 Series battery such as:

Sears DieHard Platinum P2 65 Series (950 CCA) -or- Odyssey 65-PC1750T (950 CCA)

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The O.E. battery is a genuine Optima spiral wound AGM battery. If you purchase an O.E. replacement through the Stealerships you are going to be paying a lot of money. An O.E. CRD battery - at least up here in Canada - is priced like it uses gold instead of lead.... I was quoted over $400.00 CDN when I priced one out about 4 years ago.

The problem as I understand it is the charging system of the CRD is designed to charge Absorbed Glass Matt batteries. AGM batteries have a different charging characteristic than traditional acid bath batteries, and you should therefore replace your battery with another AGM battery.

Try a NorthStar or Odyssey battery... you can get them sometimes from mass retailers like Sears of Canadian Tire under the retailer's own label, (the Canadian Tire version of the NorthStar Battery is the Motomaster Eliminator Ultra XD Pure Lead battery, and has a grey case with a bright blue top). If you can find one they are generally a little less money than the NorthStar or Odyssey branded identical twins.

Both NorthStar and Odyssey batteries are Absorbed Glass Matt batteries that use a newer generation of robotics to assemble and compress the lead onto the grids in a traditional flat plate manner. Because the cells are compressed, no calcium is required to help the lead stick to the grids, and therefore the chemical reaction between the sulfuric acid in the glass matts and the pure lead is stronger, creating more electricity. The AGM technology also makes the battery spillproof... Freezing the battery, even when it is completely discharged, will not harm it.

The previous generation of AGM batteries that had compressed cells required those cells to be rolled up or spiral wound in order to be compressed. While this made for a interesting shape to the battery, you lost valuable space in between the cells for more lead and acid. If you lift up a group 78 NorthStar or Odyssey battery and compare the weight of it to the Optima O.E. battery, (also Group 78), the O.E. battery is roughly 5 lbs lighter. The specifications of the NorthStar/Odyssey batteries are therefore superior, simply because they have more lead and acid for the same size battery than the Optima battery.

I also understand that the Optima batteries are now made in China, and do not have the same level of quality that they used to have. NorthStar and Odyssey batteries are manufactured in the U.S.

Costco is where I got mine. Works great with a no BS warranty.

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Sears P1, nothing better but expensive. Mine is 4.5 years old and is also a AGM battery. Original Red Top lasted 2 years.
Optima the maker of Red Tops were bought out and quality nose dived before they were used in the US CRD's.
P1 has a higher full charge voltage and the 7 odd computers in the Liberty CRD get along better with proper voltage.

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Am I correct when I state that the Sears P1 is a NorthStar battery?

I put in a group 34 AGM battey that I got at O'Reilly for $160. 775CCA. Cranks faster than the tired red top it replaced.

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When my original optima red top died and left me stranded during a severe thunderstorm and forced me to get towed home, I went back to traditional lead acid batteries.

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Nope it's a Odyssey battery in a gray case and same warranty.

The Sears Diehard Platinum series are no longer online. Maybe discontinued?

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Any group 34 AGM battery with ca. 800+CCA will work fine. The OEM battery was a group 34R (e.g. +- terminals reversed) but a group 34 fits fine although you might have to twick the - cable slightly to fit and was rated at 700 CCA (I just looked at mine). I have the Sears P-1 and my son has a Interstate megatron-plus (MTP-34) although he did manage to kill it after IIRC 4 years by repeated very short runs this winter in Kearney, NE.

Note some less flexible battery places will want to go by the "book" and either try to say only an OEM battery can be used or that you cannot use a Group 34 battery. They are wrong.

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I've been using a NAPA 800cca lead acid for years. I can't see how the charging system could be optimized for the OEM Optima.

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My battery is a Bosch group 34, 850 ca, 770 cca, traditional lead acid.
Got it at PepBoys.
Has been working great for me.
But I live in Florida. Really cold starts are not much of an issue here.

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U.S. Army Retired

I think it has to do with the voltage from alternator, not sure exactly what's different but I have 2 battery chargers, each with a switch that toggles between agm and standard battery, so it must be a difference between charging those...

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2005 kj CRD, samco, suncoast tc, provent, Kennedy lift pump, GDE ECO full torque, 2nd gen filter head, 245/70/16 a/t tires, mopar light bar, fumoto oil valve, OEM Skid Plates, ARB Front bumper and HD OME, tru cool LPD47391 40k GVW tranny cooler (stock cooler delete), FF Dynamics e-fan and shroud, rocker arms replaced, HDS2 190F thermostat.

Talk to your local battery retailer... they should be able to tell you the differences. You can use a traditional acid bath battery, it is simply a case of the charging system apparently generating more amperage and less voltage than is ideal for an acid bath battery.

Batteries and cooling systems issues are more critical for those of us in colder climates, which is why we pay more attention to it than those vehicle owners who do not see winter.

If you can get your hands on a Trojan AGM battery, get one! They are at the top of the list right now for the best rated and beat all others in independent tests.
Pricey but very good and still made in the USA. They actually make all parts in one location including smelting their own virgin lead according to what I have read... They beat North Star, Odyssey, and Optima in load and sustained voltage tests...
Like TDF said, talk to you local battery warehouse and see what AGM battery they have on hand, 800 CCA+....

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I use a Sears P1 myself, love it.

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Silver 2006 KJ 2.8L CRD Limited:
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Charging voltage and amps is the difference.

Spiral cell AGM's charge best at 14.9+volts,flat plate AGM's are 14.5-14.9 volts and both at 20-40 amps.Traditional wet cell is 13.5-14volts and 2-10amps.

My original red too battery only lasted 3 years. Replaced with Interstate which lasted 5years. Cheaper... better...